A HEADTEACHER has told how she wants to break away from council control and turn her secondary school into an academy.

King John School, in Thundersley, could make the change by as early as next month, under a new Government fast-track system.

It is also believed the Appleton School, Benfleet, is planning to pursue academy status.

Margaret Wilson, headteacher of King John, said: “It’s very likely to go ahead. The only thing that will be up for discussion now is whether it’s the first of April or the first of May.

“The main reason we are going for it is we will be able to prioritise the way money is spent on our pupils.

“If, for example, we thought we needed to put more teaching hours into maths as opposed to English, we will be able to do that.”

King John, based in Shipwrights Drive, is entitled to be fast-tracked to academy status because it was rated “outstanding” in its most recent Ofsted inspection and because it is the top performing non-selective secondary in Essex.

Academies are publicly funded schools, outside of local authority and Government control. The school will have freedoms, including determining staff pay and length of school days.

King John submitted its application to become an academy following a meeting of governors on Tuesday night. Before applying, the school held a consultation with parents and other secondary and primary schools in the area.

Ms Wilson recently criticised Essex County Council after her school was not told it had missed out on a multi-million-pound rebuilding programme. However, she stressed this was not a factor.

Colin Riley, Essex County councillor for Benfleet, backed both schools.

He said: “They have experienced staff. If they can gain advantages by becoming academies, I think we should support them.”