September 2012



The Schools
White Paper
2010
The Education
Act 2010
Seeing things
from another
point of view!
‘Tweaking things at the margins is not an
option. Reforms on this scale are absolutely
essential if our children are to get the
education they deserve’






an “independent” school
a school’s religious designation or church
status should “travel” with it
control over the whole school budget
right of the academy to set its own pay and
conditions
additional freedoms around the curriculum
exercise autonomy...the freedom to choose














Publicly funded independent state schools
Not for profit Academy Trust
Freedom from LA / directly accountable to Secretary of State
Staff employed by Academy Trust
Range of freedoms (curriculum / Ts&Cs / school day)
Funded centrally
Owns/leases and manages land
Trust Board + Local GBs allowed / often smaller than current GBs
Becomes the admissions authority
Need to buy services that are no longer automatically provided from LA
Subject to std legislation on H&S / equality / employment
Law on SEN / Admissions / Exclusions still apply
Route via Conversion or Sponorship
Gov’t expect all schools to become Academies in the long term

the Salisbury Diocesan family of schools and
academies to become outstanding,
distinctive, Christian learning communities


“The Church does not wish to see a
fragmentation or loss of a sense of ‘family’.
Diocesan structures and ways of working have,
over many years, developed collegially and
collaboratively and this has brought great
strength to the reputation and achievements
of Church schools. It is important that this is
maintained and developed, not negated by the
creation of new academies”.
National Society Interim Guidance on Academies Nov 2010







A working group?
A consultation paper to aid conversation with
governors, staff and parents/carers
Conversation with DBE
Allocation of a DBE consultant to support you
through the process
Legal advice and cost (DBE and solicitors)
The time frame and overview of actions
Pitfalls and problems
Legals
Accountabilities
Set-up /
Consultation
Flexibility /
Sustainability
Set up Trust
company / funding
agreement with
7yrs notice / Land
and assets transfer
or lease / retain
category
Trust Members +
Trust Board as the
GB / Accountable
to
Secretary of State /
Ofsted applies /
‘free
from LA control’
Standard process /
must consult but
GB
determines who &
how / Existing
trusts
(ie DBE) must give
approval /
£25k grant
Academy freedoms
/ Academies are
‘schools of the
future’
Strong schools with
strong leadership &
governance,
needing
no LA support
Finance
Staffing
Leadership
Working with
others
Not appropriate for
schools with
performance,
leadership or
governance issues
Funded by EFA /
central application
process for capital
/
Respond to
outcomes of
funding reform
TUPE process for
all
staff / ability to
flex
Ts&Cs
Retain own HT &
restructure GB
under
new model
Need to state how
you will support
others as part of
application / can
support others /
cannot federate
with maintained
schools
Suitability
Unlikely to be
suitable
for those facing
staffing / finance /
scale challenges
Legals
Accountabilities
Set-up /
Consultation
Flexibility /
Sustainability
Convert to single
Academy thru legal
process / agree
collaboration with
other academies
Retained by
Academy Trust /
delegations flexible
through Trust
documents /
Ofsted as single
academy / looser
arrangement
Standard process /
must consult but
GB determines
who/how / Existing
trusts (ie DBE) must
give approval
£25k grant
Academy freedoms
/
Academies are
‘schools of the
future’
/ scale supports
sustainability
Finance
Staffing
Leadership
Working with
others
Funded by EFA /
central application
process for capital
/
Respond to
outcomes of
funding
reform
TUPE process for
all
staff / ability to
flex
Ts&Cs / can share
staff via
agreements
Retain own HT &
restructure GB
under new model /
can share HTs
across academies
Need to state how
you
will support others
as
part of application
/
cannot federate
with
maintained schools
Suitability
Strong schools with
strong leadership &
governance / Good
schools looking to
share for added
Benefit
Not appropriate for
schools with
governance or
significant
performance issues
Unlikely to be
suitable for those
facing leadership /
staffing / finance /
challenges
Legals
Accountabilities
Set-up /
Consultation
Flexibility /
Sustainability
Legal conversion
either
into existing or with
partner academy or
create new MAT /
funding agreement
with 7yrs notice /
Land
and assets transfer
or
lease / retain
category
Single Trust - Members
+
Trust Board
accountable
to Secretary of State /
Local GB per academy –
delegations set by Trust
Board / Ofsted applies /
‘free from LA control’ /
Strong schools can
sponsor others
Standard process
/
must consult but
GB
determines
who/how
Existing trusts (ie
DBE) must give
approval
£25k grant
Academy freedoms
/ Academies are
‘schools of the
future’ / trading
services /locality &
national growth /
DfE view as most
sustainable mode
Finance
Staffing
Leadership
Working with
others
Funded by EFA /
central application
process for capital /
Respond to
outcomes of funding
reform
TUPE process for all
staff
/ ability to flex Ts&Cs /
staff employed at trust
level / optimum
staffing
flexibilities across trust
Retain own HT &
restructure GB
under new model
/
opportunity to
share HTs /
creative
governance
Automatic across
MAT / possible
business ptrs /
VA schools
restricted options
with VC/C + DBE is
key partner
Suitability
All schools –
Strong schools
wanting to
partner and take a
lead /
Those with scale,
leadership,
governance, &
finance challenges
+ Those needing
support +
Those wanting to
strengthen CPD
Also those
needing rapid
intervention
(sponsorship)
Legals
Accountabilities
Set-up /
Consultation
Flexibility /
Sustainability
Legal conversion /
funding agreement
with 7Yr notice /
Land
and assets transfer
or
lease / join existing
UT or setup new
with
partner academy /
retain category
Single Academy with
Members / Trust
Board
Accountable to
Secretary of
State / Local GB per
academy –
delegations
determined by Trust
Board /
Ofsted applies /
‘free from LA
control’
Standard process /
must consult but GB
determines
who/how
Existing trusts (ie
DBE) must give
approval
£25k grant
Academy freedoms
within company
remit / Academies
are ‘schools of the
future’ / trading
services
Finance
Staffing
Leadership
Working with
others
Funded by EFA /
central application
process for capital /
Respond to
outcomes
of funding reform
TUPE process for all
staff /
ability to flex Ts&Cs
/
flexibility to employ
staff at
UT level
Retain own HT &
restructure GB
under new model /
opportunity to
share HTs /potential
for creative models
of governance
UT acts as collab’
vehicle or trading
body for services /
can engage
business ptrs /
preferred DBE
model / all
categories
Suitability
Most schools /
Those looking for
leadership,
governance, scale,
finance benefits /
those needing
limited support
Unlikely to be
suitable for those
with weak
governance
Not suitable for
those below floor
& needing
significant
support
The Trust reflects the needs and aspirations of
the schools; powers are drafted widely so that
the LCT may undertake what ever is useful to
meet need.

Is local; directors from each school – an
effective policy forum for the whole group

Primarily there to procure and deliver
services for and to its members – and sell
services to third parties to a limited extent





Directors to set up committees to take work
forward
DBE to become members if invited!
Any mixture of schools and academies to
partner, including independent schools
Agreed budget
Agreed work plan