Ullswater Community CollegeAcademy Status

March 2014

March 2014

The last four years

• UCC has improved its results from 42% 5+A*-C E/m to 66%• From 54% 5+ A*-C to 96%• From the bottom 10% of schools to the top 10%• Vocational provision ensures that all students feel there is an

appropriate course to suit their interests• The quality of teaching and learning across the college is now

excellent, with 86% of lessons judged good or outstanding• The school curriculum at all key stages is outstanding• Ofsted criteria from ‘Notice to Improve’ to ‘Good’ with

outstanding features

…so, what about the next four years?

• Improvements in the quality of education need to be just as dramatic in the next four years as they have been over the last four…

Where are we now?

• UCC is a Foundation school• UCC acquired Foundation Status in September 2002• The Governing Body owns all of the school land and

buildings • The Governing Body is already the employer and has

been able to determine terms, conditions and pay scales for all employees

What is an Academy?

• In very basic terms, Academies are independent state-funded schools

• Academies employ their staff, own their own land, procure goods and services direct with suppliers and generally have complete control of the daily workings of the school

What is an Academy? - continued

• In addition, Academy status allows the school’s senior leadership team and the Governors to control the ethos and culture of the school, including what is taught and how it is taught

• Whilst Academies remain within the overall legislative framework governing state schools, such as complying with the Admissions Code, day-to-day decisions about the culture of the school are entirely controlled by the school itself

Why become an Academy?

• For many schools the simple answer is freedom• For others, it is a financial consideration• Still others see Academy status as inevitable and wish

to be in at the beginning whilst there are still grants available to assist with the cost of conversion

• Whatever the reason, the number of Academies is growing rapidly

• Currently over 900 sponsored Academies and over 2500 convertor Academies

Is conversion right for UCC?

• The Local Authority (LA) is now too small to assist in school development

• As more schools convert, the LA will become increasing less able support those remaining

• We can either choose to act now or wait until we are forced into a position where we have to convert (>60% of secondary schools are now Academies)

• All political parties seem to support Academy status

How does conversion work?

• At present, Schools rated by Ofsted as ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ features are able to apply in their own right

• All other schools can apply if they formally partner with schools able to apply in their own right or if they are sponsored. We already have sponsor status

• The process begins with a decision by the Governing Body (5 February 2014)

How does conversion work? - continued

• The next step is to make an application to the Department for Education

• If the School passes the assessments undertaken by the Department then an Academy Order will be made, confirming that the School can convert to an Academy

• The granting of the Academy Order is the point at which converting schools have to deal with the legal red tape of conversion

Becoming an Academy:

conversion process

Registration 1. Schools register interest using the on-line form2. A named contact in the Department for Education (DfE) contacts

the school and supports through the conversion process3. School Governing Body starts the consultation required by

legislation with interested parties (can start later but must be completed before Funding Agreement)

1. School Governing Body and Foundation (where relevant) pass a resolution in favour of Academy conversion

2. School submits Application to Convert form to DfE3. Schools develop plans to support another school to raise standards and discuss with named DfE contact4. Local Authority/Governing Body start the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) -TUPE -

process5. Secretary of State approves school proposal and issues Academy Order

Application toconvert/pre-approvalchecks

Achieve funding agreement

1. School submits grant claim to DfE and receives £25,000 grant to cover costs associated with the conversion process

2. School finalises governance documents based on DfE model documents provided3. School registers the Academy Trust with Companies House4. School agrees leasing arrangements for the school land and buildings5. Local Authority/Governing Body complete the TUPE process6. School completes required consultation with interested parties7. School submits the Funding Agreement to the Secretary of State for approval

Pre-opening - opening

1. Education Funding Agency (EFA) provides school with indicative funding letter

2. DfE signs and seals Academy funding agreement3. School undertakes Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks as necessary4. School puts new financial systems and contracts in place5. School completes academy registrations, e.g. with exam bodies6. School opens officially as an Academy

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What happens when UCC becomes an Academy?

