SO, SHALL we turn all of Croydon's schools into academies?

After this week's GCSE results you would think that would be the most sensible option.

The likes of Harris Academy Purley and Oasis Academy Shirley Park have recorded some remarkable results (see page 10).

Croydon Council will therefore be feeling vindicated in its decision to controversially close some of the borough's most under-performing schools and replace them with academies.

There can be no doubt that this has done the trick for the two schools mentioned above.

It also looks the best solution for Selsdon High, which had another disappointing set of results this year.

However, there is another side to this story, which has to be carefully watched.

What is going to happen in the long term to those schools that are not performing brilliantly and are not academies?

You sense that if every school in Croydon did want to become an academy there would suddenly be funding issues.

You could forgive schools such as Archbishop Lanfranc if they are looking on with envy.

While academies have extra money pumped in, Lanfranc has had money which was promised for its rebuilding withdrawn.

Academies clearly have their benefits and in Croydon we have seen that this year.

But there needs to be a level playing field.

Every child deserves the same opportunities, whether they are at an academy or an old-fashioned, "run-of-the-mill" comprehensive.