69-740: Atlantic Academy is a secondary free school situated in Bucks Cross in Bideford , Devon , England. It has 262 pupils as of February 2023, and its current principal is Claire Ankers. The school was founded as Route 39 Academy in 2011 by local parents and was established as a state school in September 2013. The school was temporarily situated in Clovelly Primary School's former building in Higher Clovelly. It relocated to purpose-built premises with
138-594: A charter management organization (CMO). CMOs are typically non-profit organizations and provide centralized services for a group of charter schools. There are some for-profit education management organizations . Charter schools are held accountable by their authorizer. There is debate on whether charter schools should be described as private schools or state schools . Advocates of the charter model state that they are public schools because they are open to all students and do not charge for tuition. Critics of charter schools assert that charter schools' private operation with
207-577: A faith designation must allocate at least half of their places without regard to faith. Free schools are expected to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, are subject to the same Ofsted inspections as all other maintained schools and are expected to comply with standard performance measures. To set up a free school, founding groups submit applications to the Department for Education . Groups include those run by parents, education charities and religious groups. Start-up grants are provided to establish
276-788: A 700 pupil capacity in Steart Farm, Bideford in September 2018. Plans to build the new site in this location were initially rejected by Torridge District Council; however, the decision was overruled in February 2016. The school was first inspected as Route 39 Academy by Ofsted in May 2015, which concluded it 'Requires Improvement' although some areas were rated 'Good'. A subsequent inspection in June 2017 however graded it as 'Inadequate' in all areas. The school also attracted criticism for deciding not to enter any of its Year 11 pupils for GCSE examinations in 2017, deeming
345-562: A charter school in Michigan, for example, must show that at least 25% of its student population is made up of new students. Legislation in Arizona stipulates that private schools that wish to become charter schools within that state must have admission policies that are fair and non-discriminatory. Also, while Michigan and California require teachers at charter schools to hold state certification, those in Arizona do not. Charter schools were targeted as
414-488: A charter school. As of 2005 there were almost 100 charter schools in North Carolina, the limit passed by legislation in 1996. The 1996 legislation dictates that there will be no more than five charter schools operating within one school district at any given time. It was passed in order to offer parents options in regard to their children and the school they attend, with most of the cost being covered by tax revenue. After
483-454: A lack of public accountability makes them more like private institutions subsidized by the public. All Australian private schools have received some federal government funding since the 1970s. Since then they have educated approximately 30% of high school students. None of them are charter schools, as all charge tuition fees. Since 2009, the Government of Western Australia has been trialling
552-487: A leaked document 'Future Academy System' prepared for schools minister Lord Nash , critics claimed that failing free schools were being given special fast-track attention by the government to limit potential embarrassment to Michael Gove, the Education Secretary at the time. The leaked document stated that the "political ramifications of any more free schools being judged inadequate are very high and speedy intervention
621-576: A list of admission priorities, but only the non-governmental funded schools are allowed to select their students and to make a profit. The charter schools cannot have entrance exams, and supplemental fees are very restricted. In 2013, a total of 19,105 children were enrolled in privately run schools. The Swedish system of friskolor ("free schools") was instituted in 1992. These are publicly funded by school vouchers and can be run by not-for-profits as well as for-profit companies. The schools are restricted: for example, they are prohibited from supplementing
690-506: A local authority competition. Like other academies, free schools are non-profit-making, state-funded schools which are free to attend but which are mostly independent of the local authority . Like all academies, free schools are governed by non-profit charitable trusts that sign funding agreements with the Education Secretary . There are different model funding agreements for single academy trusts and multi academy trusts. It
759-468: A major component of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. Specifically, the act specifies that students attending schools labeled as under-performing by state standards now have the option to transfer to a different school in the district, whether it is a state, private, or charter school. The act also suggested that if a failing school cannot show adequate yearly progress, it will be designated
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#1732851253105828-511: A private association or limited company. Private primary schools need a licence from the Government and other educational institutions from the Ministry of Education to operate. Most private schools follow the national curriculum. Exceptions to this are international and foreign language schools (such as International Baccalaureate schools). Tuition fees may not be charged in Finnish private schools (with
