Walk into any conversation about school choice in England and you will quickly encounter a bewildering vocabulary: local authority schools, academies, sponsored academies, converter academies, free schools, multi-academy trusts. For parents trying to understand their options, the jargon can feel impenetrable. Yet the distinctions matter — they affect how schools are funded, who sets the admissions criteria, whether the national curriculum applies, and who is ultimately accountable if things go wrong.
This guide cuts through the confusion and explains, in plain English, what each school type actually is and what the differences mean for your child in practice.
As of 2024, more than 80% of secondary school pupils in England attend an academy or free school. Academies now outnumber local-authority-maintained secondary schools in most regions of England — a dramatic shift from 2010, when barely 200 academies existed.
The Three Main Types of State-Funded School
All three school types covered in this guide are state-funded, meaning they are free for pupils to attend. The key differences lie in who runs them, who funds them directly, and what freedoms or constraints apply to their curriculum and admissions.
Local Authority (LA) Maintained Schools
These are what most people picture when they think of a "normal" state school. They are funded by the local authority (the county or borough council), which also has a significant role in setting and enforcing admissions arrangements.
How They Work
- Funded via the local authority, which receives a central grant from the Department for Education (DfE)
- Governed by a school governing body that works within LA guidelines
- Must follow the National Curriculum in full
- Admissions criteria set in line with the School Admissions Code, often coordinated by the LA
- Inspected by Ofsted
- Teachers employed under the National Pay and Conditions framework
Types of LA Maintained Schools
| Sub-type | Who owns the land/buildings? | Who appoints governors? |
|---|---|---|
| Community schools | Local authority | LA + parents + staff |
| Voluntary Aided (VA) | Usually a religious body (church, diocese) | Majority appointed by the faith body |
| Voluntary Controlled (VC) | Usually a religious body, but LA has more control | LA appoints majority |
| Foundation schools | The governing body or a charitable trust | Governing body appoints majority |
If a school near you is a Voluntary Aided faith school (for example, a Church of England or Catholic school), it can legally give priority in admissions to families of that faith. Check the school's admissions policy carefully — and find your nearest schools of all types using our School Finder Wizard.
Academies
Academies are state-funded schools that operate outside of local authority control. They are funded directly by the central government (via the Education and Skills Funding Agency, or ESFA) and are run by an academy trust — a charitable company that holds a funding agreement (contract) with the Secretary of State for Education.
The Two Origins of Academies
Converter Academies
From 2010 onwards, any school rated "Outstanding" or "Good" by Ofsted was invited to convert to academy status voluntarily. This was positioned as a reward — in exchange for leaving local authority control, schools gained greater autonomy over their budget, staffing, curriculum, and term dates. The vast majority of academies today are converter academies: schools that chose to make the switch, often because they felt local authority oversight added bureaucracy without adding value.
Sponsored Academies
When a school was deemed to be failing — receiving an "Inadequate" Ofsted rating or placed in "special measures" — the government could require it to become a sponsored academy. A sponsor (which might be a university, a successful school trust, a business, or a charity) takes over the running of the school with the aim of driving improvement. Sponsored academies were a central plank of the Academies Act 2010 and the reforms of the early 2010s.
Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs)
Most academies today are members of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) — a single charitable company that runs two or more academies under one governance structure. Large MATs such as Ark Schools, United Learning, and Oasis Community Learning operate dozens of schools across multiple regions. Supporters argue that MATs allow sharing of expertise, economies of scale, and consistent standards. Critics raise concerns about accountability gaps and the concentration of power in the hands of trust chief executives who are not directly elected by local communities.
What Freedoms Do Academies Actually Have?
| Area | LA Maintained School | Academy |
|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum | Must follow in full | Must teach a "broad and balanced curriculum" — National Curriculum not legally required |
| Teacher pay & conditions | National Pay and Conditions apply | Can set own pay scales and conditions |
| Term dates | Set by local authority | Set by the academy trust |
| Budget control | LA manages significant elements | Full control of funding received direct from ESFA |
| Admissions | LA coordinated | Own admissions authority (but must follow the Admissions Code) |
| Inspection | Ofsted | Ofsted (same framework) |
In practice, most academies teach a curriculum very similar to the National Curriculum — the freedom not to follow it is rarely exercised dramatically. The more meaningful differences for parents are in admissions processes and term dates, which can vary between an academy and neighbouring LA schools.
Free Schools
Free schools are a specific type of academy, established under the same legal framework, but with a crucial difference: they are brand new schools, set up from scratch rather than converted from an existing institution.
Who Can Set Up a Free School?
