24 per cent of sponsored academies underperforming in first two years

As of August 2015, 24 per cent of sponsored academies received an inadequate inspection or were below the floor standard in the first two years after opening.

The figures were released in the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) Academies Annual Report for 2014-15 and show hat a total of 340 sponsored academies - usually underperforming schools taken over by an outside source to improve standards - were below expected standards.

NW London and South Central was the worst performing area, with 30 per cent of sponsored academies below expected standards, followed by Lancashire and West Yorks at 28 per cent and East Midlands and Humber with 25 per cent.

The report also shows that, between August 2014 and July 2015, regional school commissioners issued 43 pre-warning notices, including 13 to converter academies, 28 to sponsored academies and two to trusts concerning four academies.

In addition to this, seven warning notices were issued to secondary academies, three of which were converter academies, while four ere sponsored academies. The DfE also paused the growth of 14 sponsors due to concerns about finances, leadership or educational impact.