By Hayley Robinson

Education in the town could be in for an overhaul after news that six schools have applied to become academies.

The Westlands, Fulston Manor, Highsted Grammar, Sittingbourne Community College, Minterne Junior School and Woodgrove Primary School join 75 others in the county who have expressed an interest in taking more control of their own affairs.

If all the interested schools were to follow through and formally apply, the county would see one of the most far-reaching upheavals in its schools for decades.

It could also spell serious financial consequences for the education authority, which would lose money to the schools that it normally holds back to pay for a number of support services.

Education chiefs have estimated that as much as £2m could be stripped from Kent County Council's schools budget based only on all outstanding schools opting into the academy programme.

Westlands head teacher Jon Whitcombe said: "I think, like all schools, what we would like to do is keep our options open and look at all opportunities.

"There are additional freedoms the school would have and we are keen to investigate.

"The old-style academies, such as the one on the Isle of Sheppey, were born out of schools with troubled pasts - the new style are targeting outstanding schools that have the capacity to take the additional freedoms and use them responsibly for the benefit of the children we are responsible for.

"If the governing body decides this is the right way to go there is an application process to follow."

Fulston Manor head teacher Alan Brookes (pictured) said: "We are a grant maintained and foundation school so we've always employed our own staff and owned and maintained our own land, so it's not as big a shift as it may be for some other schools.

"Sometimes it's put across as a desire to escape the local authority but we have always got on well with KCC and if we pursue it we want to work in collaboration with them and other schools in the area. This is a logical progression for us."

And Highsted head Jennifer Payne said: "It would be remiss of school leaders not to consider the possible advantages and disadvantages of such a major piece of legislation.

"Our students deserve the very best that we can offer and if that means some changes to the way we work in partnership with the authorities, we shall be happy to take those opportunities on their behalf."