To wonder what changes when a school becomes an academy?

[Foodtheif]

Any experience? There are talks about my daughters’ primary school becoming an academy but we haven’t been told much about this yet. I’m sure we will in time but does anyone know how this may affect the pupils? Will they see any changes? Parents? Teachers? All I know is that the LA won’t own(?) the school anymore but the governors will.

The majority of parents won’t notice much. The reason many schools convert to academies is greater freedom and the Head wants more money and is fiercely ambitious. They see MATs as a gravy train! They are. Individual schools are not better off but the schools obtain advice from a variety of sources and some like this. Where I live, all the secondaries are academies and 1/3 of primaries. The C of E pushes this for their schools for example.

Some academy converters are great and parents are pleased. It’s definitely not all doom and gloom with unqualified teachers.

Just to correct a point above: Ofsted do not carry out mock inspections. In fact they don’t like them. All schools have School Improvement Partners. My own LA has set up a trust for this purpose and they sell services to schools. Schools choose the level of service they want. Some schools want their advisors to go into great detail about how they would fare if Ofsted turn up. It’s a form of self knowledge and improvement. The cost is factored in to the level of contract entered into. Sometimes LA officers will offer a similar service. However it’s never Ofsted itself.

All schools should review what they do and improve. Academies are no different.

I can only speak from my personal experience but I will never work for an academy again. What was a lovely village school with a wonderful family feel to it became a corporate assembly line for churning out robotic learners. It's about what the child can do for the school no longer what the school can do for the child. Executive Head on goodness knows how much is helicoptered in from another school and doesn't wait to see what the school does well before changing everything to how it is done in other school. Head of School appointed who has only taught for 4 years, part time, but talks the talk and promises to toe the MAT line (fake it til you make it springs to mind). The money to pay these huge salaries of the higher-ups has to come from somewhere and we had to buy our own supplies for our classes. Two thirds of staff left. I myself was bullied out when I became pregnant. Expectations are absurd and unachievable. Absolutely no team feeling, it's definitely a 'them and us' environment between head and teachers/TAs.
No money. No creativity, no care for individuals or developing anything else in the child but being able to pass SATS in years 2 and 6. It has become a dreadful place to be, for staff and pupils.

@Foodtheif The statutory guidance on supporting children with medical conditions in schools applies to academies as well. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/803956/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf

Will they be a stand alone academy (not sure if they can happen any more?) or joining a trust. If its a trust they vary hugely in ethos and how they work. Try and find which trust it is and look at the schemes of delegation and other schools in the trust. If it looks a bit glossy and homogenous I'd worry more than if the schools all looked pretty individual.

Often there is very little difference from a parent point of view.
things that can work well are the schools work together to moderate, can move staff around (eg if a head leaves, they might borrow a deputy from another school to oversee stuff) they can work on school improvement and subject leader development and training together.

sometimes there is a bit of lowering of standards caused by Get rid of experienced staff and replace with cheaper ones, increase class sizes, have more cover done by unqualified staff doing teaching. less local accountability.

familycourtq They were created by the Labour government, albeit with cross party support, in the Education and Skills Act (2006). The current Labour Party has not committed to abolish them, so I don't think you can claim political bias here.

That’s good that she should still be supported. Yes, it is diagnosed from a consultant. We just had a uniform change this September so hopefully that won’t happen. How long does it take to be an academy?

One of our local academy schools head is also an ofstead inspector!

To answer a question above. Yes the academy will be inspected, eventually. From academisation the school becomes a 'new' school so up to (and usually) 3 years to first inspection other than if they are already outstanding.

This also 'wipes' any previous inadequate judgement on the 'new' school!

Ahh now that’s interesting. Our last inspection rated us a ‘needs improvement’ or whatever it’s called now. Next one due next summer I believe and we are expecting more of the same. I’m guessing that’s the temptation for an academy then.

Our school was failing badly.

Two MATS later we eventually became an academy.

So far we have a fantastic new head. Improvements in safeguarding, learning. Teaching is now fantastic. New teachers who are experienced have come in and seem to want to stay.

No uniform changes.

The school is buzzing. So far a year in it’s really positive.

The Trust seems to have great knowledge behind them, policies are now in place, and procedures tightened.

