urgh...did i do the right thing?

[ktbabe]

Brief history for those that dont know about my DD's issues - she is getting bullied at her current school...badly...we decided to move her to another school...spent ages looking around all the schools and fell in love with one particular school. we applied, she got accepted, she starts 28th feb.

Well I had a letter from them today saying they are becoming an academy and there will be a meeting for the parents to discuss this etc etc...

My DD's current school IS an academy so needless to say im slightly worried. In all honesty i have NO idea what this will mean or even what an academy status means.

Is becoming an academy a bad move? good move?

I've no idea about the academy side of things but your dd clearly can't stay where she is. I don't think becoming an academy means standards of behaviour will be lowered and that's what matters.

Go to the meeting with an open mind and remember that you're doing this for your dd.

The new academy status is only available to schools that have been rated outstanding by ofsted so it sounds like your DD is moving to a very good school. I wouldn't be overly concerned and would go along to the meeting to find out more.

School funding has been cut so loads of schools are now applying to be academies in the hope of getting an extra few quid.

It used to be just dreadful schools that became academies, now pretty much all schools are expected to go that route (says the White Paper), so academy doesn't necessarily = crap like it used to.

Academies are outside LA control and are in charge of their own budgets.

"The new academy status is only available to schools that have been rated outstanding by ofsted "

My school isn't outstanding and is looking into converting. I think if you're outstanding you can convert immediately, if you're not, you have to find an outstanding 'partner school' who will agree to work with you to raise standards.

The option to convert was only available for Ofsted 'Outstanding' schools. But I believe this has recently been extended to schools that are rated 'Good, with many outstanding features.

Lots of schools are considering becoming academies because of funding issues.

There are two big factors in the "new" academies. One they do not have to be "taken over" by an outside agency, with a new philosophy, as they are not "failing" schools.
Second they can for a trust, to ensure that what parents etc. like about a school is preserved against the whim of a rougue head teacher/or group of governors. As the Trustees also have to agree to changes.

So I would suggest you go along to the school and see why they are considering the change, and express your opinions and concerns.

My DCs school is considering it, at least partly because they could do with the money, and their is a danger that if they don't all the other schools in the LEA will do so stripping the LEA of funds; thus causing the school a lot of problems. (Such as few services from the LEA, but losing out on a lot of funds.)

All the secondary schools in our county are applying to become academies en mass.

Not all are outstanding, but due to them applying as a whole the argument is that the schools will share good practice and pool together to buy in external services.