142 schools have accepted the Government's offer to become an Academy since the Academies Act became law just over a month ago.
"More great heads and teachers controlling schools will bring better behaviour and teaching to thousands more children", said Education Secretary Michael Gove.
These schools have made a commitment to work with other schools and share their expertise. This is the first wave of converters in a rolling process that allows schools to convert at any stage.
This year's GCSE results saw Academy pupils improving at nearly three times the historic rate of state school improvement.
The running total of schools that will become Academies this academic year is 216 so far. Here is the current breakdown:
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142 schools converting to become Academies: 32 are opening this week and a further 110 schools have had Academy Orders signed which means they are on track to convert to Academies over the coming months.
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Of the 142, there are 7 primary schools which become the first ever primary Academies to open. The Government has said that special schools will also be allowed to become Academies from next year.
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64 new Academies replace failing schools this September plus a further 10 opening by April 2011.
This is record progress. In contrast, it took five years for 15 City Technology Colleges to open and four years for the first 27 Academies to open.
"This Government believes that teachers and head teachers, not politicians and bureaucrats, should control schools and have more power over how they are run", Gove added.
"That's why we are spreading Academy freedoms. This will give heads more power to tackle disruptive children, to protect and reward teachers better, and to give children the specialist teaching they need."