Converting to academy status - what should I ask?

[Parliamo]

There is a parent meeting tonight to consult about converting. I haven't had time to do as much research as I would like, so was hoping someone might be able to give me some good questions to ask.

Just to make it clear, I am deeply suspicious of this policy as I am a secondary teacher and we worry about changes to pay and conditions. However as a parent my priorities are different. My Dd1 has only just started in reception and I have two others to follow her so we will be involved with the school for a long time. I want them to get it right!

So what do I need to ask?

Not to be pessimistic, but it'll go ahead regardless of what parents ask. It might be called a consultation but really it's not a discussion.

I'd want to know who the investors are and how much input they want to have. I'd also want to know how they'd handle sen needs, especially if external services are needed (for assessments etc). What is their assessment method and how do they plan on tracking progress? Are they planning on following one of the current curriculums or creating their own? How do they view creative subjects? What is their PE and swimming policy?

They're just my first thoughts. I don't know much about it from a parent's perspective- my focus has been from the teacher's point of view.

I know what you mean about being pessimistic! I'm almost considering not going as it will be such a hassle to get to school for 7 and I'm also pessimistic. But no other parents I've spoken to have the slightest interest and I feel like someone needs to speak up, even if just to make someone think.

As far as I know there are no sponsors lined up and there is no mention of doing it on a chain of local schools. To my mind a single form entry primary with a decent lea should not even be contemplating it. It's just too fraught with risks. But I might be fighting a one woman campaign. I bet even half the teachers don't care if they've been told pay and conditions won't change.

But thanks for those questions, I hadn't thought about the sen stuff. Presumably SALT is provided through the LEA.

How much will the shiny new uniform be and who will be responsible when it falls apart by October?

A friend of mine shelled out close to £500 in August when her DCs' school converted to an academy, but before half term all the knitwear had fallen apart at the seams. All complicated Hogwarts-esque stripes, so not what you can copy in M&S.

She was hopping.

Pay and conditions for existing teachers won't change in the short term as they are covered by TUPE.

If this is an outstanding school converting there may not be any sponsors/investors. They are allowed to (indeed, encouraged to) convert without any external involvement.

SEN assessments remain the responsibility of the LA as does assigning resources for pupils who need expensive additional resources and monitoring SEN provision.

I was going to post the same as Juniper
Parents turn up, put well considered arguments to the floor. Get told it doesn't matter as parents don't get a vote anyway - it's not my dictionary definition of a consultation.

If they tell you Ts&Cs for staff won't change / times of school day won't change / admission arangements won't change / holidays won't change / etc - the obvious question would seem to be "then what's the advantage of becoming an academy if nothing will change?"
The trouble is, it's a bit like Pandora's box - it can't be put back in the box / the decision reversed once the next HT or next Governing body come along and decide they are going to change all these things.

More seriously, what changes do they intend to make to their admissions procedures, if any?

Just to let you know the reasons we changed. Everything in school is exactly the same (although the amount of admission appeals being successful from the LEA bought admission package is causing some discussion about that). The reason we changed was that many of the local primaries have had less than good ofsted inspections and then been forced into an academy chain (a route we didn't want to go down). We are currently a good school and wanted to change to stay the same. If anything were to happen in our next ofsted then we now couldn't be forced down that route. For parents - nothing has changed.

Thanks for your replies, I dutifully went (one of about 10 that did, more than the local secondary school at their meeting apparently)

Juniper you were right, despite all the head's assurances it is not a done deal, once he had talked everybody on side, he made it quite clear that this was the way he wanted to go. I will be very surprised if it doesn't happen.

My god, it is so depressing. His most convincing argument was that once all the other schools were academies there would be nothing left of the local authority so they might as well do it while there was still a bit of financial incentive left. I went wanting to fight against it and came away thinking its such a giant ball already rolling that whatever our little school does won't make any difference, it will still be worse in five years time.

At least he was promising to do away with Gove's curriculum and pick up where they left off after the Rose review.

Neverhere, the parents may well notice when they come to complain and have nowhere to go after the governors apart from write to the secretary of state

Dear sir, I am writing to you about our little school in -shire. I know it's outside the M25, but....

Bitter and cynical, moi?

Ask them what mechanism is in place to return to being under the LEA when everyone realises being an academy is not a good idea.

Horatio, apparently academies still have to follow local authority admissions procedures, as well as exclusions.

Back for good, they also said the academy cycle would last 7 years and then could go back to LA control. And so many of the things like teachers t and c and holidays are now open to change regardless of academy status

The problem I have with the posts by the OP is that all of them talk about the head teacher and what he wants to do. Actually it is the governing body who need to be making the decisions here, based on logic and sense and not the wishes of a head teacher on their won crusade.
There are all sorts of issues that need careful consideration, especially in a primary school, not the least of which are does the school have sufficient expertise to do all the finance work, where are they going to get the HR cover from, who is going to do all the work around monthly pay etc.
As to not being forced down a route into the hands of an academy change, well sorry but they need to read the papers this week and all the rumours about local commissioners and groups of local "outstanding" heads deciding what to do about academies that are failing. And they are not rumours they are leaks and Lord Nash has confirmed today that there will be an announcement shortly!

have nowhere to go after the governors apart from write to the secretary of state

For clarity, you can only go to the LA for a community school if the school's complaints procedure says you can. Most don't. Even if you can go to the LA, they will usually only intervene in very limited circumstances. If you are unhappy and have exhausted the school's complaints procedure you complain to the DfE regardless of the type of school. Complaints do not go in the bin. The DfE will provide an initial response to any complaint within 15 working days. If it is a child protection issue they act far more quickly.

