Autumn 2016 Changes from the December 2016 Department for Education Academies Working Group suggesting all schools to research what it means would become academies Research presented to to be an academy. by 2020. consider consultation Benefits? Disadvantages? based on findings and Deadline of 2020 removed current priorities which are within this period of not resolved in research. placements. Full Governing Body meeting voted to open the consultation process.
Gather stakeholders views on whether the Governing Body should consider Swiss Cottage School, DRC for conversion to Academy Status as the lead of a Multi-Academy Trust.
Today • Consultation • What is an Academy? • What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)? • Why do we want to explore this? • What are the Benefits & Disadvantages? • What does it mean for you as parents? • What will stay the same? different? • What is the consultation process? • Questions
What is an Academy? • We are a state maintained school. We are funded by the Local Authority(LA), who are funded by the Department for Education. • An academy is a school that is run by an Academy Trust. The Academy is funded directly by the Government and no longer run by the LA. • The Trust is registered as a charity, so it can not be about profits.
What is a Multi-Academy Trust? • A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) runs a group of schools that are Academies. • A Multi-Academy Trust will always have a ‘lead’. • The lead of the MAT has the vision for the group of schools. • It can define the shared vision, ethos, and curriculum for all of the Academies within the MAT.
Why? We are full. There are Opening new pupils in Camden that provision(s) with our National rise in the need a place at SCS. values, ethos, and number of pupils with Many of these learners philosophies to learning moderate to complex will not gain the right would mean pupils are SEN & D. provision because we in the right school that cannot offer a place. can meet their needs. We want to be solution focused
What are the benefits for SCS? • We can apply to open another school to meet the needs of more children with SEN. • We can apply directly to the DfE, giving us the option to open additional provisions which would expand our offer. • We can explore shared specialists that work across both schools (example: drama therapy) • We can consider new ways of working with the NHS teams across the MAT. • We can retain our specialist staff because they would have more career progression options.
What is the downside of being an Academy or leading a MAT? • Increased responsibilities which were previously with the Local Authority • Accountability expectations for the leadership team • Responsibility for the additional school(s) • Negotiating services with the Local Authority • Possible changes to pay and conditions for staff • Changes to the governance structure
What does it mean for you as parents/carers? • There is no change for your child. They still have a place at this school. • There is no change to their provision. That remains the same and develops with them. • They still have an EHCP/Statement and Annual Review. • There could be a change to the name of the school. • There could be more opportunities for cross- school links.
What will stay the same? • Ethos, Values, Vision • Curriculum • Parent Partnership • Centre of Excellence • Teaching School • Working with Camden • Ofsted
What will be different? • Employment of staff • Services • Accountability systems • Governance • Land/Building • Direct link to Department for Education • Opportunity to work differently with external agencies
Employment of Staff • Staff are currently employed by the Local Authority. • As an Academy, they would be employed by the Multi-Academy Trust. Risk? Pay and Conditions can be changed. We would propose retaining Teachers Pay & Conditions as they are now. We would propose retaining Support Staff Pay & Conditions as they are now.
Services • We would be responsible for the external services which manage aspects of the school. • Currently the school pays for Local Authority services (such as HR, Payroll, Legal, Ed Psych). • The school would have the option of continuing with the LA services or seeking better value for money outside of the LA.
Accountability • As a maintained school we are accountable to the Department of Education via the Local Authority. • As an academy, we would be wholly accountable to the Department for Education. • We still have Ofsted, staff are still responsible for pupil progress and provision so the change is in accountability systems.
Governance • A MAT is structured differently to our current Governing Body. There are three levels of governance, each with different responsibilities. • Members: main role is to appoint Trustees • Trustees: The Board of Trustees is the legal Governing Body for all schools within the Trust, and Trustees are also Directors under company law. They exercise all the powers of the academy trust, and determine what powers are delegated. • Governors: Each school within a MAT has Local Governing Bodies, who have responsibility which is delegated from the Trustees. • We are committed to the governance of a MAT including parent and staff representation.
Land/Building • As a PFI we have additional documentation to complete in relation to the agreement between the LA, Department for Education, and Swiss Cottage School. • We would still be bound to our PFI contract, and this would now directly involve the Department for Education.
Working in New Ways • We have priorities around integrated provision. • As a MAT, we can explore new ways of working with additional professionals such as the NHS Team. • This would depend on the schools within the MAT, and the potential of a core team through the principles of the SEND Reforms.
Direct Link to the Department for Education • As a MAT, we would be able to apply directly to the Department for Education where bids did not traditionally come to schools. • This can be for new school provisions based on local gaps or provision expansion. • This can be for school to school support based on our best practice and mentoring-coaching approach.
What is the proposal? • To apply to convert to Academy Status • To apply to open and lead a Multi-Academy Trust which is ‘empty’ Grow the MAT based on our priorities ...As a school community ...As a locality
Reminder of ‘Why’ we would take on so much work: We are full. There are Opening new We are 5 times pupils in Camden that provision(s) with our Outstanding. need a place at SCS. values, ethos, and We have staff with Many of these learners philosophies to learning expertise. will not gain the right would mean pupils are We can help more provision because we in the right school that children. cannot offer a place. can meet their needs. We want to be solution focused
Questions If you have more questions, please join the additional sessions on 26/1/17 9:45-11:00 and 4:45-6:00. You can also contact the school to share your question, we will get the answers for you.
Consultation 11 th Jan – 1 st Feb transparent Wider Parents Community Unions Staff factual BAM NHS solution-focused Local Authority
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