Our son's SEN school failed an Ofsted inspection and has been forced down the route of academisation, joining an MAT. It's taken just under two years. They say that educational levels have improved, I cannot judge that as our son has severe learning disability and so is difficult to measure. I know they have lost some darned good staff during the process, and I'm not finding the new senior leadership team very approachable, e.g. I emailed four weeks ago asking their intentions regarding uniform given the new Academy status and I've received no response at all. I'm actually at the school for another meeting next week about our son's 1:1 support, so I think I'll put them on the spot about uniform as well.

@Hereward1332 has it on the nose. Money for the management, skimping on the grafters and making money out of uniform you can't buy in supermarkets. Hopefully the education and growing experience of the children won't be affected too much, but that's just collateral damage in the world that is academy management.

Ahh now that’s interesting. Our last inspection rated us a ‘needs improvement’ or whatever it’s called now. Next one due next summer I believe and we are expecting more of the same. I’m guessing that’s the temptation for an academy then.

Yes, this could be the reason , delaying the next inspection. Remember, just because this is happening this is still the same school and just because it isn't inspected doesn't mean it has improved.
Keep asking the questions!

In my experience, RI schools get much more support and development as LA maintained schools. The LA have experienced professionals ( with HT experience) who work to drive improvement. They are under scrutiny for making a difference to outcomes for children from elected council members. They become a priority for improvement within the LA.
Much less focus on the scrutiny of the quality and impact of improvements in a trust.

Ahh now that’s interesting. Our last inspection rated us a ‘needs improvement’ or whatever it’s called now. Next one due next summer I believe and we are expecting more of the same. I’m guessing that’s the temptation for an academy then.

Yes, this could be the reason , delaying the next inspection. Remember, just because this is happening this is still the same school and just because it isn't inspected doesn't mean it has improved.
Keep asking the questions!

In my experience, RI schools get much more support and development as LA maintained schools. The LA have experienced professionals ( with HT experience) who work to drive improvement. They are under scrutiny for making a difference to outcomes for children from elected council members. They become a priority for improvement within the LA.
Much less focus on the scrutiny of the quality and impact of improvements in a trust.

Ahh now that’s interesting. Our last inspection rated us a ‘needs improvement’ or whatever it’s called now. Next one due next summer I believe and we are expecting more of the same. I’m guessing that’s the temptation for an academy then.

Yes, this could be the reason , delaying the next inspection. Remember, just because this is happening this is still the same school and just because it isn't inspected doesn't mean it has improved.
Keep asking the questions!

In my experience, RI schools get much more support and development as LA maintained schools. The LA have experienced professionals ( with HT experience) who work to drive improvement. They are under scrutiny for making a difference to outcomes for children from elected council members. They become a priority for improvement within the LA.
Much less focus on the scrutiny of the quality and impact of improvements in a trust.

Ahh now that’s interesting. Our last inspection rated us a ‘needs improvement’ or whatever it’s called now. Next one due next summer I believe and we are expecting more of the same. I’m guessing that’s the temptation for an academy then.

Yes, this could be the reason , delaying the next inspection. Remember, just because this is happening this is still the same school and just because it isn't inspected doesn't mean it has improved.
Keep asking the questions!

In my experience, RI schools get much more support and development as LA maintained schools. The LA have experienced professionals ( with HT experience) who work to drive improvement. They are under scrutiny for making a difference to outcomes for children from elected council members. They become a priority for improvement within the LA.
Much less focus on the scrutiny of the quality and impact of improvements in a trust.

oops, don't know why this has posted so many times. I think I've made my point!

In my experience nothing much. The school I work at went to academy a few years ago. We TUPE’d over so working pay and conditions etc stayed the same. Uniform stayed the same. We had more control over what we taught and how we managed. We still have no money. We are an outstanding school with higher than average SEN/PP. I don’t think there are many LA schools left now. The move is inevitable

In a MAT, all of the schools in it have responsibility for the performance of the others, so if your school is RI, there will be a massive push from the others to move it up. More scrutiny, more observation, more pressure, more staff leaving, replaced by unqualified cheaper staff.

I don’t think there are many LA schools left now. The move is inevitable

Not true at all. 9% of 355 schools in my LA are academies. There are two more to go through which are sponsored, a group where it is a diocesan decision and then no more in the pipeline. With an eye on academies, LA maintained schools are so much more sure that they want to keep their maintained status.