Academies in Special Measures : Now we see whether the alternative to LEAs will work

[TalkinPeace2]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-18186797

Sponsored, two schools, same head, been in trouble for a while.
LEA powerless to act.
Trust dragging its heels
Kids being let down

and so it begins

These are by no means the first academies to go into special measures since conversion.

The LA's powers are indeed limited but the Secretary of State has extensive powers - similar to those exercised by the LA for other schools.

what happened with the others?
have they been turned around - if so how ?
was the sponsor kicked out?

There now at least 9 academies in special measures, 15 with a Notice to Improve and 8 with pre-warning letters.

There were just over 200 academies when the coalition came in and, given that most of those who have converted since were 'outstanding' schools, this strikes me as quite a high proportion.

but how many Academies have come back out of special measures ?
and how was it done

here in Hampshire the LEA normally managed the turnaround within 2 terms

what is the track record of the Dfe?

A couple have come out, but I think most of them have gone into SM quite recently.

Parents with children at these schools have had problems with identifying who is responsible to oversee improvements at the school. Neither the DfE nor the EFA (formerly the YPLA) seemed to know what their responsibilities are.

Is there a way of checking who they are on a national basis

so that parents whose schools are converting NOW can have some proof of accountability afterwards

Try a Google search or one on here, as it's been discussed a few times.

What sort of accountability do you mean?

Accountability.

If I have a child at a school in special measures and it is the only state school in my area there is no such thing as parental choice.
That child will have its education compromised unless the school acts rapidly to deal with the issues raised by Ofsted.
And if it does not, who is accountable?
It used to be the LEA - and you could take it up with your elected councillor.
Who is it now?
And who and how can we complain to if it goes wrong.

Children are only in year 11 once. Political posturing by Academy Sponsors should not be allowed to interfere with their life chances.

For all types of school you should start by complaining to the governors. They are responsible for improving the school. They are ultimately accountable, NOT the LA or anyone else.

The LA's role for an LA-controlled school is to prepare the statement of action. If the school fails to improve the LA can:

• require the school to enter into arrangements with third parties (this may be, for example, consultants, other schools or further education establishments)
• appoint additional governors
• ask the Secretary of State to replace the governors with an Interim Executive Board
• stop funding the school

They do not have any other powers to intervene. They cannot, for example, replace the head teacher.

For an academy, the academy trust is responsible for preparing the statement of action.

Ofsted is responsible for approving the statement of action and monitoring progress for all schools.

If progress is inadequate the Secretary of State can step in. He has powers with respect to academies that are similar to those LAs have with regard to LA-controlled schools.

That illustrates the lack of accountability in the academy model very precisely.

An LA has at the most a hundred or so schools(?) that they are directly accountable for in terms of school improvement.

The Secretary of State currently is the next tier up from at the moment nearly 2000 schools and, if he gets his way, about 20,000.

The governors at LA schools are in part elected and part appointed - they come from the local community, parents, teachers, the LA.

The governors at LA schools are appointed by the academy trust - I understand that parent governors can be appointed rather than elected.

I know that Michael Gove put his own name on the copies of the Bible that he sent to all schools, but being the first channel of complaint/intervention above schools governors for 20,000 etc is possibly a bit beyond him.

I know the principles and the rules
but what I am utterly concerned about is that all of this is untested.

Name me ONE Academy school that has come OUT of special measures under the system you detail above.

I can name LOTS of schools where Ofsted were unhappy, the LEA parachuted in what was needed and Ofsted were happy again within 2 terms.

Richard Rose Academy in Carlisle springs to mind. It isn't the only one by any means.

And I can name LOTS of schools where the LA was unable to parachute anything in. For a start they can't do so unless the governors agree. And secondly most LAs delegate their school improvement budget to schools which means they have no budget to help schools going into special measures.

There aren't that many more academies that have gone into sm and come out again - as talking points out, this is largely untested.

There were only about 200 academies when the coalition came in and most of those which have converted since are 'outstanding' schools. There are more than 20 academies in an Ofsted category - it remains to be seen what happens to them.

