Government confirms funding for Kunskapsskolan academies at Whitton School and Hampton Community College (From This Is Local London)

Government confirms funding for Kunskapsskolan academies at Whitton School and Hampton Community College

1:00pm Sunday 7th March 2010 in

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Two Richmond schools will be turned into academies in September after the final hurdle was overcome this week.

Richmond Council announced on Monday that Schools Minister Vernon Coaker had approved and signed funding agreements for academies on the sites of Hampton Community College (HCC) and Whitton School. Both academies will be run by Swedish education firm Kunskapsskolan.

Last year the authority’s cabinet approved a plan to close the schools on August 31 and replace them with academies – independent, all-ability schools run by a sponsor – on the proviso funding agreements were in place before January 15. That deadline was pushed back twice before the agreements were signed and the academies, run by the Learning Schools Trust, the UK charity arm of Kunskapsskolan, open on September 1.

Councillor Malcolm Eady, Richmond Council cabinet member for education and children’s services, said: “The funding agreement gives us the green light to turn our vision into reality, with both schools becoming academies in September. The academies programme has been over two years in the planning, and the Learning Schools Trust is now working with the staff at the schools to introduce a new approach to the curriculum and how students will learn.”

Per Unckel, chairman of the Learning Schools Trust, said: “I am convinced that Kunskapsskolan’s unique model for personalised learning, supported by the dedicated staff in the schools, will be successful and rewarding for students.”

Mr Coaker said he was confident the academies would be successful and popular schools but opposition councillors have promised to look again at how the schools will be run if they win the election on May 6.

Councillor David Marlow, deputy leader of Richmond Conservatives, said: “We will reconsult on parental preference and work for sixth forms and traditional teaching, including full compliance with the teaching of our national history.”