Academies- would you sign this?

[AGrandUsername]

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/124747

All schools are to become academies within the next 6 years.

Obviously do your own research, but I do think this is important to be heard on.

-If your child is in primary the chances are your school is LA controlled, and it's improving

-If your child is in secondary they are probably in an academy, and it's either too new to tell, or not improving

-Qualified teacher status is to go, heads (business leaders themselves) can decide if you can teach. Not a qualification in child development in sight

-Each academy can represent 5 million pounds going from an LA to private business in land deeds. Plus profit.

-Academies don't need to follow the National Curriculum, and why would you when testing is so narrow? Art? Why? And yes, it is already happening in places

-Academies are NOT a proven formula to success, already chains have failed, and good schools have to reason to change


Schools are really heading to a bad place, away from research, child needs etc to a business model. The changes are not bourne from evidence, reasearch, good practise but political agendas. Like most teachers I support change when the goals are clear and it's in the interest of children. Like many I'm not even in a union, so that argument doesn't wash....

[Iamcheeseman]

The point is the removal of choice to become an academy. I work at a primary that has been outstanding for a long time. 2 years ago the staff and governors considered long and hard whether to become an academy or not and decided it was not in the best interests of the school to do so. Now we have no choice.

There is also a lack of teachers in this country. It won't be good teachers teaching your children. It won't be subject specialists teaching your children. It will be anyone willing to do so!

[cingolimama]

Creeping, of course specialist knowledge doesn't equate to good teaching. Neither does a "teaching qualification".

[ghostyslovesheep]

signed

www.independent.co.uk/voices/thank-god-our-schools-have-finally-been-set-free-by-our-national-free-spirit-george-osborne-a6937016.html

this explaines my views well!

[AGrandUsername]

To be clear, this is not a petition saying no school should be an academy, it can of course work!

It is not the key for every school though. Will a change in status really fix every issue, it's not a magic wand, nor is it always the right option. Why change outstanding schools? Improving LAs? Baby....bathwater....

[curren]

Ds is in an LA primary that's not improving it the same as its always been.

Dd is in a secondary academy that has been outstanding for years. It's gets better each year. How are you measuring 'getting better'?

I don't recognise either of my kids in your situations. How can you claim all LA schools are getting better?

[AGrandUsername]

greyponcho- not all authorities top slice budgets nowadays, schools can freely choose services in many (like mine). Some even buy into neighbouring authorities as the best option, over academy chains available for purely business reasons.

Schools are already free to join MATs etc, why should ALL change. Not ALL need to,.

Lastly right now academies have extra cash yes, this can't be sustained if ALL schools convert.

[TheSnowFairy]

I don't think the status (academy or not) makes a school great or not.

The headteacher is the key.

[Sallystyle]

I'm torn.

I have two children in an academy school and it was a great school. Then the head left, and the new one came in, sacked loads of teachers and for over 6 months my children have been taught by supply teachers. There is no stability and the children are doing worse than ever with their education due to having no regular teachers, although they have hired a few now but it's not enough.

Could this have been prevented if it wasn't an academy? Genuine question as I don't know much about it all. They have gone from one of the best schools to one of the worst in the area and if it is related to it being an academy I will happily sign it. Apparently the head had to sack lots of teachers due to the school being in financial difficulty.

One of mine is doing his GCSE's and he doesn't know who is teacher is going to be from one day to the next. He is failing in one of the subjects he previously excelled at.

I had parent evening with a teacher who had met my son once.

[Felyne]

*pros and cons of converting to academies I mean

[Felyne]

Is there anywhere that provides a good unbiased explanation of the pros and cons (not that it matters since this government says it's happening anyway...)
My gut feeling is that it's bad but I can't find much that isn't written with the authors' own beliefs coming through, that I can actually understand.

[jeavcike]

I have signed.

The thing that's worrying me most is the scrapping of QTS. What are the entry requirements for such trainees? How are they going to protect them from being taken advantage of and kept as trainees in order to keep costs down? What does it mean for me as an agency supply teacher? As a qualified teacher, I'm worried that I'll be priced out of the market and will either have no work or be forced into a pay cut, doing the same role under a different title for almost half the pay.

[forkhandles4candles]

yes, have signed. This is so important. I will not let private business ruin my children's education, in the quest for profit, asset stripping, land grab.

[madamginger]

The rush to change will be the general election in 2020.

[Thethingswedoforlove]

Have signed both. More than 60k signatures on both.

[insan1tyscartching]

Have signed,have dd with a statement of SEN. FWIW ds with a statement did very well in academy but the LA held onto control of the enhanced resource he was a member of.

[Greyponcho]

Not signing.
Academies get their money direct from the government meaning that local authorities can't cream off a proportion of the money to cover their excessive costs.
Until education is run more like a business, is anyone really going to take accountability for all the failing schools in special measures?

[G1raffe]

You're more likely to get no specialist knowledge and no ability to teach. Young and cheap.

[Stratter5]

Signed already.

DD2's old school became an academy, and the experience was not good. She's now doing her A's at another school.

[CreepingDogFart]

Specialist knowledge does not equate to a good teacher.

[cingolimama]

I'm on the fence on this. There are some terrific academies and many are run as trusts, not businesses. Of course there are some dire ones. I agree about the business element - not appropriate for a public service. I don't understand the whole rush to make every school an academy by 2020

However, one thing I disagree with you about OP, is teacher qualification. I think there are many people without it who would make excellent teachers. And in secondary school, where specialist teachers (particularly in languages and maths) are very thin on the ground, I would prefer my child's teacher to have specialist knowledge rather than a teaching qualification. Sorry, this has been done to death on MN.

[whois]

It is absolutely privatisation of schools by the back door.

Anyone in favour of academies better hope that they don't have a child with SEN or behavioural difficulties or any other issues. Academies have no obligation to provide a school place. LEA does.

[C0C0]

Yes I have just signed both petitions.

[UnderTheGreenwoodTree]

I think it's an awful plan, for many reasons. I have signed.

I'm happy to hear arguments against - but imv, it seems like privatisation of schools through the back door, and running schools as businesses. Bad idea.