A Briefing as part of the wider Consultative Process and considering the question ‘Should the school become an academy?’

The Governing Body of Smallwood C of E Primary School, after detailed research and consideration, believes that it would be in the best interests of the School to convert to Academy status. The Governing Body therefore now wish to commence wider consultation with staff, parents and pupils. We shall also seek the authority and views of the Diocese and of other key stakeholders before applying for academy status. (Approved by a unanimous vote)

Aims to explain…. What does being an Academy mean? Why are the Governors considering Academy status? What would the changes mean for Smallwood School? Outline of the consultation process for staff, parents and pupils. Outline of the consultation process for all other stakeholders. Opportunity for group discussions with Governors.

Funding. Services. Curriculum freedoms. Governance. Accountability. Employment of staff. Land & Buildings. Admissions.

Funding Academies receive funding directly from the Government rather than the Local Authority. This would be the same level of per-pupil funding as they would receive from the Local Authority as a maintained school. The school would receive direct funding for the proportion of Government grant held back by the Local Authority and currently used to provide centrally procured services. The financial benefit for the school relates to academies having greater freedom over how they use their budgets to best benefit their students. Financial benefit is not the main driver for Academy status conversion.

Services Academies are solely responsible for their own finances and can use their budgets to best benefit the students at the school. They are responsible for sourcing and managing the external services required to run the school. Academies can choose from the full range of providers to deliver such services as maintenance, HR, education welfare and CRB/DBS checks. However it is likely that the school would wish to continue to purchase many services from the Local Authority as these services are in decline. Smallwood could benefit from the new Academy service contracts and partnerships that have been created to date e.g. All of our current feeder high schools.

Governance The Governing Body will be responsible for establishing the Academy Trust. (a charitable company limited by guarantee) The trustees would become the key decision-making group for the school and are ultimately responsible for the appointment of the Governing Body of the School. The key responsibilities of the Governing Body in the new Academy will be to:- Ensure the quality of educational provision. Challenge and monitor the performance of the Academy. Manage the Academy Trust’s finances and property. Employ staff. Our current Governors would like to ensure that the Academy Trust and Governing Body would comprise of elected members, which would include parents, staff and community representatives, in a very similar way to our existing Governing Body, thus ensuring that all stakeholders are fully represented.

Accountability A maintained school is accountable to the Department for Education via the Local Education Authority. In an Academy it is the Academy Trust that is wholly accountable for the running of the Academy and they are directly accountable to the Department for Education. The school already has performance reviews and this is likely to further change with current D of E guidelines regarding performance related pay. Conversion to academy status will allow the school to set and deliver its own performance standards that relate to the schools agreed objectives. Staff are already accountable to the Head, the Governors and Ofsted... No real change.

Employment of Staff As a maintained school all staff are employed by the Local Authority on behalf of the Governing Body. In an Academy all staff are employed directly by the Academy Trust. Academies have the ability to set their own terms and conditions of employment for staff if they so wish. Staff can opt to remain in the LA pensions scheme. Staff pay and conditions are likely to change with LA’s going forward and currently School Governors are powerless to go outside of the D of E guidelines. The Governors are seeking to maintain current T&C’s as this is the basis of the school budget. Key issue – Academy conversion is about maintaining and securing what you have, NOT materially changing current status.

Land and Buildings If the school was to convert to an Academy the ownership of both the land and the buildings would transfer to the new Academy Trust on conversion on a leasehold basis. Academies have more flexibilities over use of school buildings and lettings with greater opportunities to explore extended schools provision. Research has also uncovered that some academies are in receipt of additional funding and grants. Over the 10 years we have failed to secure any LA funding to replace the mobiles – Academy status will allow us to apply for grants and funding that is not currently available to LA schools.

Admissions Academies are responsible for their own admissions policy Academies have to comply with the Schools’ Admissions Code. Schools converting to become an Academy will be able to retain the admission criteria they currently use. Our Governors are committed to ensuring that children living in our immediate local community have first priority for places. All Academies continue to work within the coordinated admissions policy operated by the Local Authority.

Freedoms Academies benefit from greater freedoms to innovate and raise standards. These include: Freedom from Local Authority control Freedoms around the delivery of the curriculum The ability to change the lengths of terms and school days. The ability to set their own pay and conditions for staff Freedoms for the way they engage in local partnerships Please note that a new ‘Freedom’ does not automatically equate to change We are not looking to change but maintain!

Ofsted Special Educational Needs arrangements Free School Meals Partnerships and collaboration The Governors believe that we now need to ensure that we can secure what we have based on how we know we like to teach the whole child – with less direct political direction.

Ofsted Academies are inspected using exactly the same framework as maintained schools so will be subject to the same inspection regime by Ofsted. As an Academy the school’s performance will be monitored directly by the Department for Education. If intervention is required to improve standards at the school this will be the direct responsibility of the DfE.

Special Educational Needs Arrangements Cheshire East Local Authority would retain the responsibility for determining whether students require statements of SEN, and would decide which school/Academy is nominated on a student’s statement of SEN. An Academy would then plan and provide for students with statements, as a school currently does. Under the terms of the Funding Agreement, the contract between the Academy Trust and the Secretary of State, an Academy has to act in exactly the same way as a maintained school in relation to Special Education Needs, behaviour and exclusion. Our school policies will still remain valid.

Free School Meals In any Academy, those students who are entitled to free school meals will still receive them. The only difference would be that applications for free school meals would be made directly to the school as opposed to the Local Authority. Smallwood School would continue to make every effort to encourage families that are entitled to free school meals to apply. No real change - only the application recipient.

Partnerships and Collaboration In the very best schools effective collaboration and partnership drive the schools forward. This is the same in Academies. Our school is already committed to collaboration and effective working partnerships. Smallwood School already works closely with other Primary Schools and our Congleton Education and Community Partnership CECP)

School leaders need capacity to take on wider managerial remit including management of services and suppliers – implications for work of the head teacher;... may need school business manager? Some staff, parents or other stakeholders may have concerns. Role of governors enhanced with prime responsibility for school’s performance from standards to budgets and role as charity trustees. Schools need to negotiate service contracts for services no longer provided by LA. Potential risk of loss of networking with other local schools, LA and Diocese (no desire to remove these links only the ability to enhance) On your own if things go wrong? Remember we are not the first to convert... All local High schools already have

Consultation Governing Body Decision Application to the DfE Conversion: All schools converting must: Establish their trust as a company by registering with Companies House; Establish a new bank account for the trust to ensure that the Academy will be able to receive funding; Undertake TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment) of staff; Transfer, renew or procure new contracts, service level agreements and licenses and purchase insurance as appropriate. Timescale: At least 3 months - most conversions take 3 – 6 months.

National & Local political changes Academies Bill Local Authority The Local Educational Landscape Freedom to further develop our vision for the benefit of our children Smallwood is an excellent school, which provides an outstanding education for all our children. Given all the changes discussed academy status would enhance our ability to further develop the school site and services for the benefit of the community and future sustainability of the school.

The Governors would like to hear the views of all interested parties. Consultation Process… The Governing Body has been working closely with other schools who have already undertaken a conversion to academy status, as well as attending a number of locally held DfE meetings and LA presentations. The Governing Body have also undertaken a full SWOT analysis. What happens following the consultation? The Governing Body will collate and examine all the views from staff, parents, students and other community stakeholders. They will inform all parties as soon as possible when a final decision has been made.

Ann Webb Head Teacher at Eaton Bank Academy Eaton Bank has successfully converted to Academy Status. Ann is here to answer any questions and also provide some support and advice as we undertake our consultation process. and... our potential move to academy status.