897-656: A religious focus or cater for the German-speaking minority in Schleswig. Danish private schools have often been set up on the initiative of a group of parents. Around 75% of pupils' costs are covered by the public purse, with the remainder paid by parents. A supervisor, appointed by the parents, checks that teaching of core subjects meets the standards of the elementary school. Some 90 000 pupils (15% of schoolchildren) attend Danish private schools. Profits in Danish private schools stay in
966-640: A significant degree of autonomy) in England. In 2007, there were 75 private general education schools in Finland. Of these, 47 were members of the Association of Private Schools. In addition to special education schools, 13% of the pupils in its member schools were in adult secondary schools, 8% in language schools, 8% in special education schools (Steiner schools and Freinet schools) and 5% in Christian schools. According to
1035-471: A survey of a thousand parents. The Education Secretary accused free school opponents of subjecting supporters to personal attacks and even death threats. The Department for Education said that free schools were popular with parents. Figures released in 2013 showed that 90% of free schools were over-subscribed with an average of three pupils competing for each place. Critics pointed out that more than half of free schools opening in 2012 opened with 60% or less of
1104-562: A tenth wave of free school applications to be submitted in October the same year. They also said that there would be further waves with closing dates in March and September each year for the rest of the Parliament. The Parliament had been expected to end in May 2020, but in the event it was dissolved on 3 May 2017. Between 2010 and 2015 more than 400 free schools were approved for opening in England by
1173-476: A very long history of private subsidized schooling, akin to charter schooling in the United States. Before the 1980s, most private subsidized schools were religious and owned by churches or other private parties, but they received support from the central government. In the 1980s, the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet promoted neoliberal reforms in the country. In 1981 a competitive voucher system in education
1242-471: Is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autonomy for accountability, that it is freed from the rules but accountable for results. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that operate independently from their local district. Charter schools are often operated and maintained by
1311-585: Is based on similar schools found in Sweden , Chile, New Zealand (an overlap between designated special character schools and partnership schools), Canada, and the United States. The concept has been compared to charter schools in Canada and the US. Free schools are subject to the same School Admissions Code as all other state-funded schools, although they are subject to the 50% Rule whereby oversubscribed free schools with
1380-452: Is essential." Polling in April 2015 put public support for Conservative proposals to increase the number of free schools by at least 500 at 26%. The 2015 Labour Party election manifesto proposed banning the creation of free schools in areas where there was a surplus of places. The free school concept has been described as a government obsession which should be abandoned as a failed experiment;
1449-526: Is flexibility in the way this is realized. Minnesota passed the first charter school law in the United States in 1991. As of 2015 , Minnesota had 165 registered charter schools, with over 41,000 students attending. The first of these to be approved, Bluffview Montessori School in Winona, Minnesota , opened in 1992. The first charter to operate was City Academy in St. Paul. Some specialized Minnesota charter schools include
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#17328512531051518-478: Is possible for a local authority to sponsor a free school in partnership with other organisations, provided they have no more than a 19.9 per cent representation on the board of trustees. Studio schools and university technical colleges are both sub-types of free school. Free schools were introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition following the 2010 general election as part of
1587-473: The Big Society initiative to make it possible for parents, teachers, charities and businesses to set up their own schools. Free schools are an extension of the existing academies programme . The Academies Act 2010 , which allowed all existing state schools to become academies, also authorised the creation of free schools. The first 24 free schools opened in autumn 2011. The Education Act 2011 gave rise to
1656-996: The Coalition Government , representing more than 230,000 school places across the country, and numbers have continued to grow since that time. As of June 2024 , more than 650 had opened, and a number were seeking sites in order to open. Sixty-six approved free schools had totally or partially closed, or failed to open entirely, by April 2018, at an estimated cost of almost £150m in startup costs and capital funding. In summer 2024 Parkfield School, an all-years school at Bournemouth Airport , announced its closure after failing to attract enough pupils to be viable. Unlike local authority maintained schools in England, but in common with other types of academy and with independent schools, free schools are allowed to employ teachers without Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The Coalition government said this freedom enables "innovation, diversity and flexibility" and "the dynamism that characterises
