THE council has stepped in to defend the Bexley Business Academy in the wake of a storm of criticism about city academies.

The criticism, from the House of Commons education select committee, coincided with the latest test results for 13-year-olds in which academy pupils across the country did badly.

The business academy, which opened two years ago, in Yarnton Way, Thamesmead, came bottom of the Bexley schools.

But with an averaged point score per pupil of 28.8, it was only 1.3 points below the next nearest school and within striking distance of a handful of other Bexley schools.

Last year, its points score was 27.9.

The tables showed 44 per cent of pupils reached level 5 (the average standard for 13-year-olds) or above in English, compared with just 27 per cent last year.

In maths, the figure was 47 per cent, the same as last year, and in science 31 per cent, a rise of one per cent.

At the business academy almost 70 per cent of children taking the tests had special educational needs, by far the highest percentage in the borough.

The select committee has questioned whether the city academy programme is successful and cost effective and says the project should not be expanded to 200 academies, until it is proved they can improve children's performance.

It says the cost of a new academy is £21,000 per place compared with £14,000 for an ordinary secondary school. But it accepted Bexley and two other academies had already significantly increased their GCSE results.

Bexley Council cabinet member for education Councillor Trevor Perrin told News Shopper: "It is going to take several years before the academy takes effect.

"This time next year, we will be looking at these results again as it will be the first Year 9 which has started their secondary education at the academy."

He said Bexley was very pleased with the business academy, which has proved popular with both parents and pupils, in sharp contrast to Thamesmead Community College, the failing school it replaced.

"The results are going in the right direction and the pupils' attitude to the school and their aspirations, are now completely different," he added.