Has your school become an academy recently?

[EvilTwins]

And if so, is it OK? The school I teach in is going to become one in January, and I want to know if people have had good or bad experiences of this. We have been assured that our pay and conditions won't change, but I'm suspicious...

Any info or experiences valued!

TIA.

Well, we raised the pay for the TAs because they hadn't had a pay raise in a long time.....

DDs became an academy at the start of the year. No discernable changes - it remains excellent. I wouldn't have thought that in as unionised a profession as teaching an academy could change pay and conditions (downwards) easily.

Depends which type of academy...

are you and outstanding OFSTED school, which you will be a new academy and then be most likely paired up with a not so school in your area to bring them up to par. If schools sign up to being an academy before the summer they get something like £271 per pupil, if after the summer that figure is halved. So there is a financial incentive.

If you are not outstanding then you will be an academy in name with some sort of outside partnership, maybe a business, maybe a church?

If you are the latter, then there may be cuts, as you will work much more like a private business where under-perfomring areas will be scrutinised. if you are the former then I think your jobs will be more secure.

We're not an outstanding. We're in Special Measures, but hopefully will be out of that before Christmas (long long process...) We will be run by the Academies Enterprise Trust. The man from the AET who came in to speak to us was quite compelling, and their website makes it clear that they are very much grounded in education, but I'm still nervous about it. I'm sure there will be an initial injection of flashy resources, but I didn't go into teaching to be accountable to a CEO or board of directors in that way.

Then I would be quite worried, sorry about that.

Are you part of a union, and if so, what is your union rep saying about this AET?

To be blunt, you have to consider why a private company wants to invest on a failing school, and what they will be getting out of it? I am sure they will be motivated by education, but also all the add on resources they will be able to sell-in and make others buy in from the school.

If you are in special measures then your school is probably not the 1st pick for your area, and so changes will have to be made to turn that around, restructuring would be 1st on their list, they they will get more students in and then in turn more revenue.

I am a member of a union, but we don't have a rep at the moment. I used to be rep, but then had 4 years off with my children, and am in no hurry to be rep again. My dad is a bigwig(ish) with the NASUWT, but I don't think I'd get a balanced view from him - academies are BAD in his opinion.

I am a department of one, so, selfishly, am fairly sure that they will keep me on, unless they ditch an entire subject.

Not sure I trust the AET man...

I don't even get how these companies or trusts or whatever make money out of academies - haven't looked into it enough, as I wasn't expecting it to happen!

I am not too sure about AET, but I would in no way take his view/word as gospel. Talk to your dad, see if he knows more.

If you are dept or one, how did you and your dept rate in your last OFSTED? Is your subject part of the EB? Is it a core subject? How many students achieved the gold standard in passes including your subject under your watch? These are all things you should consider and be making sure you have the numbers on so you can present these facts and ensure you come out in the best light possible if/when restructuring take place.

They may well start ditching subjects that do not fit in with their philosophy. Yikes. What do you teach?

New academies are out with of the LA's jurisdiction and the LA has no sway over the curriculum or the funding. It has a massive impact on how schools will be run, and I guess on your political leanings this could be a wonderful opportunity or the beginning of the end! Funding will come from central government and from the private enterprise that has entered your school. How do they make their money? That is a fundamental question to find out!

However it turns out, initially, there will be a big cash injection and a big motivation to get your school up together which cannot be a bad thing.

Thanks, gapants - that's really helpful. I teach Performing Arts. I have very good results (100% A-C at KS4 and 100% Pass at KS5 - BTEC though, not GCSE or A Level) We're not part of the EB, obviously, and not part of the NC at KS3, but the school is in a socially deprived area, and the students generally lack exposure the the arts, so it's seen as a good thing, and our HT is very keen.

The AET also seems to be an educational consultancy, which, I guess, is where they make their money. To be able to say that they run a number of successful (they hope) academies would, I assume, benefit that side of things. They currently have 22 academies either up and running or in the pipeline, so they're quite big.

I wonder if academies are an inevitability, at least under the current government, and whilst I think I am leaning towards being opposed to them as a concept, fighting against them might just leave me jobless.

