Academy or Local Authority

[lorisparkle]

I currently work in a local authority school and one of my colleagues says that it would not be a good idea to move to an academy - particularly regarding pay and conditions

I am in two minds as I am not overly happy in my current school so would be grateful of any help

I left an academy school to move to local authority. I would say think very hard before you move to an academy trust.

Do NOT move to an academy it’s the biggest scandal to hit education ever. It’s a pyramid scheme where the CEO and vastly overpaid SLT sit in offices pressurising teachers to illness and children are a complete afterthought. Cling on to LA schools for dear life.

Watch this all too familiar academy scandal on Panorama. m.youtube.com/watch?v=98rGSW2WUJY
And don’t risk loosing your confidence and ability to make a positive impact on the children.

I wouldn’t. My sister in law teaches (as in has her own class) in year 3. Started off as a TA and is now an under qualified teacher. Doesn’t even have GCSES let alone a degree. Really quite tragic and I have NO idea how she manages (I’ve seen her spelling 🤦‍♀️). Her academy trust made the headlines for fraudulent activity from the top down. All smoke and mirrors.

It depends on the academy.
All the MATs round us work to the Burgundy book, are part of TPS etc.

I don't think it's as a simple as LA versus academy. I have some friends, excellent teachers, who work for Academies and are very happy. Some trusts are good, some trusts are definitely not.

Yes, some are good, some are bad. However they are all ultimately businesses and the amount CEOs are paid, from the public purse, can be scandalous. Some will want the cheapest possible resources (teachers) and churn through them at a rapid rate. The academy trust I school I left had three headteachers in four years and then couldn't recruit... Can't think why.

Its true they are businesses but some are still okay to work for on a day to day basis.
Avoiding them will be like dodge the bullet soon - I reckon our lovely government (joke) will be pushing more and more schools towards it until it is no longer a choice

Ime of secondary, all local schools are run by academy trusts that still retain the burgundy book conditions. There's not much difference between them and the LA school I worked in. Funding has been cut to all educational sectors, LA schools are cost cutting too.

Thanks for your thoughts - the comment about MATs being a business is very much what my colleague was saying.

The problem is that i work in a specific type special school and therefore there are only a very few close to my home. Unfortunately my current school is the only local authority school in the area. So I either put up with my current frustrations, move to an academy or travel much further.

You do have to remember that there are different types of academy.

Locally, many schools - particularly the secondaries - are stand-alone academies, having accepted the 'bribe' the government gave a decade or so back that 'Good/Outstanding' schools could become stand-alone academies. A few have since linked up with one or two other schools to form very small 'MATs'. Almost all use Burgundy book, and operate very similarly to LA schools - no high paid executive heads or MAT boards.

However, other schools, particularly those that have spent years in and out of special measures, have had to become part of national / large academy chains / MATs. That's a wholly different scenario - money siphoned off to the MAT, much use of unqualified teachers, laying off of experienced staff, new pay scales etc etc.

Also a special ed teacher. I think the comment about there being a difference between stand alone academies and those that are part of a large chain is very true. The MAT I previously worked for was expanding. The school I was in had been MLD and the cohort changed to children with a much higher level of need (and who brought in more money) but without necessarily making any change in staffing or provision of resources. I have a considerably more high need class now but staffing is appropriate as are resources/ facilities in school. Ultimately I think LEAs will be abolished and education, like the NHS, will be privatised by stealth.

I worked for many years in an LA and thought the same. I have since worked in 2 academies and wouldn't go back. They use the burgendy book and in each school I found there were less hoops to jump through to get ups. In LA I was constantly giving up frees to cover, whereas in both academies all my frees have been protected as they have the funds to hire sufficient cover supervisors, my departmental budget is much better etc.
That being said, I wouldn't touch the likes of Harris, Ark etc with a bargepole.

Having worked in both and currently in a MAT, I’d say it depends on the school, the MAT or the LA. All MATs I’ve worked in have followed the same employment conditions. At leadership level I prefer working in a MAT. At teacher level, I’d say it’s all about the school and the ethos it has. MATs have real challenge and scrutiny around use of funding and my experience is the money being used more for the children- more goes to the school- school to MAT contribution is 3-7% compared to around 11% in a LA (it may differ across MATs and LAs and over time). The evolving of SLAs in LAs has made things more transparent than the former ‘top slice’. Services have improved since they’ve been traded out- I guess need to be desirable and match school needs more than maybe previously. My MAT preference is the central support, sharing best practice but school autonomy model, as opposed to the applying the same model to all schools model. MATs are clear on which they are. I’d say research and visit the school. Speak to those working within. For me, how parents are towards the staff and school is one of the things holding biggest impact, particularly on staff wellbeing. MATs, in my experience, are more supportive in challenging poor behaviours which impact on staff. Like a PP I hold view on which MATs I’d not go to and hope to stay in my current one indefinitely now. I’m in a LA where there are good relationships between all types of schools.

Having worked LA and MAT, including some big and some small, I don't think it is as simple as LA vs academies.

The only time I've experienced a difference going through the LA to MAT process is when the school is joining a large regional or semi-national MAT.

Not all MAT work the same, and not all schools join MATs in the same circumstances. Some MATs direct schools quite heavily and there's a very strong MAT ethos, that can be almost oppressive as a teacher.Others have largely autonomous schools with the benefit of centralised support and resources.

Thank you for your thoughts. I am still considering a move but think I will ask a few more questions about how the MAT works before making a final decision. My colleague has mainly experience in the large corporate MATs whilst I think this is is more local schools supporting each other.

Thanks again