Page 12

Save our schools

The Academies Bill was the very first Bill published by the new government, signalling the priority it is giving to reforming the schools system. There are currently 203 academies across England. The Labour government planned to expand this to 400, primarily to replace secondary schools that were in special measures or ‘underachieving’, or to create new school places.

But on 27 May, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, announced that any school rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted could apply to be fast-tracked to academy status – opening the floodgates for over 2,400 primaries and over 600 secondaries potentially to become academies by this September. By the end of June almost 1,600 schools had applied for information about changing status.

The Bill includes provision for all maintained schools in England to have the opportunity to transfer to academy status in the longer term. Underperforming schools will be forced to become sponsor-managed academies.

Most worryingly, the Bill provides no requirement for governing bodies to consult with staff, parents, pupils or the community before making the decision to convert to academy status.

The NUT supports its members, whatever type of school they work in – including academies – but is gravely concerned about what expansion of the academies programme could mean for teachers and the education service.

We have joined forces with our sister education unions ATL and NASUWT, and the support staff unions GMB, Unison and Unite to tackle this unprecedented threat to state education. Together we have produced a range of resources and campaign materials to help our members protect their community schools. Download them from www.teachers.org.uk/academies.

What are academies?

Academies are independent state schools funded with public money. Teachers working in an academy are not employed by the local authority, but by the academy’s sponsor or proprietor, who sets the pay and conditions of staff.

Academies receive their funding directly from the government rather than via local authorities. Crucially, therefore, they are outside the local authority ‘family’ of schools and are not accountable to the community through locally elected councillors.

Until the recent legislation, academies had to be run by a private sponsor – such as a business, religious organisation or other education institution – who had control over the school’s admissions, governing body, curriculum and teachers’ pay and conditions. The new Bill will allow governors of outstanding schools to run the academy themselves. Underperforming schools forced to adopt academy status will, however, be required to have a sponsor.

Act now!

The NUT is urging all members to take immediate action. Please:

• Email your MP asking them to support the Early Day Motion tabled by Jon Trickett MP, which calls for schools to have to consult properly before transferring to academy status and raises other concerns about the Academies Bill. You can send your email via the NUT website at www.teachers.org.uk/academies.

• Seek parents’ support to help keep your school a community school. Encourage them to visit the 38 Degrees website – www.38degrees.org.uk/academies – to find out more and contact their MP.

See pages 4 and 22 and www.teachers.org.uk/academies for more information on action that you can take in your school.

URGENT: If your school has expressed an interest in becoming an academy, see page 22 for what to do.

Continued on page 13