Schools converting to academy - IT schools responsibility from council

[tj2419]

Hi

 

Does anyone have any documents that show how the responsibilities of certain areas such as esafety become the schools responsibility instead of the LEA after a conversion to academy status? Bascially anything that changes for ICT departments in school that we need to be aware of. I heard from someone that esafety becomes the schools rather than the LEA's but cannot find anything to back it up.

 

Thanks

[plexer]

I can't believe that e-safety hasn't always been on the individuals schools shoulders tbh.

 

Ben

[localzuk]

Everything becomes the school's responsibility. The school can, if it so desires and the LEA offers it as a paid for service, buy back into services but ultimately the responsibility is the school's for all provision, be it eSafety or internet provision etc...

[elsiegee40]

I am Chair of Governors governor at an academy and Director of an Academy Trust that encompasses 3 schools.

 

Absolutely everything becomes the academy's responsibility and failure to comply is addressed directly by the DfE (at present, though there may be a new body set up between the DfE and the academy soon)

 

eSafety has always been a responsibility of the school as part of its Safeguarding remit along with the other two showstoppers: Health & Safety and Data Protection.

 

The academy can choose to buy in services where it may not have been given the choice before by the LA. These services might be bought from the LA if it provides best value to the school.

 

If your school is becoming part of an existing academy trust then some things become the Trust's responsibility and the school will have no say. However, I would expect the sponsoring academy to be giving your school guidance on this.

Edited December 2, 2013 by elsiegee40

[teejay]

The main bugbear is going through your software. As an Academy is a new legal entity, none of your software licences are valid unless the publisher grants a transfer of license, so you have to contact the publisher of every piece of software you use to get the license transferred. Most don't charge for this, some do and some won't let you transfer and insist that you re-purchase the software.

[localzuk]

On that note, this wiki page has a list I compiled of our software suppliers and their attitudes to us becoming an academy - Software License Transfer for Academies - Wiki