Academies: Closures

(asked on 20th December 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2016 to Question 55853, what the cost was of the complete closure of the 14 academies since 2010.


Answered by
Edward Timpson Portrait
Edward Timpson
This question was answered on 9th January 2017

Since 2010, nine academies have closed in the West Midlands. Of the nine academies that have closed, six were amalgamated with other schools. There have been no academy closures in Birmingham since 2010.

Academies

Free Schools

Studio Schools

Universal technology colleges

2010

2011

2012

1

2013

2014

1

2015

2

1

2016

3

1

Source: Edubase 21/12/2016 http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml

The Department does not record, centrally, information on the costs of school closures.

The Department has not made an assessment of the number of schools that have closed and opened in the West Midlands, as compared with other regions; but the majority of academies that have closed since 2010 were merged with other schools rather than closed outright, which indicates this is likely to be for local organisational reasons.

We consider a number of factors, including the financial implications whenever a school closure is proposed. Each such proposed closure arises from a unique set of circumstances. The Department does not, therefore, believe it would provide value for money for the taxpayer to collate information on the cost of all school closures.

Reticulating Splines