Interesting that our HT only chose to present this as an idea (and indeed a fait accompli) at this point in the academic year when anyone who might think this is a good point to jump ship has only a week to make that decision.

In which case I am pretty sure your HT had run out of options.

Is your HT staying on? Are the rest of the senior mgt staying on? Usually when a school is on special measures there is a swat team sent in to run things for the short term, I take it this is not the case, and AET will be doing this?

Sounds like you are in a good position, with good credentials to back it up. I would then start thinking about how your dept would work with outside organisations as a traded service, as that I think will be how AET will want the school to operate in some ways? The more you start thinking like a commercial service that IS and educational institution, the better I think.

I would assume that there will be a few big meetings where the new partnership will be spelled out, it would be good to get a draft together of all the questions you want to ask.

If the coalition stays on then everyone will be an academy, no doubt.

I would make sure you are part of a good union, and your fees are up to date, pity you have no current rep though.

Good luck with it all, it is quite exciting!

Thanks! I am trying to be positive. The HT will be staying on, yes. She's been in post for a year and a half. We've been in special measures for just over a year. It was the previous HT who made the majority of the mistakes (putting it mildly...) which led to the failed OFSTED, and the governing body were, at that point, dissolved and replaced with an IEB. I rate the HT - she's good for the school, and I would be surprised if the AET wanted her out. The SLT, similarly, have been changed and reduced over the last academic year, and we are a much slicker organisation as a result. The LA are, apparently, concerned that we need an "exit plan" - not enough to come out of special measures, we need help for a secure future, which does make sense. Come September, we will be one of only 2 schools in the immediate area (15 secondaries in total) who are NOT an academy, so I guess this is, at least in part, a case of not wanting to be left behind.

I'm fully paid-up with the NASUWT, with a hotline (Dad) to up-to-date info, and am determined to be optimistic! I only went back full time in September, and am enjoying myself. Don't really want that to change.

i work in a recently converted into academy school - ours went through really fast - within half a school year! Slightly different situation as outstanding school, do think the HT have little choice in terms of the budgetery implications and the coaltion govt pushingfor all to convert.
Initially we were assured would stay on national pay and conditions, but as the scale of the govt cuts has become apparent they have warned us that we will stay on them for now - no school will really want to cut salaries too much though as staff will just vote with their feet, and reckon they don't want really unhappy staff.
I am a little concerned that we will see a gradual erosion of t+c, and become like the sixth forms colleges where my friends in different colleges 10 miles aprt get paid different rates for the same job

the only reason I can see a school becoming an academy is to secure the Head's salary, no more and no less!

Totally not true. Schools don't really have a lot of choice about becoming academies.

The govt wants them to.

The LEA is charging them for some things they don't use, and over charging them for some things they do - so they will gain money by converting.

If all the other schools in your LEA become an academy, you have to really.

But what you don't have to do is change anything besides who supplies your services like payroll and who fixes your broken windows. Changing to an academy does not mean staff or pupils will be affected at all.

indigobell I find your comment very naive, do you work in education?

everything could change, and it may not be fast, but pay and conditions will change, job titles and responsibilities, the curriculum, after school clubs, facilities and so on. Everything has the potential to change and quite possibly will.

there is a financial incentive for schools to change before sept 2011, and less of an incentive after that, but there is still one there. What the gov pays the schools for converting, the LA has to match, so in a way the gov is screwing with the LA.

there is no such thing as an LEA btw, it is just the LA. And depending on where you are the LA and school might have a great relationship or a crap one. The LA does not hold and has not held cash from schools for a number of years, the schools at the beginning of the year agree on a central pot of money that they pay into for the LA to supply central services like Education Psychologists, EAL specialists, IT support and so on. It is all agreed before hand.

I don't work in education. Am only a school gov and have done lots of research into our school becoming an academy.

What I have said is true for my school and my LEA.

I have to say, it was presented to us as a case of us not really having much of a choice, as a school. The bit about the HT's salary, btw, is rubbish, and a bit of a silly thing to say.

indigobell I am sorry if I was harsh with your earlier. Being a school Gov is a really important role and you get to have your say in how the school is run, I think that is a vital cog in the wheel.

