How do we manage the fear factor promoted readily by the proponents of Academisation?
At the moment, the majority of primary schools are generally keeping their heads down (no pun intended) and trying to avoid this issue preferring a wait and see strategy. Does this make sense? They know the focus is on the target 200 and the odd skirmish in London, so if they keep quiet things might be alright, perhaps?
Is the best strategy to jolt them out of this and start the debate now to get a clear decision about the future creating a noble defence of wide community involvement in the process - and then make these intentions and decisions very clear to SoS? Wait and see seems to me to be a strategy that just allows Gove to decide. He knows he will need to feed more schools to the edu-chains at some point when they realise that the yields in the primary sector are pretty limited.
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It appears that the secrecy surrounding the primary schools targeted for enforced conversion is deliberate. Unless schools "out" themselves, as the Haringey schools did, then they risk public humiliation in admitting they are under-performing to such a degree that the Government feels that they need taking over. Better to go quietly and perhaps save the head's job than make a fuss and risk a ruined career.
Very interesting to see the announcement that Downhills' governing body has now been disbanded by Gove and an IEP put in place to 'consult' on academy conversion. The IEP contains the head of the YPLA (Academy funding) and representatives from Harris (Academy sponsor). So they haven't pre-empted the outcome of any consultation by deciding that academy status is what the local community wants for its school... much!
http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/topstories/9593088.Government_...
Before they were sacked, the Governing Body at Downhills started a parental ballot about converting to an academy. The results were counted today - 147 against, 14 for and 5 don't knows. That was after a damning Ofsted and the Head leaving.
I'm curious to know if Woodside High has any ambitions on Downhills in any way?
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