​Academies are state funded schools that provide free education but are not under the control of local authorities.

As such, they have greater freedom over the pay and conditions they offer to staff, as well flexibility to digress from the national curriculum.

About 200 academies exist in the UK and their public funding is given directly to them by the Government rather than being distributed through local education authorities.

The Department of Education has said academies will continue to be funded at “a comparable level” to schools which remain under council control but will also be given the share of central funding the education authorities used to spend on their behalf.

Academies are open to children of all abilities. They are established by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups who have a role in day-to-day management of the schools.

The Government will make it easier for parents to set up their own schools, known as Free Schools.

The aim is to give parents, charities, trusts and voluntary groups the chance to set up and operate schools which will be funded by the Government but free from its control.

They would run themselves but still have to meet Ofsted’s standards.