The majority of new schools being built in the Burton and South Derbyshire areas will be academies or free schools once they open.

Staffordshire County Council says it needs 26 more in the next decade or so, all of which will be free schools.

There are two new schools in Tatenhill, both set to open in September this year, the £30 million John Taylor Free School and the £5 million Henhurst Ridge Primary Academy.

John Taylor off Branston Road will cater for 1,400 students in total when it reaches full capacity, and will launch in September with 210.

Henhurst Ridge, located off the road bearing the same name, will boast 420 pupils when full and will begin with 60 after the summer.

The clue is in the name, but both will open their doors as a free school and an academy respectively.

Academies and free schools are sprouting up all over the UK, but what are they?
Academies and free schools are sprouting up all over the UK, but what are they?

On top of this many schools in Burton and South Derbyshire are going through the transition of becoming an academy.

For instance, in November last year, three primary schools simultaneously chose to become academies and form their own academy trust to form an official partnership.

The three were John of Rolleston Primary School and Outwoods Primary School - both in Rolleston - and Sir William of Shrewsbury in Stretton.

They combined to form the Central Co-operative Learning Trust.

But what is an academy?

For all intents and purposes, an academy is a regular school.

Academies receive their funding directly from Government, instead of being handed it via their local authority, in this area either Derbyshire County Council or Staffordshire County Council.

They are still inspected by education watchdogs Ofsted and must accept pupils of all education skill ranges - there are no entry exams unlike with grammar schools or private schools as well as others.

The under-construction Henhurst Ridge Primary Academy in Tatenhill
The under-construction Henhurst Ridge Primary Academy in Tatenhill

However , academies can set their own curriculum, their own school hours and term lengths - for instance they could switch school hours to 8.30am-3pm if they so choose and start the term in August - and can pay their teachers how they see fit, but no lower than their local authority's minimum or living wage agreement.

Typically the day-to-day activities at an academy will be orchestrated by a board of governors, along with the usual head teacher and deputy etc - and will most likely join a larger multi-academy trust which oversees the business side of things and potentially introduce new standards such as school hours.

And what is a free school?

To add to the confusion, all free schools are actually academies - the only difference is how the decision to set one up came about.

Free schools are a direct result of a need or desire in the local community.

For instance, parents in the area may be unhappy with the quality of education provided in their community and ask for a new school.

The new John Taylor Free School in Tatenhill
The new John Taylor Free School in Tatenhill

The more likely trigger is that there is a huge bout of housing planned for the surrounding area and the existing schools would not be able to cater with the influx of prospective pupils.

As a result, a free school would be proposed by education authorities as a direct result of this need.

They are run on a not-for-profit basis and can be set up by groups such as:

  • charities
  • universities
  • independent schools
  • community and faith groups
  • teachers
  • parents
  • businesses