Teachers at 'city academies'

Unlike those who wish to tach at a normal state school, those who wish to do so at a 'city academy', do not have to be registered with the General Teaching Council. Pupils at a city academy, then, are not assured of the basic competence of their teachers, nor do they have any protection against potentially dangerous 'teachers'.

Helpfully, academies can also opt out of national pay agreements, and some teachers claim that they have been forced to sign 'gagging orders' in order to work at an academy.

City academies: a curriculum favouring private interests, disseminated by those without qualifications, governed outside the standards that govern education in the rest of the country. The danger these schools present highlights how important it is that, if there is no other way of combatting 'the Emmanuel Foundation', we must raise money ourselves to open academies which will offer something better.

Someone will sponsor them, this is our opportunity to ensure that values of liberal humanism take precedence over those of McDonald's...