Types of schools

Assignment 302 Task 3
Assessment Criteria 1.2
1.2 explain the characteristics of the different types of schools in relation to educational stages and school governance

From the information in the session, fully describe the characteristics of each of the following types of schools in relation to educational stages and school governance :

1. Community Schools
Run by LA’s who own both the land and buildings and are responsible for employing the staff. The LA decides the schools’ admissions criteria for the allocation of places should the school be oversubscribed. These schools are supported by the community and as such the school facilities are used by local groups such as adult education and childcare classes.

2. Foundation and Trust schools
Foundation schools are run by their own governing body who employ the staff and determine the admissions policy in conjunction with the LA. The governing body (or charitable foundation) owns the school and the land.
A Trust School is a type of foundation school but forms a charitable Trust with an outside partner such as business or education charity whose aim is to raise standards and new ways of working. They buy in support services for Speech and Language, Educational Psychologists etc. The decision to become a Trust school is taken by the governing body in consultation with the parents.

3. Specialist Schools
These schools operate in partnership with private-sector sponsors and within the requirements of the National Curriculum. They apply for specialist status to develop in one or two specialisms - music, sport, languages, science, arts, business and enterprise, mathematics and computing, technology, applied learning, engineering, humanities and receive additional government funding for doing so. They are usually secondary schools but not necessarily SEN schools although SEN schools can become a specialist school under one of the four areas of the SEN Code of Practice - communication and interaction, Cognition (understanding) and learning, behaviour, emotional and social development, sensory and/or physical needs.

4. Voluntary-aided
Religious or ‘faith’ schools but all can apply for a place. Run in the same way as Foundation schools but the land is usually owed by a religious organisation or charity. The governing body contributes to the building and maintenance costs employs the school’s staff and set the admissions criteria. These schools are funded partly by the governing body, by a charity and partly by the LA who also provides additional support services.

5. Voluntary-controlled
Similar to voluntary aided but run by the LA who sets the admissions criteria and employs the school’s staff. The school land and buildings are normally owned by a charity, often a religious organisation which will also appoint some of the members of the governing body.

6. Independent Schools
Not run by LA but funded by fees paid by parents and income from investments. They must be registered with the DfE and their standards are monitored by OfSTED or by an inspectorate approved by the Secretary of State. They set their own admissions policies and curriculum (they do not follow the National Curriculum). Teachers working in Independent schools do not have to be qualified.

7. Academies
Sponsored, publicly-funded independent schools. Sponsors come from a wide range of backgrounds such as successful schools, businesses, charities, universities and faith bodies. Sponsors, are however, accountable for improving the performance of their schools. Although Academies have a close link with the LA they are not controlled or maintained by them and benefit from greater freedom than State schools to set their own pay and conditions for staff. They have freedom on how to deliver the curriculum and freedom to change the lengths of terms and school days.

Identify the school you work in, state which type of school it is, and the age-range of the pupils.

Swiss Garden, Shoreham-By-Sea is a ‘community school’ with approximately 410 pupils from the age of four to eleven years of age.