A new report by the Academies Commission published today, 10 January, says academies use covert selection methods to skew their intake. Unleashing Greatness: Getting the best from an academised system has found that some academies manipulate admissions to improve results and use covert selection methods, such as using lengthy admission forms or holding social events for prospective parents, to get round a ban on direct interviews set out in the admissions code. Such practices enable academies to select pupils from more privileged backgrounds and, the report says, have “attracted controversy and fuelled concerns that the growth of academies may entrench rather than mitigate social inequalities”. In order to guard against this, the report recommends that academies publish an annual socioeconomic audit of how their intake compares with the pool of applicants.
The report also raises concerns about the process by which schools are converting to academy status and has found that some academy chains seem more focused on expanding their empires than improving their existing schools. This, the report says, raises concerns over government claims that an increase in the number of academies is driving up standards.
One of the key arguments for the academies programme had been that, by removing local authority control, schools would be closer to the local community and more directly accountable to parents. The report, however, has found that this is not so, and says: “We heard many tales where parents felt they were no longer able to have their voice heard”.
More information is available from the Academies Commission website and in the national press including The Guardian and The Independent.
Sadly, none of the above comes as a surprise. CSIE remains deeply concerned at the path that the state education system is being pushed along. Instead of seeking ways to promote equality and increase opportunity for all, state education is being shaped in ways which embrace, if not perpetuate, existing inequalities.
Meanwhile, it is being reported that the Conservative party has plans to allow private companies to run state schools for profit. This has been vetoed by the Liberal Democrats for the time being, on the grounds that it could be seen as back-door privatisation of the state education system, but is likely to be included in the Tory manifesto ahead of the next general election. What values underpin such choices? How can market forces and competition (which aligns success with academic achievement), offer equality of opportunity and help improve the life chances of those from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds?
We urge all supporters of inclusive education to resist such paths to inequality. It is true that no one individual has the power to change an entire education system. It is also true that, if everyone who cares for the principled development of schools makes a small change in their immediate environment, the national picture can slowly improve. The CSIE resource Index for inclusion:developing learning and participation in schools (Booth and Ainscow 2011) is a values-based resource for school self-evaluation and improvement. It is available from all major booksellers, or directly from CSIE at a discounted rate.
