European Based Education Providers as Sponsors of Academy Schools in England: An Exploratory Study

This paper is an exploratory study of two European-based education providers as sponsors of academy schools in England. The academy schools programme has allowed these two school providers to enter the state sector; the focus in the article is upon leadership, ethos, vision and culture. These providers entered the state sector as part of school diversity and innovation, both provide different philosophical approaches to education compared with mainstream schooling in England. The data was gained through three one- hour long interviews with one academy Principal and two sponsor representatives. The evidence shows the difficulties such innovators face in the English context, this varied from the necessary creation of the post of principal which is an alien concept to the philosophical approach of one provider, to the ethical dilemma of a profit-making education company running a school in England where such activity is prohibited. It is argued that whilst there is sufficient ground to allow such experimental schools in England in order to widen choice, the larger macro socio-political context is of concern; the rush for diverse schools in England may be a Pandora’s Box that leaves many families in England with insufficient quality state education as finite resources are dispersed.