By Hayley Robinson

Two more secondary schools rated outstanding by Ofsted, have become new-style academies.

Fulston Manor and Highsted Grammar School were told by the Department for Education (DfE) at the beginning of last week their applications had been approved.

Academy schools have more power over admissions, pay, what they teach and the power to change the length of the school day and term times.

The heads of both schools had hoped to become academies at the start of the academic year but debates between the government and Kent County Council (KCC) caused delays.

It means Sittingbourne now has four academies.

The Westlands School became the first in the county to receive academy status when students and staff returned to school after the summer break on September. 2. Westlands Primary School, formerly Woodgrove Primary School, was also awarded academy status the same day. The school, in Homewood Avenue, Sittingbourne, was taken under the wing of the secondary school in July to improve standards.

Alan Brookes, head of Fulston Manor in Brenchley Road, said: "We have been working on it [getting academy status] pretty much daily for the last three months.

"There's been all sorts of minor details going backwards and forwards between KCC and the DfE. We would have loved it to have happened sooner, but we also wanted to make sure the terms were right.

"It's like the end of a long marathon. It's more a feeling of quiet satisfaction than jubilation and we're not looking to make any major changes.

"We're an outstanding school and our exam results this year were better than ever.

"Our governors are very keen that we are doing this to preserve what we are doing that's good.

"There will be no changes to the school uniform and the school name and day will remain the same - nothing is changing on that front.

"However, we are constantly reviewing the curriculum.

"We change things every single year and we are always looking to be better and improve so there will be some changes in the curriculum this year and next year - it's constant refreshing, we are never complacent."

Highsted head Jenny Payne said: "Greater autonomy brings significant benefits, for example, greater freedom to decide the curriculum will enable Highsted to secure a suitably academic curriculum that is geared more accurately to the needs of our pupils.

"Likewise, greater autonomy means we can now ensure that the resources and services we purchase are appropriate for the school and more closely aligned to the particular requirements of our pupils."