It surely stands to reason that if "nothing" was going to change with the new academies except suppliers and costs then there would not be such strong opposition from many.

There will be a big shift in priorities with the SLT being driven to look at costs and making sure their school draws in the most attractive students. State schools being selective should not be the case, and to me this is a way for schools to being being selective. Also if your eye is on the bottom line and results, which being an academy is, then the egalitarian education for all might get lost.

I am not saying that WILL happen, but depending o the HT and SLT it could, and the disparity in how schools are run from locality to locality sounds a lot like a lottery and again I feel it rubs against the ethos of what a state school is all about.

DS's school became an Academy 3 years ago when it had just come out of Special Measures ( SM a political move I feel to ease it's transition to Academy ,but that's another story ).

Since then we have had an explosion of staff on the SLT and much concentration on getting the GCSE results up .
The amount of effort thrown at this has ,I believe ,been to the detriment of the sixth form which has slipped from ( pre Academy status ) outstanding to good .
The entrance requirements for the sixth form have recently,without warning , been changed overnight to give priority to those with highest grades.

The staff seem exhausted and overstretched and are expected to put in lots of extra hours and run booster classes during holidays .

There is no parent consultation ,things change ( move from annual ARD and parents evening to one parents evening ,move from form tutors to Houses and vertical tutoring ), Sometimes these changes are followed by a vague reference on the school website to a panel of parents that were involved in the decision .

The school feels like an exam factory run by a paternalistic occupying army who are heroically saving the feral local population from succumbing to the " gang culture of the streets " ( sponsors words ) and ,while doing so ,finding time to " raise their social capital " by musuem visits and introducing rowing as an activity .

Our catchment school became an academy 3 years ago, but in combination with merging it with another school (so the council can sell some land). It has been a disaster. The religious group in charge of running it seem positively anti-education, and seem to have the idea that local parents are anti-education and need to be saved (from what social disaster is not made clear). Results have plummeted and there is a lot of disaffection.

cory that almost very thing is happening here where I live, and I am very concerned when churches get involved in "state" schools, seems like a complete contradiction of priorities and outcomes.

I wonder what they think they will achieve, more souls into heaven maybe??

gingerroots yes the lack of parental consultation and transparency is another area of great concern. IF you are a very motivated and have the time to do so, then as a parent you could get really involved with your school, but what if you are not? What is you are just an ordinary parent with a busy life, who is interested, but doesn't have the time to attend lots of consultation meetings, write emails and so on. It doesn't seem like a very level playing field.

The lack of focus and reflection on your community is a real worry, why are they not looking at street culture, bringing that in- in a positive way? Graffiti art, street poetry, youth movements and so on. Very sad. Oh I know, rowing will solve all, and what about lacrosse? Linking activities to interests is very important as well as introducing new activities and cultural pursuits.

Sorry, I am rambling a bit!

gingerroots - "The school feels like an exam factory run by a paternalistic occupying army who are heroically saving the feral local population from succumbing to the " gang culture of the streets " "

This is EXACTLY what I'm worried about. I have learned recently, after being asked to fill in a form for a local arts organisation, that we are considered to be in an "area of rural isolation and social deprivation" which makes it sound really bleak. I am concerned that this trust is going to come in and take over without really knowing anything about the area, the parents or the students. They DO seem very focused on education though, which is the one thing I'm clinging to. So far, no one seems to have voted with their feet.

Are unions still recognised by these organisations? Once it's gone through, which seems inevitable, are teachers still protected by unions? I usually go to my dad with such questions, but he's on holiday.

I'm not an expert but think existing staff have their conditions of pay and service protected - not sure if only for 2 years ? or longer ?

But they put huge pressure on staff to take on extra duties ,extracurricular and booster classes in holidays ,cover for colleagues .

Unions are protected by law, and anyone has the right to form a union. You would be better to ask your dad as he is the expert, by from my very basic knowledge no company or institution big or small can prevent a union.

They can make it very very difficult for union members, maybe google a big and happy fast food company +union to see what it brings up