Every school to become an academy
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Re: Every school to become an academy
The majority of Grammars are Academies because they were Outstanding and able to change to Academy status when money was being thrown at it and it was financially a sensible thing to do. I very much doubt the same monies will be available to those schools now forced to change.
Also many of them and the larger primaries have Accountants and Lawyers on their governing bodies. Purple Duck makes an excellent point many of the primaries I used to teach in can't even raise a couple of quid via the PTA. They will be severely penalised.
Also many of them and the larger primaries have Accountants and Lawyers on their governing bodies. Purple Duck makes an excellent point many of the primaries I used to teach in can't even raise a couple of quid via the PTA. They will be severely penalised.
Re: Every school to become an academy
I see the death of the small village Primary/infant school ... there is no money to give them to cover the costs of the process
A sad day indeed.
A sad day indeed.
Re: Every school to become an academy
Nonsuch is also an academy. Maintained schools can't be part of a MAT.
What is becoming noticeable at least amongst the Sutton boys grammars is that they are each pursuing different financial strategies. It will be interesting to see how the differences impact the schools over time.
In our borough, the larger primaries and secondaries have all converted - the LA has been left with the smaller schools which can't afford to.
What is becoming noticeable at least amongst the Sutton boys grammars is that they are each pursuing different financial strategies. It will be interesting to see how the differences impact the schools over time.
In our borough, the larger primaries and secondaries have all converted - the LA has been left with the smaller schools which can't afford to.
Re: Every school to become an academy
Clearly huge issues in oversight of academy schools and chains still to be resolved.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/commi ... nch-15-16/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I recall stories of the failures or failings of academy Secondary schools in Derby, Bradford and Birmingham and the concerns raised by OFSTED in certain Academy chains.
This may be a step too far at this stage without the appropriate scrutiny and checks in place.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/commi ... nch-15-16/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I recall stories of the failures or failings of academy Secondary schools in Derby, Bradford and Birmingham and the concerns raised by OFSTED in certain Academy chains.
This may be a step too far at this stage without the appropriate scrutiny and checks in place.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Re: Every school to become an academy
It is very odd. Did any of you see it coming a long way back? I can see that some local authorities must have been being a pain to central government as they enjoy a good battle over anything possible - and more so possibly the Conservative ones - but I didn't realise death was so soon on the cards.
It's all a paper exercise and will make it look as though more funding has been given directly to schools ----- but of course when they try to buy all the various services that they need, if you add up the grand total it will be just as high as before and probably fewer, worse services will be received because every school (or small chain of academies) buying its services is not going to have great purchasing power in the private sector.
Oh dear.
And of course I have to incorporate the Sevenaoks Grammar Annex into this ..... Weald of Kent Grammar School is an Academy in Tonbridge. The annex will be 10 miles away in Tonbridge. The local authority was going to pay for the building construction and, I suspect, help it financially through the first few years of the annex not being full as starting from year 7 and building up, and operating as an annex rather than a new school, surely has to be a financial noose.
If the local education authority is not there in future years, it will not be able to sub the school? Or will a local authority be able to do so still even though it will have scarcely any education functions for school age population other than admissions by the sounds of it?
It's all a paper exercise and will make it look as though more funding has been given directly to schools ----- but of course when they try to buy all the various services that they need, if you add up the grand total it will be just as high as before and probably fewer, worse services will be received because every school (or small chain of academies) buying its services is not going to have great purchasing power in the private sector.
Oh dear.
And of course I have to incorporate the Sevenaoks Grammar Annex into this ..... Weald of Kent Grammar School is an Academy in Tonbridge. The annex will be 10 miles away in Tonbridge. The local authority was going to pay for the building construction and, I suspect, help it financially through the first few years of the annex not being full as starting from year 7 and building up, and operating as an annex rather than a new school, surely has to be a financial noose.
If the local education authority is not there in future years, it will not be able to sub the school? Or will a local authority be able to do so still even though it will have scarcely any education functions for school age population other than admissions by the sounds of it?
Re: Every school to become an academy
Mystery when I went to a meeting many years ago on Academies all the main speakers were of the opinion that all schools would eventually have to switch. Despite most if not all thinking it was bad policy the advice was switch asap whilst the money was still in the pot to do so. As Ladymuck points out many schools have already switched and the LEAs are now left with less resources to run the schools left under their control.
I hear they are designating more money now for the rest to switch but, as all the new Academies are finding, the pot of gold does run out and each individual school has become more costly to run in the mean time. For example every school now has to have an admissions officer, a burser etc need I go on. Some primaries will clump together share resources etc but it will still mean higher staff ratios and not teaching staff which is where money should be spent in our schools. As Amber points out teachers are where they can cut the wage bill by using HTLs etc.
The problem is once it's done it is going to be an expensive and disruptive task to bring it all back under control again. As it is our school system is a vary variable one, we all know that, hence striving to get those lucrative Grammar places. With Academies and each school having autonomy that situation can only get worse.
I hear they are designating more money now for the rest to switch but, as all the new Academies are finding, the pot of gold does run out and each individual school has become more costly to run in the mean time. For example every school now has to have an admissions officer, a burser etc need I go on. Some primaries will clump together share resources etc but it will still mean higher staff ratios and not teaching staff which is where money should be spent in our schools. As Amber points out teachers are where they can cut the wage bill by using HTLs etc.
The problem is once it's done it is going to be an expensive and disruptive task to bring it all back under control again. As it is our school system is a vary variable one, we all know that, hence striving to get those lucrative Grammar places. With Academies and each school having autonomy that situation can only get worse.
Re: Every school to become an academy
+1Amber wrote:Black day for English education.
I have a full governing body meeting at my maintained primary school tonight ...
JD
Re: Every school to become an academy
+2. I have mine tomorrow nightJamesDean wrote:+1Amber wrote:Black day for English education.
I have a full governing body meeting at my maintained primary school tonight ...
JD
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southbucks3
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Re: Every school to become an academy
I'm fairly sure all the bucks grammars are academies, Becky high being the last to convert maybe? (About 2014)BucksBornNBred wrote:There are at least 3 GS in Bucks that are academies and are still highly respected. Did their results/standards drop when they changed status does anyone know?
Forcing all schools to change status seems a folly to me; I do wonder how many politicians live in the real world.
A big chunk of the uppers are academy too, with a voluntary aided religious school and a few foundation schools (a kind of half way measure) and a few schools that were in special measures during the initial big drive to turn them into academies,so they were not afforded the option then and have subsequently remained as community schools.
I agree, it will be the primary schools that struggle most due to the pool of resources being smaller.
I have no idea how it works financially, but all the big schools round here seem to be either currently having major building works done or have recently had extensions or upgrades to sporting facilities so I guess there is still money in the pot, whether community or academy, just not for staff or books or network upgrades in some cases.
Re: Every school to become an academy
Could you please expand on what those strategies are? (or where we can find the info on them).Ladymuck wrote:What is becoming noticeable at least amongst the Sutton boys grammars is that they are each pursuing different financial strategies. It will be interesting to see how the differences impact the schools over time.
Is Sutton's the expansion by 15 pupils per year?
