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Secondary education

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Original poster

Academy status good or bad?

29 replies

Dontletthemgetyoudown · 21/12/2013 16:09

Just that really. A local senior school is changing from a lea school to an academy.

This won't effect us for a couple of years dc that could go is currently yr3, but I've only really heard bad things about academies.

It's currently an ofsted good school with 98% a-c gcse at year 11.

OP posts:
creamteas · 21/12/2013 17:20

Some get better some get worse.

But this can also happen if they are not an academy Wink

TalkinPeace · 21/12/2013 17:41

well over half of all secondary schools are now academies

changes you will notice

  • petty changes to the uniform
  • petty changes to the timetable
  • title changes and pay rises for the SLT
  • more NQTs being hired

not much else

crazymum53 · 21/12/2013 18:11

The first wave of schools to convert to academy status were schools that already had a poor reputation so this could account for the reports that you have heard about academy schools. In many cases (but not all) these schools have improved.
Then "Outstanding" schools both primary and secondary were strongly encouraged to convert and now this has been extended to all schools.
Academy schools can change their admissions criteria (a consultation process is followed beforehand) although in practice most have kept admissions criteria in line with community schools.

Original poster
Dontletthemgetyoudown · 21/12/2013 18:29

Thank you. That's making it a little bit clearer.

OP posts:
RiversideMum · 22/12/2013 10:01

DCs school converted to academy status. No difference at all. I think with secondaries it got to a tipping point where financially it made no sense for them to be under LA control. They have hired some sports coaches who do not have QTS. One of the main reasons was that they could control numbers admitted. It's a large school and they don't want it it get any larger. At one stage in the past, they took in 2 bulge classes - and felt the school suffered for it. When the current bulge in Y1 and R get to Y7 they are going to be stuffed.

secretsantasquirrels · 22/12/2013 10:56

In some areas there are no LEA run schools left.
The big difference is whether they join a chain of schools which are often run by private companies for profit, or whether they go it alone.
Usually the better schools go independently and you would see very little difference.
On the other hand those schools who are failing tend to merge with the large chains and that is when you get all the petty changes of name and uniform.
I am a secondary school governor and when we converted the governing body insisted there would be no uniform or changes that might cost money to parents.

RiversideMum · 22/12/2013 12:28

Agree with above. In my town the academies have created a cooperative group to avoid task rovers by chains. Not that chains would be interested in real estate out in the sticks ...

TeenAndTween · 22/12/2013 13:22

DD1's good with outstanding features school converted a year or 2 ago.
We have seen no difference. They still mainly buy in from the LA, but have more financial independence.

NewtRipley · 22/12/2013 20:46

TalkinPeace

Can I ask ...

More NQTs being hired and experienced teachers going where?

TalkinPeace · 22/12/2013 21:58

Newt

in a school with over 300 teaching staff, several leave or retire every term

NewtRipley · 22/12/2013 22:00

Ok Thanks

I just wanted to get a sense of whether there was something inherently desirable to academies about having NQTs.

ravenAK · 22/12/2013 22:02

Yes - they're cheap.

ravenAK · 22/12/2013 22:03

& biddable.

TalkinPeace · 22/12/2013 22:09

you get rid of a highly qualified teacher and replace them with an NQT - bingo £20k a year freed up for SLT payrises
oh yeah and many NQTs are taken on fixed term contracts so can be sacked easily

ravenAK · 22/12/2013 22:16

& they have no proven track record, so it's easier to deny them progression - in terms of additional skills/responsibilities that carry with them additional pay.

They no likee, they have to leave, & then you can replace them with the next bunch of NQTs.

Much less bother & expense than an experienced teacher all round, really.

NewtRipley · 23/12/2013 09:35

raven

yes

Sadoldbag · 25/12/2013 21:14

My sons school which is outstanding changed last year seen no changes

WorrySighWorrySigh · 25/12/2013 23:12

Dontlet What is the reasoning for the change? The school is getting good results so what do they hope to achieve by change?

DCs school was academied when it hit an all time low (a headline hitting cock up). It was academy status or back into special measures which would have been for the third time in our association with the school.

If the school is already badly managed then IMO the last thing the school needs is to have a layer of supervision removed.

Changes since the school has been academied:

  • discipline has been tightened unproductively and inconsistently
  • increased bureaucracy distracting staff from teaching

There has been no improvement in feedback to parents or students.

All I can see is that academy status is a distraction.

MrsAMerrick · 26/12/2013 07:35

My dc go to an academy school, it is rated "outstanding", and has had that rating at evry single Ofsted it's ever had. The leadership if the school us very good. My understanding is that converting to academy status gave the school control over all its budget.

The primary my dc used to attend also converted to academy status. It also is rated as "outstanding" by Ofsted. In their case, I think that it was more about having the freedom over the curriculum than the budget, but I might be wong. It's a school with an amazing head, and really creative approaches to learning.

PurplePotato · 28/12/2013 08:38

DS1 and DS2 both at our local school which has become an academy. It's worth being aware that academies have a different VAT status.

Specific changes which have affected us are that parents are no longer able to buy musical instruments using the Assisted Purchase Scheme (which saves you the VAT on instruments). If hiring an instrument from the county music scheme we now have to pay VAT.

Worst of all, when the school became an academy it decided it would no longer administer the peripatetic music teachers, and because of this we lost the "set prices" they used to charge. The peripatetic teachers now work on a self employed basis, and have do do all of their own timetabling, invoicing, and other admin and the cost of music lessons has risen accordingly (the particular music lessons my sons have increased by 40% overnight).

I know this is something which doesn't affect a lot of people - but it's worth being aware of. It may well affect other activities as well as music. We were included in the consultation when our school was considering applying for academy status, but we weren't warned about these changes and I'm not even sure anyone was fully aware of them until they happened.

prh47bridge · 28/12/2013 10:49

You might want to tell your academy that they are entitled to use the Assisted Instrument Purchase Scheme in the same way as LAs. They buy the instrument on your behalf, reclaim the VAT (as academies are exempt from VAT) then sell it to you at cost price. Unfortunately some academies appear to be unaware of this.

PurplePotato · 28/12/2013 13:37

Thanks prh47 - unfortunately our Business Manager is either not willing or doesn't understand the rules! We have asked several times. I guess they're not obliged to do it if they don't want to? It just seems very unfair - and if we had been aware of the change in policy we would have bought instruments before the change over.

I suspect it's a case of not wanting to, to be honest - that would fit with the not wanting to administer instrumental lessons too. I just find it worrying that they are pricing people out of having instrumental lessons at all, which will have obvious knock on effects for the school orchestra etc.

prh47bridge · 28/12/2013 16:40

You are correct that they can't be forced to do it just as they can't be forced to administer the music teachers. Band together with other affected parents and start a campaign!

PointyChristmasFairyWand · 28/12/2013 16:48

DD2's primary went Academy voluntarily in 2010 rated Good - we have seen no changes, it's still the same great school.

DD1's secondary went Academy last September on the back of Gove's grade boundary flummery - it was a case of 'jump or be pushed' but at least they didn't end up taken over by Harris or some corporate shit like that. So far we have seen no changes other than a focus on extending the most able more, which was a point in their most recent OFSTED. This has really helped DD1 so is a big positive.

I'm very Hmm about the way it's being pushed in some primaries though, handing them over wholesale to Harris on the back of what looks like very rigged OFSTEDs. I have lost faith in both OFSTED and the DfE and am watching Gove very, very closely - to the point where I will home ed if I feel I have to.

TalkinPeace · 28/12/2013 17:41

agree with prh about the instruments : DD got hers through it after our school converted

am still deeply cynical though