EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
Since September 2012, EPJS governors have: Researched what academy status is and what it means
 Kept abreast of the ever-changing political landscape
 Talked to other schools and academies
 Attended various meetings
 Discussed with local schools
 Explored in detail what joining a specific academy would
be like
 Carefully considered what may be best for EPJS
 Kept the children and EPJS at the heart of all our
discussions
 NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE
We would like to share our
thoughts with you .......
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
WHAT ARE ACADEMIES?
Academies are state-funded schools
which are directly funded by the
Department for Education (DFE)
and are independent of local
authority control.
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
TYPES OF ACADEMIES
Free Schools
independent, free from local authority
control set up by teachers, parents,
existing schools, educational charities, etc
Traditional academies
usually underperforming existing
schools which are allocated to an
academy sponsor who will take them over.
Academy converters
usually high performing schools already in
existence, who opt out of Local Authority
control to gain independence and autonomy.
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
A multi-academy trust
( often referred to as a MAT)
is when two or more academies (schools)
join together.
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
EPJS has decided:-
We should not believe everything we read
in the press!
Becoming an academy may be in the best
interests of EPJS
An informed decision is important
We want to be able to wear pink socks!
We want to be in charge of our own
destiny – to choose what to do
To keep parents informed
It is vital that we do what is best for our
children, staff, parents and community
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
WHY BECOME AN ACADEMY ?
 Improve the educational experience for the
children
 Flexibilities over spending
 Economies of scale , sharing of resources
 Opportunities for staff
 Greater collaboration
 Effective school to school support
 Political pressures
 Decreasing Support from the Local Authority
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
FINDING THE RIGHT MAT
We want a trust that :-
 Supports EPJS achieve its vision
 Helps EPJS to improve and offer more to children, staff and
parents
 Provides robust ‘back office services’
 Ensures we are financially secure and offer value for money
 Supports, enthuses and challenges all staff
 Collaborates at a high level
 Enables EPJS to keep its own identity, values and ethos - enhance
rather than change
 Has similar aims, values and ethos – puts children first
 Is not too large
 Will encourage us to maintain our existing links with local schools
 Will Work WITH us
 A trust we can believe in and contribute to.
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
SCHOOLSWORKS
What we like …
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Local
Easily accessible
Experienced heads
Known people who we respect
Putting children first
Similar experiences
Robust back office services
A good size
Shared sense of aims, values and ethos
They want to learn from and work with us!
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
Coffee break!
TIME TO TALK!
Good points
Reservations
Questions
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
SCHOOLSWORKS
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
NEXT STEPS:1. Associate Membership
2. Continue to involve parents and all
stakeholders
3. Keep local schools informed
4. Register an interest
5. Governors to make a decision in the
Autumn Term 2016
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EPJS AND ACADEMY STATUS: TAKING CHARGE OF OUR OWN DESTINY
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS?
Please write your thoughts on post-its and
do come and talk to us – share your views
– it is an important decision to make
TOGETHER
Thank you for attending
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