ONE in 10 secondary schools is now an academy, according to Government figures.

The Department for Education has announced there are now 407 Academies in England, which is double the number open in May last year when there were 203.

As semi-independent state schools, academies are funded by the Government but can set their own curriculum and set their own terms of employment for staff.

The Government has put expanding the number of academies at the heart of its education policy, with plans to allow all primary, secondary and special schools to apply for the status.

North Oxfordshire Academy replaced Drayton School in Banbury in 2007, Oxford Academy opened on the site of the Peers School in Littlemore in 2008, and Oxford Spires Academy opened its doors to pupils yesterday.

Two further schools look set to become academies soon.

The European School in Culham will become the Culham European from September, and governors at King Alfred’s, Wantage, meet this month to discuss converting to an academy.

Nine other secondary schools and five primaries in Oxfordshire expressed an interest in becoming academies last June, but none have made the transition.

Oxford Spires principal Sue Croft said becoming an academy gave schools the chance of a “fresh start” where pupils had no previous history and management could start afresh.

But NUT national exeuctive member for Oxfordshire Chris Blakey said: “Academies are no longer accountable to democratically elected local councillors or the local population, and although it is difficult to generalise, we have lots of issues with the academy sponsors.

“Each academy can go down their own route without considering provision for children in the wider area, and if every single school in Oxfordshire became an academy, there could be 250 different employers, all offering different terms and conditions.”