New Academies and Asperger syndrome.

I'm wondering if the move towards academies will lead to a rise in home education of kids with AS, or families clubbing together to establish their own AS schools. There's a discussion on the impact of schools changing to academies over on another AS forum with a generally pro-school theme.

I haven't really been following this move to academies but the impression I get is that SEN was not high on the agenda of those who drew up the plans. I believe that the NAS is cautiously supporting a move to academies because it will make it easier for them to set up NAS controlled schools.

The Green Party has called for a U-turn on academies scheme

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/27-05 ... emies.html

"The Green Party has always spoken in favour of greater freedom for the school to decide how it is run. However this does not and must not mean putting the running of the school into the hands of a private sponsor who may know nothing or very little about education, and taking the power away from parents and teachers who have little representation on the governing body at an Academy.

"Academies can see principals paid in excess of £120,000 whilst there is a high turnover of valued and committed staff lower down the pay scale as they are invited to reapply for their jobs on different pay scales.

"Time and again Greens and others have asked why the freedoms and funding attached to Academies cannot be given without the strings of creeping privatisation and millionaire sponsors attached. Yet no answer is given."

...and still no comment about home education.

The Academies Bill, allowing schools to opt out of local council control as early as September 2010, was approved by Parliament on the 27th July. The vote was 317 in favour, 225 against. The legislation is expected to receive royal assent on Tuesday before the summer parliamentary recess.

Several amendments were proposed during debate on the bill by Caroline Lucas, the Green Party MP. None of which were adopted - probably out of the fact that she is seen as a pariah MP by Cameron's true blues.

Her amendments, if passed, would have:

* made it mandatory for all Academies to follow the national curriculum

* ensured that Academies can revert to maintained status

* ensured that Academy schools should have no charitable status

* allowed parents and the wider community to make representations for any funding arrangements for Academies, and,

* placed a limit of 25% of voting rights for Academy sponsors on Academy boards, to ensure proper democratic and community representation.

It's interesting that she said nothing about the provision of SEN services. There has been much worry and concern from the SEN community that when a school changes to an academy it will discriminate against children with SEN.