'Belt-tightening ahead' for schools

Academies have begun to attract a less deprived intake

New academies are to receive less funding, with existing ones being told to "tighten their belts", a leading academy sponsor has warned.

Sir Bruce Liddington, head of Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust, said schools in 2010 would not be as well funded as those opening this year.

Schools minister Diana Johnson said 2009 would see the largest number of academies open in one year.

Better value "academy start-up grants" were announced last year, she added.

Sir Bruce, a former civil servant in charge of the academy programme, told the Guardian newspaper: "It's anticipated there will be cuts in the amount of money that goes towards new academies that are opening.

"We're all anticipating, and officials are encouraging us to anticipate, that any academies we open from next year will not be as well funded as the academies opening this year."

He also said officials had warned the schools' sponsors to "tighten their belts" as less money was available in the education budget.

'Natural savings'

These high-profile, high-cost secondary schools, supported by external sponsors, are intended as educational regeneration projects.

Academies are intended to raise standards in deprived areas which have a long experience of educational underachievement.

Ms Johnson said academies had improved "results at a much higher rate than the national average" and the government had "expanded and accelerated" the academies programme.

"In February 2008 we announced we would get greater value for money from academy start-up grants, based on our growing experience and expertise in managing academy projects," she said.

"These are just natural savings that we can make as we get more experienced at delivering a programme and the taxpayer would expect nothing less.

"This change has enabled us to increase the rate at which we open academies and this year will see the largest number of academies open in one year."