No it isn't the only one. Sheffield Park and Stockport Academy are two more. It is, of course, the case that most of the academies that have come out of special measures were not academies when they went into special measures.

Sorry - misread you. For some reason I thought you'd said Richard Rose was the only one! Must have had too much wine with the evening meal...

I would agree that there aren't many schools that went into special measures as an academy and have come out again. There are quite a few schools that went into special measures as an LA-controlled school and came out as an academy.

PRH
as per my google search, some of the headlines - when you drill down - refer to coming out of pre academy special measures
and one school boasts of turning round within 2 years
sorry but that is an UTTER fail.
Hampshire aimed at 2 terms
2 years of nadgered education for my child - say what

I genuinely have NO faith that Goves little proles have the FOGGIEST what to do with a rural comp miles from Islington (and Broon/Bliar had even less idea FWIW)

If you are referring to the school I think you are, I wouldn't say they are boasting that they have turned around within 2 years, merely commenting that they have done so within the timescale set by Ofsted.

I don't know anything about any target of 2 terms in Hampshire but I note it took The Vyne 18 months. It doesn't seem to be the only Hampshire school to have taken a year or more. I note that the head of Abbey CofE Primary was called a miracle worker for getting his school out of special measures in 10 months. Getting schools out of special measures in 2 terms is a VERY ambitious target. It is by no means uncommon for an LA-controlled school to take around 2 years to get out of special measures.

Note that I am not condoning that time, just pointing out that an academy taking 2 years to get out of special measures is not doing any worse than a typical LA-controlled school.

Exactly. And the LA schools you cite as coming out of SM when they became academies would have had a similar trajectory if they had remained maintained schools, if they had been given adequate funding and resources, of course.

There's nothing magical about academy status - some academies are good and some are poor, just like maintained schools.

talking, I'd take a school being in 'special measures' with an enormous pinch of salt at the moment. Some schools in sm clearly need to be there and others are being placed there for political rather than educational reasons. My friend's dd school is in sm as the govt want to turn it into a sponsored academy. Her dd is currently working at 4a level in all subjects, along with some of her classmates. She's in year 4.

Rosebud
my concern is about the ones that are already academies going into special measures - particularly the "outstanding ones" that are going to be left alone

• until it goes pear shaped.

My own kids school has definitely had a change in ethos since converting - one that I am not at all happy with. Subjects being dropped, options being narrowed, NQTs replacing experienced staff and yet plenty of money for SMT office redecoration.
the results will hold up but for how long?

I know one school which came out of SM very very fast, but that was a total one off. It was a good school which made one big mistake with safeguarding, but didn't put any kids at risk.

I share your concerns, talking, both about the change in priorities with the, ahem, 'freedoms' from the national curriculum and the lack of strategic planning of the whole academy agenda.

mummytime
the head of my DCs junior was seconded into a school that had leadership issues
the head of that school came and covered supply
she was nice enough and a decent teacher but had clearly been promoted beyond the level of her competence
kick up backside all round and a new head - job done after two terms

BUT
the LEA made those changes

Academy heads are being allowed to feel all powerful, and they just DO NOT have the strategic vision needed - they are ex teachers after all
it IS going to be a mess and OUR kids are going to get caught in it.

prh47bridge said that an LA could not intervene unless Governors agreed. While this is, in general true, it is NOT really true in the case of special measures. When a school is put in to special measures either the LA or the Secretary of State can replace the Governors with an Interim Executive Board. The IEB are now the Governors so they can invite the LA in. Or decide to turn the school into an academy.

I would also point out that, in practice, it would be unusual for the governors of a school in difficulty but not (yet?) in special measures to refuse any help they were offered. In fact all offers gratefully received....

nlondondad
you need to read the news more
LEA have no connection to an academy - same as they do not to a fee paying school
and sorry but the WHOLE problem is that academy sponsors are like ostriches with their heads in the sand when Ofsted get cross
and they certainly DO refuse help (Oasis Mayfield as a case in point)
and the Dfe have NO system in place to save our children from heads who have just been told that they are little emperors

I think nlondondad is talking about maintained schools - LAs can intervene in governing bodies or sack and replace them though, not as you say talking if the school is an academy.