Eleven academies have been selected to lead trials of the government’s new curriculum fund programme.
The schools, most of which are in London and the south east of England, will split £2.4 million of funding this year to find the best ways to reduce teacher workload and improve results. No local authority-maintained schools were selected.
Each school will get a maximum of £150,000 each to pilot one programme, and up to £100,000 for each additional programme tested by the same school.
Justine Greening, the former education secretary, announced last January that the new curriculum fund, with £7.7 million available overall, would be used to pilot ways of delivering the 2014 national curriculum and tackling the burden of paperwork.
But the selection process for the first wave of schools proved controversial after it was revealed last year that only schools with a knowledge-rich curriculum were allowed to apply.
Among the schools selected are Pimlico Primary, run by former academies minister Lord Nash’s Future Academies trust, the West London Free School, which was founded by former New Schools Network boss Toby Young and Reach Feltham, a school frequently praised by ministers.
Region | Lead school | Curriculum programme |
---|---|---|
South east and south London | Oasis Academy South Bank | KS3 geography, KS3 science |
South central and north west London | Pimlico Primary | KS2 geography, KS2 history |
South central and north west London | Reach Academy Feltham | KS2 geography, KS3 geography, KS2 history |
North | Sacred Heart Catholic High School | KS2 geography |
East Midlands and Humber | Saint Martin’s Catholic Academy | KS3 science |
South east and south London | Thornden School | KS3 science |
Lancashire and west Yorkshire | Trinity Academy Halifax | KS3 history |
West midlands | Ark St Alban’s Academy | KS3 geography |
South central and north west London | Kendrick School | KS3 science |
South central and north west London | The Cherwell School | KS3 history |
South central and north west London | West London Free School | KS3 history |
Note: This article has been updated to correct a mistake made by the Department for Education in its original list which listed Ark Bolingbroke Academy as a lead school for KS3 geography, rather than Ark St Alban’s Academy.
Yet another shameful example of DfE favouritism.
Only EBacc subjects, of course.
Also why is 75% of the focus on KS3?