What Is An Academy?

What is an Academy?

  • Remain a state school.
  • Good and outstanding schools encouraged to achieve status.
  • We would be seeking Converter Academy status (not the same as Sponsored Academy where a company runs the school. We would run the school)

Hounslow LA

Schools who are already an academy:
  • Lampton
  • Chiswick
  • Isleworth & Syon
  • Heston
  • St. Marks(April)
  • Gumley House
  • Rivers Academy
  • Cranford Community College

Only 2 schools in Hounslow not exploring academy school status.

What difference would it make?

  • We would remain a girls’ school
  • More money – extra resources in school for learning and teaching
  • Curriculum change if we wanted
  • Flexibility and freedom
  • Opportunity to work across other local authorities and with other good and outstanding girls’ schools
  • Structural changes to the school day/year would remain unchanged at the present time

What would be the same?

  • No change to name
  • No uniform changes
  • Teachers pay and conditions
  • Daily running of the school

What are the risks?

  • Isolation – Minimised by Association of Maintained Girls’ schools - working closely with other girls’ schools and Challenge Partnerships- group of good and outstanding schools working together with other Hounslow schools with regard to admissions and school planning.
  • Responsible to DFE – Not LA anymore and accountable to Ofsted.
  • Extra admin work for school to do/ finance role to increase.

Next Steps

  • Staff and student consultation.
  • Parent consultation/ other stakeholders.
  • Welcome questions from all parents – contact the school- we will respond.
  • Consultation ends 25th April 2012.
  • Meeting to discuss outcomes with full governing body – 28th April 2012
  • Announcement will be made following this.