Dangers of academy schools

Sir--Your articles in last week’s edition highlight the current turmoil within the Education Sector.

These included the potential for a borough-wide rise in independent schools through the recent changes to the Academies Act and the introduction of Free Schools, damaging industrial action plus the large scale cuts to adult and further education.

In my role as a councillor for the Holderness Ward of Rotherham Borough I would like to make known my views on the proposal by the governing body at Aston Comprehensive School to covert to an Academy.

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In the middle of November 2010 the governing body at Aston Comprehensive School agreed to consult the school and wider community on converting to an Academy.

The short, some would say rushed, consultation process with parents and staff was concluded on 7 January 2011. At the request of the community, presentations were given by the school at Aston-cum-Aughton Parish Council and Rother Valley West Area Assembly and I attended both.

The presentations I heard gave the positive side to converting to an Academy. At both presentations I heard several members of the audience, including myself, speak against the proposals.

 I have also written to the governing body outlining my views. Little mention has been made of the disadvantages of converting to an Academy under the current legislation.

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In order to redress the balance I would like to put forward some potential pitfalls: There is no requirement for an academy to buy back services from the LEA and this will sever links with the Rotherham Learning Community. Indeed, competition for school places is likely to increase, a scenario that is currently almost unheard of in Rotherham secondary schools where over 95% of first choices schools are awarded.

An Academy can set its own admissions policy and can utilise the freedom to select up to 10% based on aptitude for specialism.

I heard a lot of talk at the presentations of spending resources on difficult children from Sheffield.

Are we going to see more restrictive admissions?

While existing staff will have the limited protection of TUPE arrangements the Governing Body will be able to appoint new staff on new conditions of service.

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Additionally I fear for the community being able to hold the school to account. The Act does not provide parents/pupils with any way of complaining about the operation of an Academy. The Academies Act categorises Academies as “exempt charities” ie they are exempt from inspection by the charity commissioners.

It is not clear whether Academies are bound by the Human Rights Act or the duties which apply to “public authorities?” when it comes to promoting race, sex and disability equality. They may also be exempt from Freedom of Information Act.

The current Governing Body may well carry forward existing policies but the potential for change is there when the composition of the leadership and management team changes.

At present once a school becomes an Academy there is no way back to the local authority. In my view what we are seeing is a dismantling of the state education system which will run counter to the best interests of the Aston community.

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I would like to congratulate the governing body and head teacher of Wickersley Comprehensive, who, when given the choice, considered what the school stood for and where it wished to be placed within the local and wider community. Well done, a school with a social conscience!

I would urge the governing body at Aston Comprehensive to look further than the short term financial and other “freedoms.” Freedom very often comes at a price and this price is the long term future of the school and its relationship with its students, staff, parents, primary sector, and the wider community.

Cllr Jane Austen, Greenhall Road, Eckington, Sheffield.

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