• Ownership of the land and buildings transfers from the Governing Body to the Academy Trust

• All employees transfer to the Academy Trust under the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE 2006) – better known as the TUPE Regulations

• None of this will affect the current operations of the school

So why become an Academy?

• UCC will be able to operate independently from the Local Education Authority (LEA)

• UCC will benefit financially in terms of the budget allocations received. Currently the LEA top-slices our budget and keeps 8% of the overall budget to cover “central services”

• This amounts to £488,000

What happens next?

• Consultation with professional associations in respect of TUPE will take place, even though there are no measures proposed to change terms and conditions, as this is good practice

• Solicitors will be appointed to manage the TUPE process

• Consultation with parents takes place

How has all this come about?

• UCC has made more progress than most secondary schools nationally and its ethos and practices are not under threat

• Our results and performance have attracted interest from key national figures including Nick Gibb MP, Sir Chris Woodhead, senior figures at the Department for Education and Michael Gove (Secretary of State for Education)

How has all this come about?

• All at UCC want to see as much progress over the next four years as we have seen in the last four years

• There is a need for radical improvement in support for failing schools

• The relationship with Sir Chris Woodhead developed over the last 20 years through Nelson Thomlinson School and The University of Buckingham

Academy governance models

Single Academy Trust• There is only one school in a Single Academy Trust,

which is governed by one set of Articles and a funding agreement between the Academy and the Secretary of State

Single Academy TrustMembersDirectors

Academy governance models

Multi-academy Trust• There is only one legal entity accountable for all

schools in the chain – the Multi-academy Trust (MAT)

• The MAT has one set of Articles that governs all the academies in that chain. The MAT has a master funding agreement with the Secretary of State. Each academy also has a supplementary funding agreement

Academy governance models

Multi-academy TrustMulti-academy Trust (MAT)MembersDirectors

Academy 1

Local Governing

Body/Advisory Body

Academy 2

Local Governing

Body/Advisory Body

Academy 3

Local Governing

Body/Advisory Body

Who is involved?

• The Multi Academy Trust proposal draws on the progress made by UCC to support other schools who agree to become part of this Trust.

• Those individuals who have agreed to be part of this proposal are as follows:

Sir Christopher Woodhead: HMCI 1994-2000

Dominic Shorthouse: Private investor, Founder of Englefield Capital LLP

Chris Cooper-Hohn: Hedge fund manager, The Children’s Investment Fund

Peter Ireland: Dean of Education, Buckingham University, former Headteacher of Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton

Nigel Pattinson: Headteacher, Ullswater Community College

Ullswater Community College governors

Mike Raleigh: Education consultant working with DfE on academies, Ex senior HMI. Ex Deputy Chief Education Officer, Shropshire

Elisabeth Linley, SIS Inspector, Ex-HMI

Christine Jones, SIS Inspector, Ex-HMI

Peter Limm, SIS Inspector, Ex-HMI

Simon Bennett, SIS Inspector, Ex-HMI

Martin Bradley, SIS Inspector, Ex-HMI

Ted Cohn, SIS Inspector, Ex-HMI

How would this work?

• UCC would be the flagship school in Cumbria• The current Headteacher would be the lead on

school improvement across the Trust• Capacity to support would involve restructuring the

senior management team; finance for this will be through the Trust

• The DfE has already agreed £103,000 to support the formation of the Trust

• Business support, admin support, IT support, graphic design support would be paid for through the Trust

What are the drawbacks?

• Increased commitment to other schools• Change in responsibilities for key staff

What benefits would there be for UCC?

• Profile of the school• Investment in staff capacity • Experience of school improvement for a wide variety

of staff• Expertise from support officers and leading experts in

teaching and learning• Engagement with other schools and ideas• Potential investment in resources/capital build• Nationally important role for UCC

Questions?