Academy

FOIA Schedule I Part IV includes:

52A - (1) The proprietor of an Academy, in respect of information held for the purposes of the proprietor’s functions under Academy arrangements.

• (2) In sub-paragraph (1)—

• “Academy arrangements” has the meaning given by section 1 of the Academies Act 2010;
• “proprietor” has the meaning given by section 579(1) of the Education Act 1996.

The Academies Act 2010 provides for the creation of new Academies by the Secretary of State's entering into Academy arrangements with any person. In addition, it provides for converting existing schools into Academies by means of Academy orders. There doesn't seem to be any requirement for a register of Academies to be kept or for changes to be made by SI or similar. Before that Act came into force, similar arrangements under section 482 of the Education Act 1996 applied.

The old DSCF Web site has a convenient directory of Academies. The new DfE one has a list of Academies opened in September 2010. A list can also be generated by searching Edubase (select 'Academies').

Academies are designated bodies for the Whole of Government Accounts.

WhatDoTheyKnow tag: academies