Academies agenda gathering momentum again?

[gsk]

Hi all,

 

I have heard on the grapevine 2 things that I was hoping someone could find some sauce for:

 

1: All maintained schools will become academies by the end of this parliament ie, 2020.

 

2:Schools can no longer be standalone converters but MUST convert as part of or into a Multi Academy Trust.

 

Any reputable info would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

[NotSoFast]

1 was announced by Cameron. Not sure if 2 is gospel, but certainly that's the way it's going as schools have to demonstrate the capacity to support themselves when converting. A MAT is a good way of doing that.

[elsiegee40]

1. Has been widely reported in the press since the election - just google it

 

I have certainly heard 2 as well. I don't think either is enshrined in law , but they both seem to be what the DfE insists upon

[dblight]

Multiple MATS merging to create bigger MATS is what's happening now. Going to be a busy year!

[JonThompson]

2 is true. Government no longer want individual school academies, they want trusts or MATS. Schools can no longer become empty MATS as from Xmas 2015. This from reputable source, who I can't name.

[CAM]

I've heard number two as well. Looks like my prediction may come to light in the what comes next thread... (IT and data being rolled up into centralised MAT teams).

 

I believe it's the government's way of replacing the Local Education Authority so they can dust their hands of schools and say "job done, money saved."

Edited March 1, 2016 by CAM

[localzuk]

Its funny really. Academies were all about giving local control to schools. MATs take that control back out of their hands and once again centralise it, bascially recreating the LEA but without any local accountability via the council.

 

Its almost as if the government want to get rid of local authorities altogether, whilst saying they want to give more power to local communities.

[FN-GM]

MATs take that control back out of their hands and once again centralise it,

 

That isn't always true. Our MAT only looks after non teaching services such as IT, catering, Finance etc, and only if the member schools wants to centralise that. They still have the freedom that a standalone Academy gets but someone else looks after the services so the school can concentrate on teaching and learning.

Edited March 1, 2016 by FN-GM

[elsiegee40]

I think it is naive to suggest that services in MATs will not be centralised in the long run. It makes no economic sense not to. This doesn't mean that an individual working in IT for a MAT won't be allocated to a single school.

 

Having several hundred schools as single economic entities made no budgetary sense whatsoever. Having them in groups with centralised services should make far better use of public money. Whether the LA is the best vehicle for centralising services for education is another question.

 

What the government is doing is privatising public education by stealth and that I disagree with.

Edited March 1, 2016 by elsiegee40

[zag]

Sharing resources sounds like a good idea to me. I was never convinced the council system worked just because of the lack of skills they had.

[CyberNerd]

I think it is naive to suggest that services in MATs will not be centralised in the ling run. It makes no economic sense not to.

 

This may look great on paper, but in reality to centralise these services is going to require technical managers to oversee the local service managers, much larger procurement exercises, more centralised and less ad hoc training. What makes LA's inefficient and waste money also applies to MATs. I agree it will probably happen, but it doesn't always mean it's a good idea or that it's a better economic plan

[elsiegee40]

I agree that if done badly it can end up more expensive which is why I said that centralising through an LA was another question.

 

If a school joins a MAT then they are joining a centralised organisation for HR at the bare minimum. Employees are employed by the Trust, not by the school.

 

Every business that merges with another or takes over another will consider centralising functions as a means of saving costs.

 

The real point of my post was to emphasise that any school which is part of a MAT cannot assume that decentralised functiins will remain that way in the current economic climate. I think centralisation is inevitable and MATs are becoming LEAs by stealth.

[mthomas08]

For the MAT thing, it depends on your School Ofsted report, ability to survive financially, grades and intake (possibly missing something too).

 

At the moment we are an Academy but we have such a good prospect on many levels there is no need to join a MAT or even consider it. In the event we did, I get the feeling that we wouldn't shall we say be considered as a "Taken over" School but instead perhaps be a "Leader School".

 

Still, things change so you never know. We are considered to be one of the very good Schools in our area and our next aim is "Outstanding" while still being a "Community School". Even though our location is quite poor, our intake is maxed out every year and no sign of it stopping.

[Achandler]

The real question is, if an LA has Good and Outstanding schools under its control as such (although it reality LAs don't actually control schools), forcing them to be no longer part of the LA for no other reason except political ones is of no benefit. You can go from an LA with full control of your own school to being forced into a MAT sticking its fingers in more, when in reality each school is different. Even centralised purchasing has limited benefits, bulk buy might get more equipment cheaper, I wouldn't dispute that. But I go round other schools and see their equipment and think, that wouldn't last 2 minutes where I work. We have to buy often more expensive but tougher equipment, so centralised purchsing either gives us inadequate equipment or costs everyone else more.

