Talk to me about academies

[boomtickhouse]

Choosing secondary school. Closest option is a school which joined a MAT about 4 years ago. Since then it's had £ millions building work, Ofsted outstanding rating, +0.7 progress 8. Open day talks were about developing the whole student, lots of subject choice, a huge range of extra curricular activities and trips. Talks about mental health support etc.

So what's the catch? Is there one? I'm not a teacher and not sure of the inside views on academies anymore. I thought there were supposed to be "a bad thing" but tbh compared to our struggling primary (RI, budget deficit, behaviour issues etc) it's looking like a positive step.

The most common negative I hear about this school is that its strict and the uniform policy is OTT. I do hate uniform policy so will have to get over that one myself. But if the strictness takes away the low-level classroom distractions I'm fine with it I think.

It sounds like an absolute gift.

Do you know any parents whose children already go there who you could ask to verify these claims? How do the teachers interact with the pupils?

Why would anyone worry about a school being strict? They have to create a safe learning environment for 100s of children.

Academies generally have more money than LEA schools.

Sounds amazing. I’d take it in a split second.

academy chains are just another way to operate and fund schools. They have benefits and can be cost effective. They can also be run by incompetents. You seem to have a decent one.

@boomtickhouse in England, 80% of secondary schools are now academies.

Some failing schools have been forced to convert to academies, but many good schools have chosen to convert, and all new schools set up since 2015 have been academies.

@boomtickhouse in England, 80% of secondary schools are now academies.

Some failing schools have been forced to convert to academies, but many good schools have chosen to convert, and all new schools set up since 2015 have been academies.

Ok thanks that's helpful. It was threatened with closure by the LA in about 2018, then the academy took over. So I think it would count as a "failing to success" story.

I guess we've just been really lucky then that the turnaround has happened at the right time. I haven't kept my eye on the ball of it's changing fortunes and so have been gobsmacked when looking at it with fresh eyes this year (and also went to open day last yr). The facilities and money that's gone into it is astonishing. And the teachers seemed really happy to be there. Always assumed we'd pick the school that needs a bus to get there, but having this is walking distance seems to be a lucky break!

Good. Could do with some good fortune. Thanks 🙏

Yes it's a reasonablly small town and I know people with older siblings who've already gone there. They all say what I wrote in the OP really - great opportunities if you can handle the discipline.

Interestingly the demographic who attend seems to have totally changed without me noticing. 5 years ago all the kids came from buses from the outskirts of the local city, and the local kids went elsewhere. Now it seems more and more local kids are attending (even rather than going private) which is driving a positive cycle.

Yes you're right. And my most common complaint about our primary is the lack of discipline affecting the whole class negatively.

Agree with others it sounds like a great school, there is no catch!

The massive majority of schools, especially secondary schools in England, are academies.