A TUNBRIDGE Wells head teacher said the borough's schools could benefit from becoming academies.

The Government has written to every school in England inviting them to opt for academy status and break away from local authority control.

Academies are state-funded and enjoy a high degree of control over what they teach, their finances and staff pay and conditions.

Sian Carr, who is principal of Skinners' Kent Academy, formerly Tunbridge Wells High School, said the changes went much deeper than a new name and smart uniform.

The academy is sponsored by Skinners' School and specialises in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.

Ms Carr said: "A lot of (our academy) has been built on aspiration, the ability to ensure our young people aspire to the highest levels.

"We will send people to Oxford and Cambridge as well as creating the best plumber in the world."

Ms Carr said in the nine months since the Blackhurst Road school reopened as an academy there had been a "transformation" and gave the introduction of the middle years baccalaureate as an example.

She said it was not only under-performing schools which could stand to benefit by becoming academies.

"The original thinking behind these schools was that there were some that needed a rapid transformation, and the High School would have been one of those," she said.

"I think what has been opened to all schools is the ability to have more freedom, even if you are an outstanding school."

Head teacher of Bennett Memorial Diocesan School Ian Bauckham said the school was carefully considering whether to make the change.

He said: "Bennett has good relations with the local authority, and would not necessarily seek to jeopardise those relations.

"Although the full details of the academy proposal have not been published, early indications indicate that there may well be advantages to Bennett from considering a move of this sort."

Mr Bauckham added: "The issues the governing body will wish to consider in reaching a decision will be around finance, independence, and greater freedom to set a curriculum which meets the needs of students and reflects the school's ethos."

He also said the school would want to safeguard its church ethos and links with the Diocese of Rochester.

In an interview with the Courier last month headteacher of Skinners' School, Simon Everson, said he was desperate to break free of local authority control and run his school his way.

Ms Carr said a £24 milllion project to construct a new academy home was still on track despite the Government putting the brakes on its Building Schools for the Future programme.