The Department for Education has struck a deal to pay Oak National Academy’s curriculum partners for the copyright of lesson resources they have previously provided for free to the remote learning provider, Tes can reveal.
The decision follows months of speculation over what appeared to be a major stumbling block in the government’s plan to set up the online academy as a UK-wide arm’s length body.
The partners, which include large multi-academy trusts Ark Schools and United Learning, are set to be paid a flat fee of around £100 per lesson by the DfE as part of a payment for intellectual property, Tes understands after seeing relevant documentation.
The move comes after Tes revealed on Friday that the DfE was set to start talks this week with the sector over its plans for Oak.
It was previously unclear whether the partners, which had provided free resources for distribution on the Oak platform to support remote learning during the Covid pandemic, would continue to support the new body.
Payments for Oak National Academy curriculum partners
Ark and United Learning are expected to receive the biggest payment, having contributed the most resources to Oak.
The plans for a UK-wide national academy were first mooted in the government’s Levelling Up White Paper in February, as revealed by Tes.
Then Tes revealed that Oak was to be made into the new government arm’s-length body designed to provide free curriculum resources to schools across the UK.
Oak National Academy has been hosted by The Reach Foundation since it launched in April 2020, when schools were closed due to the coronavirus crisis.