1725-511: The Finnish Broadcasting Corporation , twenty of the private schools were Christian in 2011. Private schools started to be established in Finland in the mid-19th century, reaching a peak of 346 schools between 1965 and 1966, before their number started to decline in the late 1960s and 1970s due to municipalisations, nationalisations and closures. More than 80% of Finnish upper secondary schools were originally founded and run by
1794-533: The National Party and the ACT Party following the 2011 general election . The controversial legislation passed with a five-vote majority. A small number of charter schools started in 2013 and 2014. All cater for students who have struggled in the normal state school system. Most of the students have issues with drugs, alcohol, poor attendance and achievement. Most of the students are Maori or Pacific Islander. One of
1863-539: The academy/free school presumption ; Government advice which clarified that any local authority in need of a new school must in most circumstances seek proposals for an academy or free school, with a traditional community school only being allowed if no suitable free school or academy is proposed. In July 2015 the advice was renamed the free school presumption reflecting the fact that the newly elected Conservative Government regarded all new academies established after May 2015 as free schools. The free school concept
1932-405: The 2011–12 school year. By May 2014 all but five of New Orleans' public schools were charter schools. Unlike their public counterparts, laws governing charter schools vary greatly. The three states with the highest number of students enrolled in charter schools are California , Arizona , and Michigan . These differences largely relate to what types of public agencies are permitted to authorize
2001-739: The Conservative Party, said that they would "create more local competition and drive-up standards". They also felt they would allow parents to have more choice in the type of education their child receives, much like parents who send their children to independent schools do. However, critics argued that the policy would benefit only middle-class parents with the time to set up free schools and that they would divert money away from existing schools. Supporters of free schools said that they would benefit children from all backgrounds. Some people were concerned that free schools are not obliged to cap their headteachers' pay. A review of available research on
2070-814: The District of Columbia. The increase of these online campuses has aroused controversy. In November, 2015, researchers at the University of Washington , Stanford University , and the Mathematica Policy Research group published the first major study of online charter schools in the United States, the "National Study of Online Charter Schools". It found "significantly weaker academic performance" in mathematics and reading in such schools when compared to conventional ones. The study resulted from research carried out in 17 US states which had online charter schools. It concluded that keeping online pupils focused on their work
2139-672: The Independent Public School (IPS) Initiative. These public schools have greater autonomy and could be regarded as akin to 'charter' schools (but the term is not used in Australia). The first charter school in Bulgaria, 151 General Education School with Interest-Based Profiles, was established in 1990 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Canadian province of Alberta enacted legislation in 1994 allowing charter schools. The first charter schools under
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2208-582: The Metro Deaf School (1993), Community of Peace Academy (1995), and the Mainstreet School of Performing Arts (2004). As of December 2021 approximately 8,000 charter schools enrolled an estimated total of 3.7 million students nationwide. The numbers equate to 7.4% of total public school students. 291 new charter schools opened their doors in the 2021–22 school year, however the charter sector lost 15,047 students that year. 2020-21 marked one of
2277-636: The Swedish model that partially inspired the policy was published in a paper by Rebecca Allen. It concluded, "The econometric evidence on the effect of the reforms suggests that, so far, Swedish pupils do not appear to be harmed by the competition from private schools, but the new schools have not yet transformed educational attainment in Sweden." Peter Wilby, writing in The Guardian , predicted that free schools would be run by private companies rather than parents, teachers or voluntary groups. The New Schools Network
2346-671: The United States. Charter cyber schools operate like typical charter schools in that they are independently organized schools, but are conducted partly or entirely over the Internet. Proponents say this allows for much more flexibility compared with traditional schools. For 2000–2001, studies estimated that there are about 45,000 online K–12 students nationally. Six years later, a study by Picciano and Seamon (2006) found that over 1 million students were involved. A study by Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, and Rapp found that cyber charter schools are currently (as of 2014) operating in all 50 states and
