Schools in the North East are 7 times more likely than London schools to be looking at changing to academy status

 

 

The Key's 22,000 members spend a lot of time looking at content covering academy conversion, but in September 2012 the difference between the focus of school leaders in the Northeast and those in London could not have been more stark.  The graph above (click on image to enlarge) illustrates the general difference between North East schools and the rest of the country, showing twice as much interest as the Northeast.   

 

25% of NE secondary schools have already converted, which is pretty much bang on the average nationally (but 37% in the southwest; 36% in the East).

 

So, why so much more interest in converting in the NE?  Is it simply to get the £25,000 conversion fee?  Surely that isn't in itself enough of an incentive. 

 

We know that schools that have converted are no more likely than local authority schools to be changing pay and performance scales, governing body constituency, the school term/day, the curriculum etc - so what is going on?    Answers on a post card please.