HAVOC - Academies

Academies:
Government advice

A few thoughts on Government guidance/advice on Academies

from
GUIDANCE NOTES FOR SPONSORS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Expression of Interest

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2.7 Finance

Any outstanding budget deficit of a maintained school at the time that it closes to become an Academy will not transfer to the Academy. Any such deficit will be expected to be managed by the Local Authority.

It is important to check whether the predecessor school has in year deficit and if so how big this is and what is the cause. An in year deficit is when the governing body, in its current year, has set a budget in excess of its income - usually by employing more staff. The Department would not be prepared to proceed to Funding Agreement unless it was clear that the Local Authority had a clear plan for managing the in-year deficit and was committed to making the necessary staffing changes before the predecessor school closed.

Our understanding:

An Academy, buildings and all, is given to the sponsors, with guarantees on capital costs. The Local Authority is paid nothing for the value of the land, existing buildings, etc. Yet any outstanding budget deficit, even if it was incurred by employing more much-needed staff by an under-funded school, remains on the LA's books. - so depriving other "normal" schools of future funding.
The winner:
The Academy sponsor.
The loser:
The LA - that is, the taxpayer.

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3.2 All-age Academies
Please note that

Where a nursery and/or primary element is integrated into an Academy, it is expected that the Local Authority will fund the capital costs of this provision and the Department will fund the recurrent costs of this provision.

Our understanding:

An Academy sponsor can decide to run an all-age Academy. If they decide to follow this course of action, LA has to fund the building of the Nursery/Primary School, but the Academy runs it, and receives recurring running costs from the Government. Can't quite figure that out.
The winner:
The Academy sponsor.
The loser:
The LA - that is, the taxpayer.

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3.7 Vision
This is a key section. It gives the sponsor(s) the chance to lay out in detail their vision for the proposed Academy and all parties the chance to examine and agree that vision.

The aims of the Academies programme are to raise educational standards and to reduce the effects of economic and social deprivation. The role of the sponsor(s) within this is to help to establish the specialism, curriculum and ethos of the Academy, bringing to bear their own life experience to create a unique, innovative and successful institution. The details of how the sponsor is involved with the Academy project throughout its lifecycle are laid out in Establishing an Academy: An Overview for Sponsors.

Our understanding:

"... bringing to bear their own life experience to create a unique, innovative and successful institution". Why can't this apply to a bog-standard, ordinary comprehensive with a dedicated and committed team of staff and local Community members? What is so different about the Academy model that it alone can be unique, innovative and successful? If "ordinary" schools were given the freedoms of Academies, could they not be equally unique, innovative and successful? Of course they could.
The winner:
The Academy sponsor.
The loser:
The LA - that is, the taxpayer.

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4.2 Site Ownership
If new or additional land is required for the Academy site, please note that the Department is unable to purchase land for this purpose. In these cases, it is expected that the Local Authority will purchase any land necessary for the Academy. The provision of land is not considered as contributing in any way to the financial arrangements for Academy sponsorship.

Our understanding:
The LA has to purchase the land and then give it to the Academy, which is run by the sponsor and the Government. What benefit does this bring to the LA? None that we can see.
The winner:
The Academy sponsor.
The loser:
The LA - that is, the taxpayer.

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4.3 Site Issues
Please confirm that the site is clear and unencumbered.
Definition of terms
Clear – A site that is free of any physical hazards or impediments to building, both above and below ground (including, but not limited to: land contamination; electricity pylons; Japanese Knotweed; asbestos; allotments; and problems with site access).
Unencumbered – A site that is free of any legal constraint to transfer of ownership or building (including, but not limited to: trust covenants; charity law; formal or informal lease agreements; and written or unwritten assurances to other bodies or individuals).

Where there are proposals for other services (e.g. a separate primary school, health facility or children’s centre) to be collocated with the Academy, it is assumed that the Local Authority or Primary Care Trust as applicable will meet both the capital and recurrent costs of these facilities.

Our understanding:
Interesting that the land has to be clean before a sponsor can even make an expression of interest to build an Academy - especially if the LA has to purchase the land. Does this apply to building a new comprehensive school, or does the purchaser of the site have to do the clean-up? Don't know.
The winner:
The Academy sponsor.
The loser:
The LA - that is, the taxpayer.

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5.2 Local Authority Agreement

During the Feasibility stage, the Local Authority is required to undertake a consultation on the closure of any predecessor school(s) and to complete the statutory process. The project team undertakes a separate local consultation on the Academy proposal itself.

Hope that the "project team" does better than Serco and the Council did on their "consultation". We would appreciate a totally open, honest and transparent consultation process, with all the facts and consequences being properly aired. Chances of this happening? On the basis of previous "consultation" farces, practically nil.

Score:

Academies

Local Authorities