Admissions procedures

An academy can set its own admission criteria and is responsible for arranging its own appeals. It must comply with the Admissions Code (which is set nationally) and participate in the LA's co-ordinated admissions system, so you still apply through the LA and the LA drive the admissions process.

Termination

It is not quite true that there is a 7 year cycle. The academy funding agreement can be terminated on 7 years notice from either party for any reason. Under some circumstances the Secretary of State can terminate the funding agreement immediately. If the funding agreement is terminated the school ceases to be an academy.

My admissions question was based on something a teacher friend said.

Am I right in thinking that LAs set rules (eg looked-after/SEN, siblings in catchment, other siblings, other catchment, other) and then maintained and academies can add or shuffle priorities?

As the head teacher did all of the talking and there were four governors present-, two silent people in their 70s, one totally inarticulate person who didn't inspire much confidence, and one vaguely efficient looking person with a clipboard, that's all I have to go on. The parent governor posts are vacant. Inspiring, yes?

So prh, that's all interesting. Who would the dfe send out to the school for 'boots on the ground' so to speak? And does 7 years notice mean that two years down the line when they realise it's a financial disaster waiting to happen/ waaaay too much work, they will have to wait a further 7 years notice.

Where do I actually get indisputable facts about this process? I googled converting to a academy and the first things that pop up are businesses selling their services to facilitate the process. I found that too depressing to read much further tbh.

The parent governor posts are vacant. Inspiring, yes?

Given the decision to become an academy is not in the head's gift, but requires the agreement of the governors, perhaps taking up one of those vacant posts might be a good idea?

Unfortunately, in my school there would be more chance of Gove having a sensible thought than a parent writing a letter of complaint. You would think that would be a good thing but if they could stand up for their kids they may get a far better deal. :(

There is probably some information here......

antiacademies.org.uk/

I personally wouldn't trust information on that website any more than I would trust information on a pro-academy site. Both sides are prone to twist facts.

Am I right in thinking that LAs set rules

No. The LA sets the admission criteria for community and VC schools. VA schools, free schools and academies set their own admission criteria. All types of school must admit a child with a statement of SEN naming the school even if there are no places available. All types of school must put looked after children ahead of other children (although it is a little more complex than that for faith schools). After that it is up to the academy what criteria to use and what order to put them in. They can use the same criteria as the LA or choose their own provided they stick to the rules in the Admission Code (which seriously restricts what they can do).

Who would the dfe send out to the school for 'boots on the ground' so to speak

If funding is being withdrawn because the school is failing (the most likely scenario) that isn't clear. Several academies have gone into special measures and come out again so that process is well known but it is not clear what would happen if the school failed completely. A community school in that situation would usually be closed and the pupils dispersed to other local schools. It may be that the same would happen with an academy but until one gets into that situation I don't think we know for sure.

does 7 years notice mean that two years down the line when they realise it's a financial disaster waiting to happen/ waaaay too much work, they will have to wait a further 7 years notice

Many academies have been open for more than 2 years and none have yet found it a financial disaster or too much work. I can't see any particular reason why it would be a financial disaster - the school receives the same funding per pupil as local community schools plus a bit extra to cover the services that are no longer being provided by the LA (which are much less than most people seem to think - I often see people saying "They won't get X from the LA any more" when in fact they don't get X from the LA now). To answer the question, the academy trust can exit by serving 7 years notice or by passing a resolution winding up the trust. If they do run into serious financial trouble the Secretary of State can terminate the agreement with immediate effect but there are various measures that kick in before that to try to prevent the academy's difficulties becoming terminal (as would also happen if a community school got itself into difficulty).

Where do I actually get indisputable facts about this process

If you are after facts I have yet to find an error of fact on the DfE website. It is, of course, pro-academies so may gloss over some areas or present a positive spin but the facts it states are accurate. Most other websites on both sides of the debate make statements that are simply untrue.

Thanks for clarifying. So a new academy can have different admissions criteria if it chooses, so long as those fit the national rules?

Ok... The Head wants this and has a tame Governing Body that will go along with him. Usually the Chairman would have a few things to say. They obviously want the money and the Head wants to feel he is a grown up and can manage the school without the LA. It's a vanity project for him. There may be some advantage if there is sufficient extra cash to do something worthwhile, but parents lose rights. Why are there Governor vacancies? Does not sound like much of a school! Where is the dynamism and vigour to get things done and challenge the Head?

So a new academy can have different admissions criteria if it chooses, so long as those fit the national rules?

Yes, but I struggle to see the problem: the admissions code is extremely restrictive, and no academy has yet come up with some nefarious scheme which is (a) compliant with the code and (b) manifestly discriminatory. If people have evidence that such a thing is possible or, worse, happening then they should produce it, because otherwise it looks like that good old IT industry standby of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). The admissions code, the obligation to use LEA equal preference and the obligation to follow the fair access protocol constrain the schools such that some minor variation on "looked after, SEN naming, siblings, catchment, distance" is pretty much universal.

It could be a concern for parents if they can't get younger siblings in...

It could be a concern for parents if they can't get younger siblings in...

There are plenty of schools that are not academies whose siblings policies are not straightforward. Getting for fifteen years ago I decided against sending my elder to a school which had unexpectedly offered her a primary place (it's a dip year in this city, it was a speculative application, this was before co-ordinated admission) because although their last admission category was by distance, their sibling policy had a catchment area clause that didn't include our address. And the primary I eventually sent my elder to changed its sibling policy, fortunately without affecting us, before my younger went there.