Applications to open a free school can come from a wide range of groups:
- Teachers, headteachers, or education professionals
- Charities and community organisations
- Faith groups
- Universities and research institutions
- Businesses with an educational interest
- Existing academy trusts looking to expand
Applicants must submit a proposal to the DfE demonstrating educational need in the area, a viable educational plan, and financial sustainability. If approved, the DfE provides capital funding to fit out premises and revenue funding to run the school.
Why Were Free Schools Introduced?
Free schools were introduced by the Coalition Government in 2011, modelled loosely on Swedish "friskolor" and American charter schools. The policy aim was to inject diversity, innovation, and parent/community-led provision into a system where school places were historically controlled by local authorities. Proponents argued that allowing new entrants to set up schools would challenge complacency and give communities — particularly in areas underserved by existing schools — a way to create the provision they wanted.
As of 2024, over 600 free schools have opened in England since 2011. They range from small, specialist schools for pupils with particular needs to large all-through schools serving communities of 1,500 pupils. University Technical Colleges (UTCs) and Studio Schools are specialist variants of free schools with a particular vocational or project-based focus.
How Do Free Schools Differ From Regular Academies in Practice?
Legally, free schools and academies are almost identical — both operate under a funding agreement with the Secretary of State, both are exempt from following the National Curriculum, and both are inspected by Ofsted. The key practical differences are:
- Origin: Free schools are new; academies are typically converted existing schools
- Ethos: Free schools are often founded around a specific educational philosophy, community need, or faith tradition
- Size and maturity: Many free schools are newer and smaller, with shorter track records — which can be a risk or an opportunity depending on your perspective
- Location: Free schools are often deliberately placed in areas of high population growth or insufficient school places
What Does This Mean for School Admissions?
All state schools — LA maintained, academy, or free school — must follow the School Admissions Code, which sets out the legal rules for how schools allocate places. This means:
- Oversubscription criteria must be objective and non-discriminatory (with specific exceptions for faith schools)
- Schools cannot interview pupils as part of admissions (except for music, drama, or sport aptitude at specialist schools)
- Distance from the school or siblings already attending are common lawful criteria
- Appeals are available to all parents refused a place
However, academies and free schools are their own admissions authority — meaning they set and administer their own criteria, rather than having the local authority coordinate on their behalf. This can result in subtly different admissions policies between a converter academy and a nearby community school, even when both are geographically close and appear similar.
When comparing schools in your area, always read each school's individual admissions policy — not just its Ofsted rating. An academy may weight criteria differently from its LA-maintained neighbour. Use our Catchment Area Checker to understand which schools are realistically within reach for your address.
Does the School Type Affect Quality?
This is the question most parents are really asking — and the honest answer is: not consistently. Research into whether academies or free schools outperform LA maintained schools has produced mixed results.
- Some converter academies — particularly those that were already high-performing before conversion — have maintained excellent results
- Some sponsored academies have achieved dramatic turnarounds in schools that were genuinely failing
- Some free schools have pioneered genuinely innovative approaches with strong outcomes
- Equally, some academies and free schools have performed poorly, and several have been closed or transferred to new trusts due to failures in governance or finances
The most reliable predictors of school quality remain the Ofsted inspection outcome and the school's Progress 8 score — both of which are available regardless of school type. The type of school matters far less than the specific school's leadership, culture, and teaching quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are academies and free schools really "private" schools?
No. This is a common misconception. Academies and free schools are entirely state-funded and free to attend. They have no fees, no selective academic entrance exams (unless they are grammar schools), and no requirement to purchase uniforms from a specific supplier. They are "independent" of the local authority in a governance sense — not in a funding or fee-charging sense.
Can a free school or academy select pupils by ability?
Only if they already had selective (grammar) status before becoming an academy, or if the DfE grants specific permission. Converting to academy status does not give a school the right to become selective. However, some free schools have been approved with a partial specialism (such as a music or technology focus) that allows them to select a small proportion of places on aptitude grounds.
What happens if an academy trust goes bankrupt or fails?
The DfE retains ultimate responsibility for ensuring pupils have school places. If an academy trust collapses, the government can step in to transfer the schools to a new trust. Pupils do not lose their school places, though there may be a period of uncertainty. Several high-profile trust failures — most notably the Bright Tribe and Wakefield City Academies Trust collapses — highlighted the governance risks of the academy model and led to reforms in trust oversight.
Which type of school should I choose?
The school type should be secondary to the specific school's record, culture, and fit with your child. Visit schools of all types, look at Ofsted reports, read the latest Progress 8 data, and speak to parents of current pupils. The legal category of the school is far less predictive of your child's experience than the headteacher's vision, the quality of teaching, and the pastoral environment. For a personalised starting point, try our School Finder Wizard or compare schools side by side using our comparison tool.
