SWINDON Council has decided to hold fire on controversial plans to turn two of the borough's schools into City Academies.

Last night at a meeting of the Education Partnership Board they were asked to vote on whether the council should consider introducing academies.

They agreed to suspend their decision for further research.

So far Headlands had been picked as the ideal choice to become an academy as it fits the Government's criteria of less than 25 per cent of pupils achieving grades A to C at GCSE.

If it did become an academy it would be rebuilt as a school for 0 to 19-year-olds with a nursery, infant, junior and secondary school.

Academies are sponsored by private companies and do not have to follow the National Curriculum.

Each receives £2million in funding from the private sponsor and the Government pays for the rest.

At the meeting board member Cllr David Nash (Con) expressed his concerns about the proposal.

"I have huge reservations about the role of corporate entities.

"How can we even judge that they could deliver improved education if they are independent of the National Curriculum."