New government figures have revealed that 11 per cent of secondary schools in England are now academies.
According to the Department for Education, 204 have opened since September 2010 and there are a further 254 in the pipeline.
It was revealed that 64 schools applied for academy status in the last week before Christmas alone.
Education secretary Michael Gove said he is delighted that more schools are becoming academies and are "free from central and local bureaucratic control".
"Schools are taking up our offer to become academies because they recognise the huge benefits of being an academy – more autonomy, more power to teachers, and an opportunity to thrive, free from interference from government," he commented.
"The coalition believes that headteachers and teachers – not politicians and bureaucrats – know best how to run schools. That's why all schools now have the opportunity to become academies, with stronger schools supporting weaker ones."
According to Ofsted's 2010 annual report, 26 per cent of academies are rated as outstanding, compared to just 13 per cent of secondary schools overall.
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