Dulwich Hamlet Junior School- application to become an Academy

[bawdy-nan]

So, I went to the public meeting and read as much as I could about it and its left me feeling thoroughly depressed.

Its not at all clear why the school want academy status. The financial case wasn't made well and its very clear that the future funding position for education isn't settled which means that it is very hard to make a judgement about why the change makes obvious financial sense.

The risk assesmenty undertaken by the governing body and current management seems thin - they seem to think that there are no risks beyond a "resistance to change". Doesn't inspire much confidence in the strategic management of a valuable community resource.

The accountability issue is huge. No OFSTED inspections (accoridng to the DOE site) which is fine for now but what if there's a problem in the future?

Governors are appointed not elected (as I understand it). No obligation for parent representation (though I think that the Hamlet propose retaining parent reps).

A resource that currently belongs to the community is unilaterally co-opted by a small group of individuals. There seems to be a determination to go ahead whatever the community and teaching staff think. Personally, this makes me feel very uncomfortable and it begins to feel like a personal mission rather than a thought through plan. There was a very interesting suggestion made about how the legal structure of any proposed academy might be set up. At the moment the proposal seemns to be charitable status for a company liited by guarantee (like lots of independent commnunity organisations). The new, interestting idea, was that an academy might be set up as a cooperative trust which offers a much stronger stakeholder interest.

Resources that are currently shared across the borough are retained by the predominantly, relatively more wealthy of Dulwich. As I understand it things like education for excluded pupils, free school meals etc would be adminstered and delivered by the academy school. This is obviously less of a problem for a school of wealthy, priveleged families but is distastrous for pockets of deprivation. Frankly, this feels like stealing.The Head was rather disappointing on this question in my opinion she said that it is money that "belongs to our children and we should have it" and she made the "equal share" case so beloved of Eric Pickles. (ie every person should get an equal share rather than services based on need).

The teaching staff are no longer protected by national agreements on pay and conditions. The school say they don't intend to alter agreements though the head wavered on this when an ethusiastic parent suggested being able to cut teachers' pay was going to be very useful as the cuts bite deeper. Whatever the intentions of the current governing body and staff there is no guarantee against a change of mind on their part or a change in management or trustees.

The SEN question didn't feel well addressed. The school argue that they already successfully manage a large part of teh SEN budget and freedom from the LA would allow them to buy in teh services they thought best.I wasn't exactly clear why they were best placed to make these decisions rather than specialist professionals nor where these services might be bought from |(in an environment where LA SEN services are diminished because a market is created). Neither was the "exclusion" services really addressed (ie what happens to excluded children across southwark if there are no shared services).

There was some suggestion made that ALL southwark schools were going to be encouraged to become acadamies. It seems unlikely that the labour run council would actively campaign for a flagship coalition policy but this seems to have become an argument for why DH should go ahead (and go ahead quickly ....).

So - thank you for your links etc. It feels like the Head and governing body have mind up their minds and will go ahead with their plans but it feels like a sad and slightly soiled step.

[bawdy-nan]

Oh and further to my tickling of Professor Google I disover that:

1. The Dfe guidance requires that a school consult before going ahead and that the consultation question should be "Should the school convert" and not "we have made the decision to convert"

2. At present DH is the only Southwark Primary in the process of trying to convert (DFe feb fgures) (contrary to what was mentioned at the public meeting)

3. An Academy will be an "exempt charity" ie not regulated by the Charities Commission (so much for accountability)

4. Surprise, surprise, Southwark Council don't have an official policy pushing schools towards academy status (contrary to what was said at the public meeting)

5. A school in South London recently reversed its decision to go for academy status after it realised (on closer properly costed with quotes inspection) that its conversion costs, the costs of running the academy and buying and administering services previously supplied by the LA were much, much bigger than the school had originally estimated on its back-of-the-envelope. I really hope the Hamlet governors have made sure they've seen proper, detailed costings.

Professor Google is going for a lie down

[mrs.lotte]

Surely a school would also become liable for its own insurance costs (these victorian buildings are not easy to maintain) and legal costs should parents or teachers wish to sue. I can't see that the benefits could outweigh the safety blanket of LA help never mind the morality of how the pie is sliced up. Can an academy choose its own selection criteria? The impression I get from this thread is that SEN children are not encouraged as it is. Not suprised that you are concerned.

[James Barber]

The whole academy experiment is just that. No one knows whether it will serve children well or not. It's a hunch by the Secretary of state for Education. Sadly one of the compromises of the coalition.

I can confirm I checked earlier whether Southwark council is promoting schools to convery to academies - after an email query earlier today. It is NOT.

The council is weirdly staying neutral. I certianly don't feel neutral on this.

Even local independent schools partake of an equivalent to Ofsted for private schools.

The academy concept is the antithesis of what I believe in as a Lib Dem. It is schools being seperated from local political input and parent power and reporting in some manner to the national Dept of Education. The exact opposite of localism and public accounability.

Even if schools convert I'd be amazed if they survive ANY change of national government. Its not as if any parents are going to vehemently defend schools they have less to zero influence over and that Ofsted aren't reporting on.

[Fuschia]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>>

> The academy concept is the antithesis of what I

> believe in as a Lib Dem. It is schools being

> seperated from local political input and parent

> power and reporting in some manner to the national

> Dept of Education. The exact opposite of localism

> and public accounability.

Hear hear

[Emily]

ha ha ha to schools being accountable to parents!

[Milan05]

What JB said !

[sillywoman]

Bawdy-nan, can I just say a massive 'Thankyou' for taking the time to post such detailed reflections on your gleanings from both the meeting & proff google?

