Comparisons

Finnish pedagogy vs UK academies and free schools

England's school system has moved toward competing, semi-independent academy trusts since 2010. Finland has moved in the opposite direction, keeping every comprehensive school under the same municipal umbrella and the same national curriculum.

In brief

Academies are state-funded English schools run independently of local-authority control, funded directly by central government through individual funding agreements.
Free schools, introduced from 2010, are legally a type of academy, often set up by parent, teacher or charity groups.
Academies are not required to follow the National Curriculum, though they must offer a broad and balanced one and sit the same national exams as other state schools.
By 2023 to 2024, roughly 43.5% of English schools were academies, most grouped into multi-academy trusts (MATs).
Finland runs one municipally operated comprehensive school system nationwide, with no trusts, no free schools and no competition-based accountability model.

One national system versus thousands of independent trusts

Since the 2010 to 2015 coalition government expanded academisation, England's school landscape has fragmented into academies and free schools run by Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), funded directly by the Department for Education rather than local authorities. Academies are not obliged to follow the National Curriculum, though they must still teach a broad and balanced curriculum and sit the same national exams, giving individual trusts real latitude over what and how they teach.

Finland has never adopted this model. Every comprehensive school is run by its local municipality under one national core curriculum, with no independent trusts, no free schools and no equivalent of academy conversion. The municipality, not a trust board, remains the accountable body everywhere in the country.

Accountability: Ofsted inspection versus professional trust

England leans on external accountability: academies are still inspected by Ofsted, and funding agreements set conditions trusts must meet to keep operating. It is a model built around competition, choice and inspection as the main levers for raising standards.

Finland takes a different route entirely. Finnish schools have no external inspectorate and no equivalent of Ofsted. Quality is instead underpinned by uniformly master's-qualified teachers, strong initial teacher training and a cultural assumption that professionals do not need close external monitoring to do their jobs well.

What this means for school choice

Academisation was partly designed to widen parental choice, with different trusts offering different specialisms, ethos or curriculum emphasis within the same local area. Finnish families generally have far less to choose between: nearby comprehensive schools are deliberately built to be equally strong, so choosing a school in Finland is rarely the high-stakes decision it can become in a market of competing academy trusts.

England has diversified who runs its schools while keeping a shared exam system. Finland has kept who runs its schools the same everywhere, and left competition out of the equation almost entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Do academies have to follow the National Curriculum?

No. Academies must provide a broad and balanced curriculum, including English, maths and science, but are not legally required to follow the National Curriculum in full, unlike local-authority-maintained schools.

How common are academies in England now?

Very common. By 2023 to 2024, about 43.5% of English schools were academies, up from roughly 200 schools in 2010, with most now grouped into multi-academy trusts.

Is there anything like a Multi-Academy Trust in Finland?

No. Finnish comprehensive schools remain under direct municipal governance, with no independent trust structure and no free-school route for parent or charity groups to set up their own state-funded school.

Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school

OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.

Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.

Apply to the affiliation cohort →