Sponsored Academy School Principals in England: Autonomous leaders or Sponsor Conduits?

Sponsored academy schools are independent, state-funded schools in England managed by charitable trusts (the 'sponsors'). Originally created in 2000, they have often replaced underachieving schools in socially deprived areas and have grown significantly in number, and sponsor type, since 2010. This article seeks to explore the relationships and roles of the academy principal and sponsor in newly formed academies. The study is a nested case study with a purposive sample organised by sponsor type. It is qualitative work, and 19 semi-structured interviews were held with key actors, including academy principals and sponsor representatives. A constant comparison method analysis was undertaken and emergent themes were developed. Depending on the relationship between the academy and its sponsor - which can range from autocratic to laissez-faire - a principal's autonomy can vary significantly from one institution to the next. Two key areas of autonomy are discussed: finance and school curriculum. The article explores implications for policy and practice, indicating that neoliberal structural reforms such as academy schools have implications for the role of the school principal. It concludes that there is a paradox that whilst academies were created to give schools greater freedom from local authorities, the autonomy of an individual principal in certain academies is reduced compared to that of their maintained school counterparts; the sponsor-principal relationship is fundamentally that of employer-employee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]