I have been staying clear of the issue despite having a child at DHJS and hoping for a place for another in September. Part of the reason for my awful 'ostrich' approach to this issue is a feeling of hopelessness, i.e - whatever I think it won't alter the outcome of any decision making process, and the rest of it is - I confess - just an unwillingness to expend the energy necessary to gain a full picture of the issue from which I can settle on a view.

Your post has clarified some of the many issues surrounding DHJS's conversion and given me much food for thought. I'll be talking this over with sensibleman tonight - I think it's time we took a view and became involved in this.

Thankyou again for spending the time to post about the meeting and the issues facing DHJS on here - you've certainly made a difference to my perspective.

[Fuschia]

Because each academy using the funding mechanism proposed, may result in deductions to the LA of more than its share of the LA cake, it has indeed been discussed in several other LEAs, that after a certain no of schools convert to academy, there would be nothing left to fund central services for the remaining LA schools, hence the possible strategy of all schools then being best to follow suit.

This academy wave could sound trhe death knell for many local LEAs, for sure

[Otto]

I came from the meeting with a slightly different opinion. The current board of governors came across as a highly specialised and learned group who have sifted through layers and layers of constantly changing information. The highly political hot potato nature of this proposal seems to have been carefully considered by analysis rather than emotion. I think it is hard to set politics aside, but, from an administrative, legal and financial perspective it does make sense for this school to convert. From a utopian perspective, it sits rather badly if all schools do go the academy route, some schools would have a distinct advantage based on the expertise of the governing body available to that school. The hamlet is going to have 6 parent governors, and, they have a highly educated pool to draw from. Personally it looks like removing a level of bureaucracy more than anything. If I find more time, I will fill in on other points made. I am not utterly pro-academy, but, would like to present a view fromother side just to provide a more balanced conversation. I do see both sides fairly clearly - and each group has points that the other side is not hearing. There is also a large amount of propaganda that does not help at all.

More soon, otto

[bawdy-nan]

Otto - I would utterly agree that the present governors seem to be thoroughly good and thoughtful, amazingly committed and experienced. But I disagree that the case has been made. On the contrary, last night they seemed to be saying that we shouldn't worry because there will be no real change, that ALL schools will be getting more autonomy in the future, that they did not have precise costs, that there was no guarantee of longer term financial advantage (as the amount retained by the la will decrease). The financial consultant seemed to say that the main reason for becoming an academy was to take advantage of a window of opportunity when the money to be "saved" by the la not retaining their current percentage was a significant sum - but given that the costings weren't precise this figure wasn't clear. nevertheless, it was a significant sum.

I wish they could have sold it more strongly as a brilliant idea.

[sb]

.

[bawdy-nan]

As I understand it (very open to correction if I have misunderstood this),

The school stops being a community school and becomes a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. There are 3 members of the company (current chair, deputy chair and head ofthe finance committee). They delegate responsibility for management to the governors (currently 18) who delegate to the head etc.

Governors cannot be paid for their services as governors

The school has to comply with a "funding agreement" and is bound by the Academies Act 2010 (sets out rules on admissions and SEN responsibilities etc). Funds are from the government via the new "Education Funding Agency" (a new body replacing the Young People's Learning Agency and which will also distribute money to Local Authorities for Schools) (so much for less admin!).

As a company the school will have to submit accounts to companies house. Despite being a charity they will not be subject to the same monitoring as other charities because they are "exempt charities".

OFSTED no longer assessses performance.

Complaints by parents would be to the school, them governors via a complaints procedure then, I assume directly to Michael Gove ... (not sure what regulatory role the new Education Funding Agency has).

[intexasatthe moment]

It might be different with these new style Academies ,but the old style ones also have Funding Agreements that set out how they must operate .

And with the old style Academies - yes complaints go to the Sec of State ,so it would be Gove .

My experience was that prior to opening the Academy " stakeholders " could only access a draft FA .

And that lots of key issues like make up of Governing Body weren't in the Funding Agreement but in an annexe to it .

Some Academies are more open than others ,and hopefully DH will be .

But I guess my message is be careful .....

None of Southwark's secondaries are under the LEA control - they're all Academies ,Faith or Foundation schools .

It takes some time for the true effect of this to become apparent ,but personally I don't agree with fragmenting the education system like this ,and I think any idea of a level playing field ,good schools for all becomes more and more remote .

[Jomi]

James Barber wrote;

"Even if schools convert I'd be amazed if they survive ANY change of national government. Its not as if any parents are going to vehemently defend schools they have less to zero influence over and that Ofsted aren't reporting on".

In my opinion this school does not deserve defending neither does the Head. This is one school that the parents do not seem to have any influence over at all when it comes to issues or changes, and where Ofsted seem to have been blinded by a great performance and not the realities of the school. I hope that when Ofsted do their next inspection that the flaws in the Head's ambitions are identified and that she is held to account for the current failings in her agenda...the school does not practise a philosophy of "Every Child Matters', so why does anyone believe that it would think for one second that parents, other schools or the local community matter?

[bobbly]

cant see how it would make sense orchard, please explain. If a school is already outstanding, why does it need more coffers, particularly if those funds are extracted from the schools that are not considered to be outstanding? don't quite get it. explain?

[orchard]

Hi bobbly,

Glad you came back to me on this. My post you refer to was not very considered and written in haste...I knew I could rely on the Forum to educate me on the subject and I had in fact asked the original question out of a sense of unease about the Dulwich Hamlet situation, which remains. Having had a look online at the Education White paper it seems that this issue is going to continue to dominate education policy and am pondering how many other Southwark schools will be considering it.

[Coach Beth]

This article appeared in the South London Press - about Tidemill Primary which has become an academy - doesn't seem like becoming an academy has made the school more accountable to parents then!

http://www.crystalpalace-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=40663&headline=Well+look+after+your+child+for+20+a+day

[intexasatthe moment]

No surprise there then .