2415-563: The autumn of 2010, Education Secretary Michael Gove announced that 16 proposals for free schools had been given a green light by the Government and were expected to open in September 2011. This number eventually grew to 24. Five of the original 16 schools were faith schools : two Jewish, one Evangelical Anglican, one Hindu and one Sikh. Wave 2: In September 2012 the Department of Education announced 55 new free schools would open that month. Wave 3: The DfE received 234 applications for
2484-426: The best independent schools". The Labour Party have expressed their opposition to this and said that if elected they would require teachers in academies and free schools be "properly qualified". When the free school policy was first announced, some commentators offered advice to potential proposers, while others expressed scepticism that the concept could be made to work at all. Supporters of free schools, such as
2553-523: The buildings in which they operate are generally owned by private landlords. Accordingly, this asset class generates interest from real-estate investors as well as building contractors. Charter schools have grown in number in the US since the 1990s, but have experienced many failures. A recent study found that more than a quarter of new charter schools had closed after 5 years, and after just 15 years of operation, about half had closed. As of 2015 , 6,700 charter schools enroll approximately 2.9 million students in
2622-518: The business. The United Kingdom established grant-maintained schools in England and Wales in 1988. They allowed individual schools that were independent of the local school authority. When they were abolished in 1998, most turned into foundation schools , which are really under their local district authority but still have a high degree of autonomy. Prior to the 2010 general election , there were about 200 academies (publicly funded schools with
2691-471: The cohort "neither academically ready nor sufficiently mature or resilient" to take them. Following the 2017 report and former principal Jordan Kelly's unexplained departure later that year, the Athena Learning Trust assisted with the running of the school to raise standards. In April 2018 it was revealed that all of the school's governors had resigned. The school was renamed to Atlantic Academy at
2760-403: The creation of charter schools, whether or not and through what processes private schools can convert to charter schools, and what certification, if any, charter school teachers require. In California, local school districts are the most frequent granters of school charters. If a local school district denies a charter application, or if the proposed charter school provides services not provided by
2829-454: The exception of some foreign language schools), but the schools are financed by per pupil grants from the state and municipalities. The operator of a private school must be a non-profit-making organisation. The operation of private preschools, primary and secondary schools is permitted in accordance with Art. 7 of the Grundgesetz (German constitution). They are regulated by the laws applying
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2898-476: The federal state in which they are based and must not be "inferior to the state schools in terms of their educational aims, their facilities nor the professional training of their teaching staff". Furthermore "segregation of pupils according to the means of their parents" may not be encouraged. In return all private schools are supported financially by government bodies, comparable with charter schools. The amount of control over school organization, curriculum etc. by
2967-457: The first several years of permitting charter schools in North Carolina, the authority to grant charters shifted from local boards of education to the State Board of Education. This can also be compared with several other states that have various powers that accept charter school applications. Typically, charter schools claim nonprofit status, but most operate in a for-profit system. Additionally,
3036-556: The funding arrangements for all maintained schools so that "schools in similar circumstances and with similar intakes receive similar levels of funding", whatever type of school they are. A warning by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) that the policy would "fuel social segregation and undermine local democracy" was reported in The Daily Telegraph . The NUT also said that free schools were neither wanted nor needed, based on
3105-440: The governing school boards of state colleges and universities. Different states with charter school legislation have adopted widely different positions in regard to the conversion of private schools to charter schools. California, for example, does not allow the conversion of private schools into charter schools. Both Arizona and Michigan allow such conversions, but with different requirements. A private school wishing to convert to
3174-506: The joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) said in 2018: "The government should hang its head in shame at this monumental waste of taxpayers' money at a time when schools are severely underfunded". The centre-right think tank Policy Exchange said in 2015 that free schools affected the performance of the pupils in surrounding schools. Their assessment was that the results in low-performing schools located in
