The contract for providing education in Walsall is under review as increasing numbers of schools opt for academy status.

Council chiefs today said the fact almost half of the town’s secondary schools are becoming academies had prompted the look at the current education services.

Education is currently provided by private company Serco, which recently announced it is shedding 90 jobs.

Council leader Mike Bird today said the “educational architecture of the borough was changing”.

He said: “Walsall Council proactively identified the need to review the current education services contract in light of changes to government policy.

“The educational architecture is changing, particularly at secondary level. More than half of our secondary schools are becoming academies, either with sponsors or on their own volition, and more primary schools are now looking to convert to academies.”

Walsall Council has already reduced its contract with Serco by £7.7 million.

It was initially feared that up to 120 jobs were at risk at Serco, but bosses there said 90 out of a total of its 400 staff will now start losing their jobs from the end of next month.

The posts are in non-teaching jobs.

Walsall Children’s Services, part of Serco group, recently underwent a government inspection which revealed it is only meeting its minimum requirements.

Serco was awarded a £345m deal to run education services in the borough for 12 years in July 2008.

An increasing number of schools have become or have revealed plans to become academies, therefore opting out of local authority control, since the idea was put forward by the newly-elected coalition government last year.

Park Hall Infants in Park Hall, Ryders Hayes School in Pelsall, Shire Oak School and Shelfield Community School were among the first to become academies under the new legislation, adding to the existing Walsall Academy and Grace Academy in Darlaston.

Queen Mary’s High School and Queen Mary’s Grammar School, the two top performing schools in the borough, have also converted.

Barr Beacon Language College was one of the more recent to switch, while Joseph Leckie in Delves is also poised to become an academy.

Willenhall Sports Community College and Blue Coat School of Performing Arts are also considering academy status.