Academies: Lourie responds to sceptical Tories

12.43.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Sep 2008

• CLLR Serge Lourie [Leader] writes: "The Conservatives continue to snipe at our proposals to introduce academies to Richmond upon Thames.

We are determined to implement our election manifesto promise in 2006 to improve our secondary schools and academies are a way in which we can provide up to £80 million of investment for Hampton Community College, Shene and Whitton. The Council is currently looking at the expressions of interest but will not be making any decisions until next year when we have done a lot more work. The trip to Sweden was important but we still do not have enough information finally to decide whether to go down the academy route. There is still a lot of work for us and the two sponsors Edutrust and Kunskapsskolan. We will also be speaking to local residents and the schools. The trips to Sweden and Birmingham, to see an Edutrust school, are steps in a process. The final decision is still some way off. We ere encouraged that Conservative Kent County Council and the Tory front bench spokesman on education, Michael Gove MP, are looking at the model of personalised learning provided by Kunskapsskolan."

Related Links:

• The Academies Programme in Richmond upon Thames

• The Kunskapsskolan Academy at Whitton

• The Kunskapsskolan Academy at Hampton

• Kunskapsskolan UK [The name is Swedish and means 'the Knowledge School'; it is a reaction against those arguing that a school's main mission should be anything else but ensuring that students learn as much as possible through the school's education.

• Economist article on Kunskapsskolan [12/06/08]