Where are academies?

Published: 20 August, 2010

• I WAS disappointed to read that no Islington schools are looking to take academy status (Lukewarm welcome for academies plan, July 2).

Academy status gives schools far greater freedom to innovate, and gives more power to headteachers to develop their schools to serve local needs.

It can only benefit schools to have more freedom over budgets, staff pay, the curriculum and the academic year. It is far better to have this genuine localism than to have schools micro-managed by local education authorities as at present. This will be seen as an opportunity lost to improve schooling in Islington

CHRIS WILLIAMS
Calabria Road, N5