A guide to the evidence on academies

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This report presents the findings from a review of evidence on the performance of academy schools. Drawing on 13 key studies, which are summarised at the end, it sets out to aid understanding of current research on academies.

It finds that an overall view of academies’ performance is complex, with no conclusive evidence that academy status improves the performance of primary schools, and only limited evidence of the impact it has on secondary schools. Though there are some notable improvements at secondary level, there is still large variation in the GCSE results of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The authors suggest that future research should explore the performance of secondary academies over a longer timeframe to more accurately gauge their impact, and that there is a great need for research into parents’ knowledge of academies and the information available to them. 

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Outlining various research into academy performance, this report will might be useful for academy leaders or policy makers keen to draw on empirical evidence.