Consultation on Academy Status

BACKGROUNDGovernors have taken a qualified vote to start the consultation process.

So far staff/parents/community have had access to:

A guide to becoming an academy

An online forum

Staff meeting and debate

Frequently Asked Questions

Consultation document

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERIs this in the best interest of pupils and staff at Cockermouth School?

Is this in the best interest of the community?

Is this financially in the best interest of the school?

Three Key Differences1. The school would cease to be maintained by

the local authority and would be funded directly by the DfE. The school’s budget would continue to be based on the funding formula set by the Department. In addition, the school would receive the portion of its funding which is currently retained by the LA (The LACSEG) - in 2010/11 this was around £658,000

Three Key Differences2. A charitable academy trust would be set up

which would own the school’s site and assets, appoint the members of the governing body and employ staff.

Three Key Differences3. The employment of school staff would move

from the LA to the Academy trust. The employment rights of all members of staff would be protected by TUPE. This means that the employment rights of all members would transfer to the trust under the same terms and conditions of employment. Pension rights and continuity of service would be preserved.

Academy Schools :an invitation to

Outstanding/Good schools A state school – no selection No sponsor – no charging fees Very different to the 1st phase academies

Summary

Staff will be on the same pay and conditions Governors can remain the same No change to length of day, holidays, uniform, etc Admissions – exactly the same

Academy StatusConcerns Some have philosophical or political objections Professional Association concerns – terms and conditions What will other local schools and the LA think? The unknown – a major change The medium term – financial certainty and/or political change Longer term – change of Governors and/or Head Governor Capacity Other – questions already raised

Positives :freedom is a good thing

All our funding comes directly to the school. There will be additional freedoms

within the curriculum

from LA to negotiate services based on our own needs

from ‘compliance’ based regulations

in admissions – but we will not change

support for ‘can do’, autonomous culture

Finances :Cuts on the way

Why decide so quickly?We will have significant reductions in real term budgets from April 2011 – at least £350,000 and increasing year on year

We will certainly need to make cuts eg Sixth Form or GCSE departments, increase class sizes, teach outside subject areas, reduce number of teaching groups, review off site and extra curricular provision

We may very well have to move to a staffing review (teaching and support staff based on the budget projections)

Academy funding arrangements would help reduce the impact of cuts

Becoming an AcademyThe Agreement

There is a contract between the Academy Trust and the Secretary of State.

It says that the Secretary of State will fund the Trust to operate thus:

Provide a broad and balanced curriculum Provide education for children of different abilities Provide education for pupils from the area within which the academy is

situated Be at the heart of the community Ensure its admissions policy complies with DfE Code of Practice as they

apply to maintained schools Emphasise the needs of individual pupils, including those with SEN Not charge for admission and otherwise only charge pupils where the

law applying to maintained schools allows

Becoming an Academy

Structure & Governance The Academy Trust is a company limited by guarantee It is an exempt charity regulated by the YPLA (Young Persons

Learning Agency) Its members have a duty to ensure the Trust meets its

objectives All current Governors can remain as Governors of the Trust

Appointment of the governors is laid down in the Articles of Association (the constitution of the Trust)

Becoming an AcademyAssets and Liabilities The freehold (lease or sub-lease) to all of the land and

buildings will pass directly from the LA to the governors of the Academy Trust. This will happen via a conveyance, with the permission of the Secretary of State

All other assets, liabilities and balances will be transferred from the governors of the School to the governors of the academy trust. This will happen via a Commercial Transfer Agreement

Becoming an Academy• Issues for Staff

All contracts, conditions and entitlements will transfer to the Trust (TUPE)

Academies are listed as a ‘Scheduled Body’ and are therefore able to participate in the Local Government and Teacher Pension schemes.

Continuous service and all attached entitlements will not be disrupted

MYTHS AND FACTS• Cockermouth School would have to change its

name - myth

• Cockermouth School would need to change its uniform, logos, badges, prospectus - myth

• Cockermouth school would need to rewrite its aims, mission status, SIP/SDP etc - myth

MYTHS AND FACTS

• Relationships with all Primary Schools would remain the same - fact (and as an Academy we would have to work with partner secondary and primary schools)

• Admissions criteria would not be changed (though we would be our own Admissions Authority) - fact

MYTHS AND FACTS• There would be no relationship/links with the LA -

myth : statutory issues eg. Special Needs, Educational Psychology , school transport would still be provided and we would still be able to commission LA services irrespective of whether we have academy status

• We would be ‘on our own’ - myth (by 2012 a significant proportion of secondary schools (and Primary) in Cumbria, rated good or outstanding, are exploring academy status

MYTHS AND FACTS• Financial considerations are important - fact• The composition of the governing body would

have to alter - myth• The governing body would be more

accountable - fact• The Headteacher would have more freedoms

and flexibilities in the curriculum - fact

Our distinct ethos – a promiseIf it was thought that academy status would threaten in any way the standards at school, our facilities/ resources, relationships, community links or ethos of the school then we would not even be debating the potential conversion process.

All aims/mission statements/key principles will be contained in the Articles of Association to be drawn up by Governors