Principal backing academies proposal

The head of Shropshire's showcase Thomas Telford School today claimed there will be "considerable enthusiasm" among state schools to become academies.

Sir Kevin Satchwell welcomed the announcement by new Education Secretary Michael Gove that he was writing to all state primary schools in England, inviting them to apply for academy status which will take them out of local authority control and give them greater freedoms to choose how they operate.

Sir Kevin's school was founded in 1991 as a pioneering City Technology College and is consistently the top performing comprehensive in the country.

It is the main sponsor of the Madeley Academy in Telford, the former Madeley Court School.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the coalition Government's Academies Bill, the first of the new academies are expected to open in September.

Sir Kevin said: "I believe that there will be considerable enthusiasm for this initiative.

"Outstanding schools by their very nature have outstanding heads who thrive on greater independence and autonomy.

"They deserve to be trusted and in my view will be able to do so much more to progress their own and other local schools who may need support."