Academies

It has been announced today at my school of it's intention to become an Academy. I am not very happy about this, however can anyone give me any reassurance of the positives of Academy staus?!
What can I expect to experience with this transition? Any experiences or opinions appreciated!

 

It has been announced today at my school of it's intention to become an Academy. I am not very happy about this, however can anyone give me any reassurance of the positives of Academy staus?!
What can I expect to experience with this transition? Any experiences or opinions appreciated!

 

The only positives are your school will have more money and more freedom. If you have a caring Headteacher, your pay and terms and conditions of employment will not change. If you don't, you could be in for an unpleasant time.

 

It's the governing body which makes such decisions. Heads on their own cannot change pay and/or conditions of service.

 

Yes, but you know as well as I do, that the Governors will take advice from the Leadership Group about the best way forward in these matters.

 

Out of interest, are you considering the Academy carrot Middle?

 

You've clearly not seen my many posts on academies, DM! Hell would definitely have to freeze over.

 

Have you not been following the weather forecast?

 

Still wouldn't do it!

 

Find out about TUPE - you pay and conditions shouldn't change, a few active members of staff will ensure that your management behave themselves.

 

Well that would be re-assuring. But I am concerned with all elements of the job as well and how the working environment (as it is by and large very good) will change.

 

Hi

We're on thinking mode over this

Why wouldn't you take the plunge?

 

Opinion:
Here we are starting up a Free School which, of course, will have an Academy Status.
In theory it will be completely free of government (at all levels) interference. They will just pour money in and we will run it under the auspices of a trusted organisation adn safeguarded by a small panel/limited company of parents.

Already the forces of bureaucracy are moving in. The picking of the pupils is becoming the duty of the County Authorities with special provisions for special cases. There will, natch, be special arrangements for Exclusions. Already we are beginning to have to translate a mass of documents into governmental gobbledegook. Already we have had an eagle eyed old lady to our meetings who spoke almost entirely in acronyms.

So, let me be cynical, I honestly do not think you need have any worries: business, i suspect, as usual. Perhaps a few different acronyms and brilliant ideas? - Oh and lots more useless meetings?

 

Other than the couple of schools that went Academy on 1 Sept 2010 in our LEA, I don't think any others can. We are ALL applying for a deficit budget next year, and that therefore excludes us all. Looking at the funding that counties around us get, it is no wonder we can't make ends meet. The authority where my ex lives (20 miles away) averages £900 per pupil more than our LEA. And our budget is being cut by over £350 per pupil next year, whereas the next door authority has kept the funding the same, meaning we will be £1250 per pupil less funded than them.What would you do with that £1.5m a year? Replace those buildings that are now nearly 100 years old?
And you DON'T always get more money by going Academy. When our school 'enquired', we would have been £200k worse off. Hype and spin. Gove is good at it. The new Academy down the road has suddenly realised that they now have a deficit of over £250k for next year. Whoops. Bye bye Learning Support and training.