HC Deb 08 September 2003 vol 410 c118W
Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skill:; how many city academies had been set up by 1 July, and how many he anticipates being set up by September 2005. [127885]

Mr. Miliband

Three Academies opened in September 2002 and there are a further nine opening in September 2003. We anticipate that by September 2005 there will be 27 open Academies.

Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils he expects to have been enrolled at city academies by the end of the academic year 2003–04. [127888]

Mr. Miliband

By the end of the 2003–04 academic year there will be 12 Academies open. These will cater for an estimated total of 10,710 pupils. This figure breaks down to 9,773 pupils who are under 16 and 937 pupils over 16. These figures include The City of London Academy which, being a totally new school, will have an initial entry of only 180 pupils.

Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost of setting up a city academy is to(a) public sector and (b) private sector investors. [127883]

Mr. Miliband

Of the 12 Academies currently open or opening this September the mean average expenditure across the projects is £23.10 million; £21.31 million from the public sector and £1.79 million from private sector investors.

Recurrent costs cover establishing the initial feasibility of a project and, once a Funding Agreement has been signed, the implementation of proposals to open an Academy During the feasibility phase, grant of up to £250,000 is available; during the implementation phase, grant of up to £650,000 is available. These costs are met by the public sector.