3243-580: The largest single-year increase ever recorded in terms of the number of additional students attending charter schools, but 2021-22 marked the first ever decline in enrollment. The most radical experimentation with charter schools in the United States possibly occurred in New Orleans , Louisiana, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005). As of 2009 the New Orleans Public Schools system was engaged in reforms aimed at decentralizing power away from
3312-407: The local school districts, a county board consisting of superintendents from state schools or the state board of education can grant a charter. The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools grants charters in Arizona. Local school districts and the state board of education can also grant charters. In contrast, the creation of charter schools in Michigan can be authorized only by local school boards or by
3381-582: The new legislation were established in 1995: New Horizons Charter School, Suzuki Charter School, and the Centre for Academic and Personal Excellence. As of 2015 , Alberta remains the only Canadian province that has enabled charter schools. There are 23 charter school campuses operated by 13 Alberta charter schools . The number of charter schools was limited to a maximum of 15, but the Provincial government eliminated this cap effective September 2020. Chile has
3450-638: The number of applicants. The US military also classifies non-traditional diplomas at a lower tier, although as of 2012 this could be bypassed by high ASVAB test scores. In 2014, New Orleans became the first place in the United States to establish an all-charter school district, called the Recovery School District . A 2017 policy statement from the National Education Association expressed its strong commitment to public schools. Charter schools are funded by taxpayers so there must be
3519-489: The other half governed by traditional, brick-and-mortar public school districts. The cyber schools teach students from kindergarten to 12th grade, and the setting varies from being entirely online in one's home to spending all of the class time in a formal school building while learning over the Internet. Cyber charter school diplomas have been unevenly valued by post-secondary institutions. Universities sometimes apply additional requirements or have cyber-charter quotas limiting
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#17328512531053588-448: The period immediately following the 2015 General Election , with proposals being invited for submission from 8 May 2015. The Conservative Party manifesto for that election included a proposal for at least 500 further free schools. On 2 September 2015, it was announced that 18 applications had been successful in reaching Wave 9's pre-approval stage. Wave 10 and beyond: In July 2015, the recently elected Conservative Government invited
3657-513: The pre-Katrina public school board to individual charter school principals and boards, monitoring charter school performance by granting renewable, five-year operating contracts permitting the closure of those not succeeding, and parents the choice to enroll their children in almost any school in the district. New Orleans is one of two cities in the United States of America where the majority of school students attend charter schools. 78% of all New Orleans schoolchildren studied in charter schools during
3726-613: The public funds with tuition or other fees; pupils must be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis; and entrance exams are not permitted. There are about 900 charter schools throughout the country. According to the Education Commission of the States , "charter schools are semi-autonomous public schools that receive public funds. They operate under a written contract with a state, district or other entity (referred to as an authorizer or sponsor). This contract – or charter – details how
3795-443: The same liability, transparency, safeguards, and impartiality as public schools. Forty-four American states along with the District of Columbia implement legislation on state charter schools. However, many states do not compel charters to abide by open meeting statutes as well as prerequisites on conflict of interest that pertain to school districts, boards, and employees. The Trump administration 's Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ,
3864-464: The same year, a further 35 schools were pre-approved for Wave 7. Wave 8: In January 2014, the Department for Education confirmed that there would be an eighth free school wave, with applications being accepted in the Autumn of 2014. The outcome was announced in March 2015, when it was confirmed that 49 applications had been pre-approved. Wave 9: In July 2014, a further funding round was announced for
3933-779: The scheme. Irish Charter Schools were set up mostly in the 1700s by the Church of Ireland to educate the poor. They were state or charity sponsored, but run by the church. The model to copy was Kilkenny College , but critics like Bernard Mandeville felt that educating too many poor children would lead them to have unrealistic expectations. Notable examples are the Collegiate School Celbridge , Midleton College , Wilson's Hospital School and The King's Hospital . Charter schools in New Zealand , labelled as Partnership schools | kura hourua, were allowed for after an agreement between
4002-415: The school will be organized and managed, what students will be expected to achieve, and how success will be measured. Many charters are exempt from a variety of laws and regulations affecting other public schools if they continue to meet the terms of their charters." These schools, however, need to follow state-mandated curricula and are subject to the same rules and regulations that cover them, although there
