primary taking academy status

[SilveryMoon]

I got a consultation letter about my dc'so school wanting to become an academy. I don't know too much about academies but I'm feeling like this isn't a good thing.
The school has been struggling, lost a lot of staff this year including the head who was sacked. They currently have 2 heads from another school overseeing things and have appointed a head for September. They have appointed the current deputy who has been there one year so not sure it's the best time to break from the lea.
There's a parent meeting tomorrow so hopefully I'll find out more then but I'm not liking the idea.
Any thoughts on what I should ask our what I should know?

This sounds like a vanity project. Around here only the well established and highest regarded schools have become academies. A lot of the Church ones have though as the Diocese sponsors them. If your school has had leadership problems, managing their own affairs will be a tough ask. I would have thought the new leadership team should settle in first and show they can improve the school.

Just wondering: Did the new HT get appointed on the understanding this would happen? Also, is it to be sponsored by the same sponsor as the acting Heads' school? That could make sense if they work together to impove your school.

Lots of "struggling" schools have been pushed down the academy route

Agree that struggling schools are often forced to become academies overseen by an academy group.

Unless the school is (by the sound of it, inexplicably) rated as "good with outstanding features" by Ofsted, it may not be converting through free choice. If it hasn't been forced to academise, already, it might, for example, be rushing in to academise with a group of other local schools, so that it can have some choice as to how it goes about it, rather than having an academy chain thrust upon it.

rabbits that's exactly what I think is happening. I have some insider info that says that they are choosing before being forced.
From what I know, the current interim heads aren't from an academy school, but it is an outstanding school.
I also hear that they can't find a head, no one wants it, they even upped the salary. The deputy who will step up in September is a temp until they find someone once become academy. I think. Hopefully will know more tomorrow.
I agree with you though Milly how can they run a school completely free of the authority when they can't keep half their staff?
I'm worried.

It's quite normal now for this to happen. Hold tight until you hear the plans. The outstanding school may be converting to academy status and joining with this one over see improvements. That happened near me. A failing secondary linked with another and the better one with exec HT and then became the academy trust looking after he other one.

Thanks bears I hear it's a little uncommon for this to happen in a primary school.

They will promise you that becoming an academy will have a magical beneficial effect on anything and everything, but don't believe it. Statistically, academies and free schools are failing at double the rate of maintained schools, whilst maintained schools are also improving at a significantly higher rate than academies. There have been reports of academy disasters on a weekly and sometimes daily basis recently (think Al Madinah, King's Science, Pimlico, Prospect Group and many, many others). There is an increasing body of opinion that the DfE is going to have no choice but to bring them back under some sort of government or local government control because the whole idea of letting academies do what they want is proving such a disaster.

Have a look at this website for more information and material for questions.

Silvery, yes it is uncommon with primary schools - less than 11% have become academies - and there's a good reason for that.

They call it a consultation but don't go expecting the parents to actually be listened to, if they want to do it they will do it regardless of parental feeling.

In our borough the council told all primaries they are expected to become academies by September 2015. Last September our Infant school declined a proposal to join a group of primary academies but now starts the process again, this time with the Junior and two secondary schools (both single sex education) they already have a close relationship.

Gove has a plan and it will result in becoming an academy so in the long run I doubt your school will get away with it.it all depends who the sponsor is and how the trust will be run. I won't necessary say it is a bad thing but you need to read the papers carefully, attend the meeting and also read the minutes afterwards.

Thank you Icimoi and yes OddBoots my personal feeling is that 'consutation' means 'we already know what we are going to do but want to pretend we give a fuck what you think'
I just want to be able to go to this session and if opportunity arises, put over some questions that shows them that parents should have the information, you know?
And so that if it goes terribly wrong and I have to pull my children out, I'll know that I tried to communicate my views to the school and didn't take something I was unhappy about laying down. Tis all we can do, right?

Silvery this happening at my friends school right now .Your not T F are you ?
She is concerned also.

The school is TF. Yes.

Our local primary is also becoming an academy and the consultation process seemed like a box ticking exercise. The governing body had already made the decision and although parents could submit questions to which the answers were then published, they could not influence the decision in any way.

The information published by the school has seemed contradictory and vague. Lots of points about continuing with the current admissions, Sen provision, term dates etc but I'm sure that will all change down the line.

How did it go today?

vjg are you leaving your children there?
wakeup the presentation is at half 6. I'll let you know

My youngest child is in year 6, I did submit some questions about potential new admission policy and children with additional needs (I have a much older child with special needs, so this is of concern to me) and was told it would remain the same.

I think the school will remain the same for the next 2 years or so then policy changes will be slipped in.

The presentation was ok. I feel much better about it.

Thats really positive.What put your mind at rest?

Well, although we are the first school to go under this particular trust, so in one way is a bit of a worry, but this school have been supporting my school for the past 18 months. One of the current interim heads will support the new head 3 days a week until at least Christmas.
The head and governors came across as genuinely feeling this is the best move. My instinct tells me their right after hearing it from them.

Is it the same school as your friends?

Are you TF sch in A in S

pretty sure it is the same school.

Have pmd you