Academies - the big debate

I recall an article in the Independent last October in which Martyn Coles (principal of the City of London Academy) wrote:

“In the four years since the first academies were created, the results increasingly indicate that academies are offering an educational environment that nurtures academic success. This success is often being achieved with students that have previously been written off as difficult or even uneducable.”

Increasing the involvement of key sponsors such as universities, philanthropists, businesses, the voluntary sector, and faith communities has had yielded marked improvements. To neutralise arguments of detractors however there is a case for increasing the velocity of uptake to ensure we establish a strong educational baseline. I would argue for extensions of these programmes and the encouragement of sponsors to become involved in wider educational initiatives. One such initiative (which holds great personal interest) is the partnership between the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and the Lilian Baylis Technology School.