4071-506: The schools and ongoing funding is on an equivalent basis with other locally controlled state maintained schools . The majority of free schools are similar in size and shape to other types of academy . However, the following are distinctive sub-types of free school: The Department for Education publishes and maintains the list of established free schools and those that are due to be established. Free schools approvals are processed and announced in batches, known as 'waves'. Wave 1: In
4140-515: The schools is set up as a military academy . One of the schools ran into major difficulties within weeks of starting. It is now being run by an executive manager from Child, Youth and Family, a government social welfare organization, together with a commissioner appointed by the Ministry of Education . 36 organizations have applied to start charter schools. As in Sweden, the publicly funded but privately run charter schools in Norway are named friskoler and
4209-588: The start of the 2018/19 school year, and remains part of the Launceston College Multi Academy Trust. Ofsted branded the school 'Good' for its most recent inspection in February 2023. Free school (England) A free school in England is a type of academy established since 2010 under the Cameron–Clegg government's free school policy initiative. From May 2015, usage of the term was formally extended to include new academies set up via
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#17328512531054278-538: The state differs from state to state and from school to school. Average financial support given by government bodies was 85% of total costs in 2009. Some private schools in Hong Kong receive government subsidy under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS). DSS schools are free to design their curriculum, select their own students, and charge for tuition. A number of DSS schools were formerly state schools prior to joining
4347-783: The student numbers predicted by the impact assessment documents of each institution, leaving more than 10% spare places. Analysis by the British Humanist Association in 2013 found that the majority of free school applications were from religious groups. The Catholic Education Service said that it would not open free schools because their admissions rules would only let them reserve 50% of places for children from Catholic families, unlike Voluntary Aided schools which can select up to 100% of places using faith criteria. Education Secretary Michael Gove said in 2011 he had ruled out religious fundamentalist groups being able to set up free schools. In April 2014, following publication of
4416-748: The third wave of free schools, of which 102 were approved to progress to the pre-opening stage. The schools were due to open in September 2013. Wave 4: Free schools wishing to open in September 2014 submitted proposals to the DfE in January 2013. In May 2013 it was announced that 102 schools had been approved. Waves 5,6,7: In March 2013, the Department for Education announced the application schedule for groups wishing to open free schools in 2015 and beyond. The Wave 5 pre-approvals were announced in January 2014, with 11 new schools being approved. Five months later another 38 were pre-approved for Wave 6, and in September of
4485-511: The vicinity of a free school out-performed similar schools that do not have a free school nearby, and also that free schools were eight times more likely to be in England's most deprived areas than the least deprived. The schools have proven to be unexpectedly expensive, with the government being taken to task for failure to do due diligence on sites and to publish an accounting of costs. Types of free school in addition to those designated "free school": Charter schools A charter school
4554-590: Was adopted. These vouchers could be used in public schools or private subsidized schools (which can be run for profit). After this reform, the share of private subsidized schools, many of them secular, grew from 18.5% of schools in 1980 to 32.7% of schools in 2001. As of 2012, nearly 60% of Chilean students study in charter schools. Free primary schools have long existed in Denmark, often with roots in Grundtvig's folk high school movement. Many other independent schools have
4623-644: Was formally instituted in 2003, but dismissed in 2007. Private schools have since medieval times been a part of the education system, and is today consisting of 63 Montessori and 32 Steiner (Waldorf) charter schools, some religious schools and 11 non-governmental funded schools like the Oslo International School , the German School Max Tau and the French School Lycée Français , a total of 195 schools. All charter schools can have
4692-400: Was subsequently set up to help groups develop the skills needed to set up free schools. Paul Carter, a Conservative councillor , pointed out that under the funding arrangements in place at the time, "the more academies and Free Schools you operate, under the current academy funding arrangements, the less [money] maintained schools would get." Subsequently, the Department for Education changed
4761-441: Was the biggest problem faced by online charter schools and that in mathematics the difference in attainment between online pupils and their conventionally-educated peers equated to the cyber pupils missing a whole academic year in school. Four states have adopted specific legislation tailored to cyber charter schools. One example is Arizona, which has about 3,500 students in cyber schools, about half of them cyber charter schools and
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