What are the advantages TO PUPILS of a school becoming an Academy?

[BitOutOfPractice]

My DC go to an excellent local comp. Very high achieving school with excellent results. All good.

They are wanting to change to an Academy and I'm wondering what the benefits of that will be to my children in years 7 and 10.

I don't want to write it off because I mistrust everything that this government does out of ignorance.

So what's in it for MY DC?

The school can decide on priorities for funding.

In DD's case, they have refurbished the toilets. Definitely a benefit to the pupils!

I know nicer toilets would be welcome but how would it benefit their actual education?

My DS's primary school becoming an acadamy has resulted in more spending on random items (pets, playground equipment) and a new policy whereby you are no longer allowed to send packed lunches but have to pay for hot or cold lunch provided by school.

I have several friends who are teachers who got new jobs after their schools became academies, they felt there was a negative impact on teaching but of course that is their personal viewpoint and some people don't like change.

This is the kind of thing I worry about Mixtape - cutting spending on teaching and spending instead on vanity projects

The school is very very sporty (think oneof the top sports schools in the world) and I'm worried that more money is going to be spent on sport stuff

I think a lot depends on the head teacher. An academy with an amazing head teacher would be a good experience, but a failing academy with no LEA to intervene would be a nightmare.

Advantages

The curriculum can be tailored to the needs of the children.
They have more freedom on how to spend money

Disadvantages

The school is not over seen by the LEA. If the school is failing there is only OFSTED to hold it to account.
They can employ unqualified teachers

Unsure whether its an advantage or disadvantage
The school can set its own admissions criteria.
I think its easier for them to exclude difficult children. (Not sure though)

The HT is new but comes with stellar qualifications and the school is ofsted outstanding.

Yes, that is a good point reallytired - my dses school not only has two unqualified teachers, since the transition to acadamy status 4/5 years ago, they have lost almost all their more experienced teachers. DS1 is in year 4 and they have team teaching, 3 teachers to 60 kids. The 3 teachers are 22, 23 and 24. I have no problem with young newly qualified teachers, but they do not have the benefit of mentors in more experienced colleagues.

The school had been consistently outstanding prior to becoming an acadamy and is now good - I know OFSTED is not necessarily a reliable picture, but it does demonstrate a change.

bitoutofpractice I can imagine you may be right about the changed budget priorities. But then I am
A bit cynical about acadamies!

Hmm-I've seen very few positive changes in DS's academy.

Just because your school is currently 'outstanding' doesn't mean it will stay that way.

Our school changed recently to an academy and to be honest, I can't see any benefits. They don't have to follow the national curriculum as a maintained school would, and as such, my DS is being forced to take a Tech subject instead of a MFL which is frustrating. On the bright side, they have got new lockers! As others have mentioned, the budget spending seems to be a bit erratic, New lockers or new books....hmmmm, let's go for lockers?!

Supporters of academies would point to evidence (both UK and elsewhere) that giving schools the freedoms that go with academy status leads to improved performance and better outcomes for pupils. The reasons for this are unclear but there does appear to be substantial evidence to support this theory.

There are fewer and fewer schools that are not academies now.
My DC school (good small rural comp) became an academy 3 years ago. There is no discernible difference from the outside but there was no change of HT or other senior staff. It has allowed more flexible use of the budget which has been vitally important in managing a falling roll.
I suspect the most important and influential factor in the equation is that you have a new HT.

www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/25/government-policies-improving-uk-schools-had-no-effect-parliamentary-inquiry

I think the main advantage to pupils at the moment is trouble makers can be easily expelled, but that is only while there are still enough non academy schools for the local authority to put them in. Not sure what happens after that.

of course if your child is a trouble maker, you might not see that as an advantage!