The Academies Programme

The Council is encouraging schools within the borough to convert to academy status, within the framework offered by the recent broadening of the Government's academies programme.

What are academies?

Academies are publicly funded independent local schools. They are all-ability schools which aim to raise standards by innovative approaches to management, governance, teaching and the curriculum.

Three secondary schools in the borough became 'traditional', sponsored academies on 1 September 2010. Hampton Community College became Hampton Academy; Whitton School became Twickenham Academy; and Shene School became Richmond Park Academy. Hampton and Twickenham are sponsored by Kunskapsskolan and managed by the Learning Schools Trust; and Richmond Park is sponsored by Greensward Charitable Trust and managed by the Academies Enterprise Trust.

Kunskapsskolan runs 32 schools in Sweden as part of the state sector. Its model of education emphasises personalised learning, with clear weekly and yearly goals set for each pupil and a stepped curriculum and flexible timetable that are designed to meet pupils' needs. It uses a mixture of one-to-one support, tutorials and lectures and has adapted its approach to deliver the English National Curriculum. Kunskapsskolan is keen to work with local stakeholders to provide the best opportunities for pupils. Its operational arm is the Learning Schools Trust (LST). Hampton Academy and Twickenham Academy are LST's first two academies in England.

Greensward's operational arm, the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) runs four academies in Essex, two in Enfield and has three others in development. AET's academies have demonstrated an outstanding track record in school improvement.

More information

For more information please contact:

Matthew Paul,
Education, Children's and Cultural Services,

Civic Centre
44 York Street
Twickenham
TW1 3BZ
Email: m.paul@richmond.gov.uk
Phone: 020 8891 7588