Academy schools and community schools are both state-funded and free to attend in England, but academies operate independently of local authority control and can set their own curriculum, term dates, and conditions of employment. In practice, most academies follow the National Curriculum and are inspected by Ofsted on the same framework.
What is a community school?
A community school is a state secondary or primary school maintained by the local authority (LA). The LA employs staff, owns the land and buildings, and is responsible for the admissions process. Community schools must follow the National Curriculum, meaning students study the same core subjects and meet the same attainment expectations as students at any other maintained school in England.
Community schools make up a decreasing share of England's school landscape. Through the 2010s and early 2020s, many community schools converted to academy status, either individually as standalone academies or as part of multi-academy trusts (MATs). As of the mid-2020s, the majority of secondary schools in England are academies rather than maintained community schools.
What is an academy school?
An academy is a state-funded school that operates independently of the local authority. Academy funding comes directly from central government via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), bypassing LA oversight. Academies are run either as standalone institutions or as part of a multi-academy trust — a group of schools sharing a governing body, leadership structure, and (often) curriculum approach.
There are two types of academies: converter academies, which were previously maintained schools that chose to convert (often because they were judged good or outstanding by Ofsted and sought more autonomy), and sponsor-led academies, which are typically set up to replace schools that were underperforming, with an experienced educational sponsor brought in to improve standards.
Free schools are a related type — state-funded schools set up from scratch by parents, teachers, community groups, or charities under the same legal framework as academies, operating outside LA control.
How do academy and community schools compare?
| Factor | Academy school | Community school |
|---|---|---|
| Funded by | Central government (ESFA) | Local authority |
| LA oversight | None — operates independently | Yes — LA maintains and manages |
| Must follow National Curriculum | No (but most do in practice) | Yes |
| Can set own term dates | Yes | No — follows LA term calendar |
| Can set own pay and conditions | Yes (within legal limits) | No — follows national pay scales |
| Admissions set by | Academy trust (following School Admissions Code) | Local authority |
| Ofsted inspection | Yes — same Education Inspection Framework | Yes — same Education Inspection Framework |
| Land and buildings | Trust-owned or government-leased | LA-owned |
| Fee-paying? | No — free to attend | No — free to attend |
Does the type of school affect the curriculum?
In theory, academies have the freedom to deviate from the National Curriculum. In practice, the vast majority of academy secondary schools teach the same subjects at KS3 and follow the same GCSE paths as maintained schools. This is partly because they enter students for the same public examinations (GCSEs, A-levels) and partly because Ofsted's inspection framework evaluates curriculum breadth and intent in a way that makes significant deviation from national norms risky in an inspection context.
Some academy trusts use their curricular freedom productively: developing a coherent knowledge-rich curriculum sequenced carefully across year groups, adopting an approach to phonics or mathematics that they believe is more effective, or extending the school day to include additional academic or enrichment time. These innovations can be genuine advantages for students, but they are available to any school with a thoughtful leadership team — community schools can also run excellent and distinctive curricula within the National Curriculum framework.
How do Ofsted inspections apply to both types?
Ofsted inspects both academies and community schools under the same Education Inspection Framework, using the same four judgement grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate. There is no separate inspection regime for academies. The inspection considers the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management equally for both school types.
When choosing between an academy and a community school in your area, the most useful data points are the school's most recent Ofsted report, its published performance data (GCSE Progress 8 and Attainment 8 scores), and, if possible, a visit to both schools. The school type tells you relatively little about quality; the Ofsted grade and inspection narrative tell you far more.
Do outcomes differ between academies and community schools?
Research on whether academy conversion improves outcomes for students is mixed. Some studies have found that sponsored academies (those set up to replace underperforming schools) produce meaningful improvements in GCSE outcomes over time, particularly for disadvantaged students. Converter academies — those converting from already-good schools — show less consistent evidence of improvement attributable to academy status itself.
The Education Endowment Foundation and other researchers consistently find that the quality of teaching and school leadership are the strongest predictors of pupil outcomes, regardless of school type. A well-led academy and a well-led community school will typically produce similar results for similar pupil intakes. The reverse is equally true.
Frequently asked questions
Is an academy school better than a community school?
Not categorically. School type does not reliably predict quality. Both academies and community schools produce excellent and poor Ofsted ratings, and both achieve strong and weak GCSE outcomes. The most useful comparison when choosing a school is not academy versus community but rather the specific Ofsted judgement, Progress 8 score, and culture of each school you are considering.
Do academy schools have different admissions criteria?
Academies set their own admissions policies but must comply with the School Admissions Code, which applies to all state-funded schools. In practice, most academy secondary schools use the same oversubscription criteria as maintained schools: distance from the school, sibling links, and (for faith academies) religious connection. Some academies prioritise children from feeder primary schools. Check the specific school's admissions policy before applying, as it can vary.
Can a community school convert to an academy?
Yes. Community schools can apply to convert to academy status, and many have done so. Conversion requires approval from the Regional Schools Commissioner and the ESFA. Some conversions are voluntary (the school seeks more autonomy); others are required when a school is judged Inadequate by Ofsted and a sponsor is appointed. Conversion does not change whether the school is free to attend or how it is inspected.
What is a multi-academy trust, and should it affect my school choice?
A multi-academy trust (MAT) is a group of academies run by a single charitable company. Being part of a MAT can bring benefits — shared resources, professional development for teachers, curriculum support from across the trust — or drawbacks, depending on the trust's quality. Check the trust's overall Ofsted performance, how much autonomy individual schools retain within the trust, and what the track record is for the specific school you are considering.
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