Academies Dave Perrett Assistant Director for Education,Play & Learning ICT Services:

The Academies Act Includes provisions to: Allow maintained schools to apply to become academies and permit the Secretary of State to issue an Academy Order requiring the local authority to cease to maintain the school Allow the Secretary to State to require schools that are eligible for intervention to convert into academies Provide for secondary, primary and special schools to become academies

Ensure there is no change of religious character as a result of the conversion process Allow schools that apply to become academies to keep any surplus financial balance Require the governing bodies of maintained schools to consult with those persons whom they think appropriate before converting into an academy Ensure that for foundation and voluntary schools, with a foundation, there is consent from that school’s foundation (often a diocesan board of education) before the school can apply to become an academy

Allow maintained schools that currently select to continue to do so as an academy Deem academy trusts to be charities Ensure that a converting school will continue, as an academy, to be able to occupy the land/buildings it has as a maintained schools, and that the school’s other assets may also transfer to the new academy for the benefit and use of the pupils of that school.

What is the role of the academy trust? An academy trust is a charitable company responsible for the running of the academy and has control over the land and other assets. It has a strategic role in running the academy, but delegates day – to day management of the school to the governors.

The academy trust (made up of members) has a strategic role in running the academy and will be responsible for appointing the governors (also known as directors or trustees) to the governing body of the academy. It is the governing body that manages the academy on behalf of the members of the academy trust. The Key responsibilities are 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

What other processes might a new academy be expected to follow during the transition period, and what support would be given to it? As a minimum, all schools converting must: Establish their trust as a company – registering with Companies House Establish a new bank account for the trust to ensure that the academy will be able to receive funding Transfer, renew or procure new contracts, SLAs and licences and purchase insurance as appropriate YPLA will provide each academy with a contact officer.

How much additional responsibility and liability is involved for the governing body and how is it protected/ insured? The academy trust (a charitable company limited by guarantees) is the legal entity that will be responsible for the running of the school and entering into contracts. The academy trust will be able to take out employers’ liability insurance (like any other employer of staff). Liabilities to external parties would ordinarily be those of the academy trust (a company with a separate legal entity and not the governors themselves.

Timeline Presently – only outstanding schools – Primary/ Secondary This year – good schools – Primary/ Secondary September 2011 – Special Schools

Will an academy be under constraints or new expectations that the local authority would previously have exercised? Academies have freedom from local authority control. Which means that they have autonomy over the decisions they make and the education they deliver to their pupils. They also have the freedom to change the lengths of terms and school days, set their own pay and conditions for staff and have freedom from following the National Curriculum. There is a range of services that were previously provided by the local authority that academies will now need to provide.

Admissions and school places When a school becomes an academy, the academy trust will become the admission authority. For some schools, such as foundation and voluntary aided schools, this will mean little change, but for community schools and voluntary controlled schools the academy will need to manage its own admissions process. This will involve periodic consultation, and regularly publishing the academy’s admissions arrangements.

Funding

Principle Receive the same level of per pupil funding as any Local Authority School

Calculation Funding will be based on academic year September – August Received as General Annual Grant (GAG) funding allocated by Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) GAG is made up of different elements Delegated budget share Local Authority central spend equivalent grant (NB this is calculated by YPLA)

Services and Costs funded from a Local Authority’s School Budget Special Educational Needs (SEN) support services (see next section) Behaviour support services practical learning options School meals and milk Assessment of free school meals eligibility Repair and maintenance of kitchens Museum and library services Licenses and subscriptions Central staff costs (maternity, long term sickness and trade union duties) Costs of certain employment terminations

Services and Costs funded from other Local Authority sources Costs of local authority’s statutory/regulatory duties Asset management costs School improvement services Monitoring national curriculum assessment Education welfare service Pupils support (e.g. clothing grants) Music services Visual and performing arts services Outdoor education services Certain redundancy and early retirement costs