Academy Schools

Academies were set up in Tony Blairs government I believe, and here is a link explaining them
researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN07059

...and it is the right way paddyann

we dont have the "academies" that you have,an Academy is just the secondary school run by the local authority ,we dont have parent governing boards in our schools either .Well maybe in the private sector but as I would never use them nor would my family I dont know.Our system is children go to the school closest to them unless there is a very specific reason why they need to go further afield...maybe parents who work out of the area and need to use work childcare facilities before annd after school for instance .It seems to work well ,,it has always been this way

Yes it depends on local provision whitewave. My DD was able to avoid the selective system and church schools because of the outstanding academy on the doorstep.

My daughter moved to her village to specifically avoid academy schools. Their school Is LA run and parents have fought long and hard battles to keep it that way. It is classed as outstanding.

26th and 27th of this month Norah with another 5 days for a decision.

I wish I wasn't such a pessimist but past appeals at the same school tend to show a trend for losing as only one appeal allowed in the past 5 years.

Agreed, I should have included all phases in that.
Just wrong that anyone makes a profit out of running schools imo.

i too think all schools (including primaries and 6th Form Colleges) ought to be locally run and accountable to thei LEAs. Many sevices that used to be bought-in (quite competitively too) from LEAs have been lost and, IMO, schools are the poorer for that.

Teachers' Pay and Conditions, long and hard fought for over many years, have been eroded. In fact many of the same problems we see in the NHS exist in our schools too.

As Mamie said, Academies range from Outstanding to Inadequate but it's the central premise that they are independent of local control that is all wrong.

I think the point is that some Academies are excellent, some good, some satisfactory and some failing. I am no cheerleader for Academies, in fact I think all secondary schools should be locally run, comprehensive and secular, but it is only fair to the OP to point out that there is a big variation.
(And no I didn't understand SAAK's post either).

SAAK your post makes no sense at all.

Local 'comp' for primary age pupil???

Now just finished 1st year at Uni and has a 1st???

Is it me????

Some academy chains are run by charlatans that set up theur own companies to sell services, which would have been provided by the LAs back to the academies. In this way they get paid twice, one for being an executive of the school /trust and again for selling their consultancy services to the trust/ other schools . This is where a lot of taxpayers money is going. There are also several cases of financial mismanagement and outright criminal activity.

gilly remind us please, when is the appeal?

I wouldn't mind so much if the awful school was just round the corner stillaliveand kicking but it's two bus rides away. The very thought of the traveling (alone) is what is the most frightening/ upsetting for her, not the crap school.

Isn't it just another "name"? I wouldn't worry OP.

Here's my sons education.

Up till the age of 11 he went to a local comp.
11 to 16 he went to a school that had awful ratings but was round the corner.
16 to 18 he also went to a stand alone feeder 6th form that was considered "rough".

He thrived and was very happy at every single school.

He's now finished his 1st year at a university that isn't considered fantastic.

Guess what... he got a 1st and is studying Math.

They will learn if they are happy and supported no matter where they go.

Thank you Cherrytree59 and all the other gransnetters who have offered advice and sent good wishes over the past few months. You are truly lovely, lovely people.

Needless to say if our appeal is successful I will (virtually) hug you all. whether you want a hug or not

Fingers crossed for your DGD Gillybob

Thank you all for your interesting comments.

As far as my DHS is concerned we will just have to wait and see.
His uniform had arrived and caused much excitement, fingers crossed for the same in September

There is one anomaly in that the reception in a class of 20 there are only 6 boys

I know gillybob. Siblings first, then distance. The school has improved massively and the catchment has shrunk to about half a mile with (I think) four children for every place this year. The leadership is inspirational.

The local primary that my children attended as a state school became an academy about 7-8 yrs ago. The large chain that took over (with a colour in it's name) made extensive structural changes and much needed larger staff carpark. However, they went bust and the school was passed to a different firm. I have friends who have worked there for many years who are now being made redundant.
None of this detracts from the good teaching and excelent SENCO and crew.

Mamie said : My granddaughter is at an outstanding Academy. Places are decided on distance from the school.

Oh I wish they were at the academy beside where my DGD lives Mamie then she would have been guaranteed to get in. I can't imagine there would be many children living any closer than she does.

Just like to add after reading comments here that my GD and many of the other pupils at our Academy are from local council estates and doing well.

My granddaughter is at an outstanding Academy. She was not confident when she arrived there, but she has had excellent teaching and support and is now doing extremely well in the top set. Her sister passed the 11+, but has turned down a grammar school place to go to the same Academy. I am hugely impressed by the school and I know that they give excellent support to all abilities. Places are decided on distance from the school.

yes, gillybob, I followed your other posts, and think you are entitled to be bitter.

In my work I had poor experience of academies for the reasons given above. Back door selection, using weasel words makes it hard for students & parents to know where they stand, and woe betide any child who needs any kind of extra support!
I have a teacher friend who left the UK for family reasons for about 5 years. On his return, he was restricted as to where to live (also for family reasons - he's a good guy!) and applied to work in an academy - his only knowledge was from reading about them. He has now left, completely appalled at the absence of support for any students with extra educational, health or social needs, and informed the LA of his grave concerns about child protection.
This is not actually where I live (and none of you the board know anyway) so I feel I can share this.

Having said that, I hope that Cherrytree's GC does not run into any problems. Children and their families who fit the system and help boost results, or achieve stuff that looks good, and only encounter minor problems or small infringements (you know, like running in fields of wheat) will sail happily through the system, and do well.

And gillybob, I do hope that something gets sorted properly for your DGD. As so many of us know, a loving, supportive family who cherish their child's achievements goes a long, long way.

the academy to which I refer is rated Outstanding Parklife1 they pay well over the average salaries. They are very fussy where they get their children from though as they only take from the poshest feeders. No common council estate primary kids for them.

Academy schools are run by an academy trust, not ny the local authority. Therecan be stand alone academies, but are more likely to be Multi Academy Trusts (MAT.). They don't have access to local support as LA schools do because they have to have agreements to pay for LA services.

There are some very large academy chains, but smaller ones as well. Any school that has a Special Measures Ofsted will be forced into academisation within a MAT. Academies are not subject to teachers' pay and conditions, so can pay as much or as little as they choose. They generally choose to pay less. The teachers in the school are not always and not necessarily qualified. That doesn't mean they are all poor teachers, but they may not have Qualified Teacher Status.