Commentary on Sections Academy arrangements Section 52: Academies: removal of requirement to have specialism
260.Section 52 removes section 1(6)(b) from AA 2010, which requires Academies providing secondary education to have an emphasis on a particular subject area or areas. Section 1(6)(b) replaced similar provisions in section 482 of EA 1996.
261.The removal of section 1(6)(b) means that new schools which are set up as Academies and existing schools which convert to become Academies will no longer be required, where they provide secondary education, to have an emphasis on one or more subject areas. However, an Academy can, if it so chooses, have or continue to have a secondary curriculum which retains such an emphasis and it will still be required to provide a balanced and broadly based curriculum, in accordance with the requirements of section 78 of EA 2002.