 

Similar types of schools in a MAT I'm sure work great, I'm also sure secondaries and local feeder primaries is also a good combination. But I often see MATs that consist of "Outstanding" schools that have selective entry, pupils who work harder and virtually no pupil premium or FSM children, that then sponsor a school which is made up of over 50% students who are EAL, most of pupil premium and a lot are completely disengaged from the education system, with no support for schooling from home. Even years later, the exact same situation exists because it isn't necessarily the school that is the issue, its the intake they get. It's happening already, I've seen schools join MATs and get worse (whether or not its MAT related who knows).

 

I'm also fed up of politicians telling the public that all students need to be in schools that are better the average! Its an impossible task, every school can't be better then average, maybe the polictians need to go back to schools to learn what average actually is.

[LeMarchand]

Its funny really. Academies were all about giving local control to schools. MATs take that control back out of their hands and once again centralise it, bascially recreating the LEA but without any local accountability via the council.

 

Its almost as if the government want to get rid of local authorities altogether, whilst saying they want to give more power to local communities.

 

What the government is doing is privatising public education by stealth and that I disagree with.

 

What makes LA's inefficient and waste money also applies to MATs.

 

I think centralisation is inevitable and MATs are becoming LEAs by stealth.

 

What worries me most is that none of our politicians seem to want to do anything about this state of affairs.

[mthomas08]

What worries me most is that none of our politicians seem to want to do anything about this state of affairs.

 

Why would they, they have done exactly what they want to do - wash their hands with the whole Education system.

 

As many have said, it's going down the route of the NHS and Public Transport - no longer about doing the "Service" but more about profits or in Education terms "Opportunities" for people who want power, promotions and pay rises. I keep hearing the terms, pay peanuts get monkeys yet we still have those monkeys, they are simply on better salaries.

 

It's actually why I am glad where I work, it doesn't feel like that at all. Compared how a previous job went especially in the later part.

[dblight]

As many have said, it's going down the route of the NHS and Public Transport - no longer about doing the "Service" but more about profits or in Education terms "Opportunities" for people who want power, promotions and pay rises. I keep hearing the terms, pay peanuts get monkeys yet we still have those monkeys, they are simply on better salaries.

 

It's actually why I am glad where I work, it doesn't feel like that at all. Compared how a previous job went especially in the later part.

 

Couldn't agree more!

[localzuk]

What worries me most is that none of our politicians seem to want to do anything about this state of affairs.

 

They all seem to agree with it, well except Corbyn but I've not seen any campaigning by him really on the issue!

[gsk]

Thanks, but that's pretty much the point I'm at already. What I'd like is a policy statement or a letter to headteachers outlining the 2 points rather than a news article or speculation or a speech at a conference (unless it was backed up with a policy statement).

[localzuk]

Thanks, but that's pretty much the point I'm at already. What I'd like is a policy statement or a letter to headteachers outlining the 2 points rather than a news article or speculation or a speech at a conference (unless it was backed up with a policy statement).

 

Good luck getting such a thing. They don't generally make these sort of decisions public. Might be worth a FoI request to the DfE?

[sparkeh]

Thanks, but that's pretty much the point I'm at already. What I'd like is a policy statement or a letter to headteachers outlining the 2 points rather than a news article or speculation or a speech at a conference (unless it was backed up with a policy statement).

There isn't anything beyond news articles, speculation and conference speeches. Nothing has been officially stated as policy intention.

[LeMarchand]

Good luck getting such a thing. They don't generally make these sort of decisions public. Might be worth a FoI request to the DfE?

 

I'm pretty sure an FOI to Jeremy Hunt would "prove" that there's no way the NHS will be privatised, no siree...

 

Can't imagine the DfE would be any more honest.

[CyberNerd]

Thanks, but that's pretty much the point I'm at already. What I'd like is a policy statement or a letter to headteachers outlining the 2 points rather than a news article or speculation or a speech at a conference (unless it was backed up with a policy statement).

 

Our HT is saying pretty much the same thing as you described in your points. I've not seen 'evidence' either.

From my understanding when DfE want schools to do things, rather than dictate it with words, they just make an offer you can't refuse eg: over a short time period give schools who go into MAT large amounts more cash and cut cash for those under LA control - and justify it with some 'community' 'results' jargon. I think this is probably where it comes from. Why not ask your bursar - s/he will be best placed to know if this is true.

[sparkeh]

Our HT is saying pretty much the same thing as you described in your points. I've not seen 'evidence' either.

From my understanding when DfE want schools to do things, rather than dictate it with words, they just make an offer you can't refuse eg: over a short time period give schools who go into MAT large amounts more cash and cut cash for those under LA control - and justify it with some 'community' 'results' jargon. I think this is probably where it comes from. Why not ask your bursar - s/he will be best placed to know if this is true.

Heh yeah, or scare everyone with rumours. Its interesting how some MATs\chains are now sniffing around because 'you want to make your own decision before you are forced' :/

 

Unfortunately it does seem to be working in some schools.

[elsiegee40]

It's good advice though. If your school is at risk of a forced conversion then go find a school to support you now rather than wait to say where you have to go.