What Are Academies?

Academies are a relatively new type of secondary school aiming to break the cycle of underachievement in challenging areas.  They are publicly funded, all ability state schools supported by sponsors.

Academies bring together innovative approaches to teaching and learning in new specifically designed buildings with state of the art technology and facilities.  A defining feature of an Academy is its "specialism" which the sponsor is able to choose - our Academies have the specialisms of entrepreneurship and sport at their core.  As well as providing the National Curriculum offer, Academies are able to provide an additional range of courses and learning experiences.

As a sponsor, The Aldridge Foundation contributes up to £2 million towards the projects, whilst the Government and local education partners provide the balance of the funding within an agreed budget.  The involvement of a sponsor from business or other non-government area means that the students benefit from a different perspective in terms of the curriculum and administration.

Every Academy will be individual and develop its own distinctive ethos and mission to reflect local needs.  The Aldridge Foundation Academies aim to initiate a step change in how a community interacts with a school to raise aspirations and attainment for a local area as a whole.