The latest government figures show that there are now 2,309 academies in England, with 282 opening their doors this month.
The academy programme began in 2002 under Labour, with the aim of improving educational attainment in deprived areas by introducing sponsors. Under the coalition government, a new model of academy status was introduced that made it simpler for schools to become academies; these schools are called converter academies.
Details of academy numbers at local authority level were published by the government last week. These show that in tiny Rutland all three secondary schools are academies and in North East Lincolnshire nine of its 10 secondaries are academies. Primary conversion is highest in Darlington, where six of its 29 primaries are academies.
Only four of the 150 authorities with secondaries had no academies in January 2012: Warrington, Knowsley, Hartlepool, and Barking and Dagenham.
Academies by sector
Primary (769)
Secondary (1,484)
Special (56)
Number of academies
1,808 converter academies
501 sponsored academies
Percentage of secondary schools that are academies
North East 22%
North West 25%
Yorkshire 28%
East Midlands 34%
East of England 43%
London 40%
South East 39%
South West 50%
West Midlands 35%.
