Tell gov’t to let academies return to LA stewardship if locals support it

Janet Downs's picture
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Academies should be allowed to return to the stewardship of their local authority if teachers, parents and locals support the move.  That’s the demand of a new petition on Parliament’s website.

Academy conversion, with or without a sponsor, isn’t a golden bullet for improvement.  Many academies have improved, of course.  But so have many non-academies.  And many have failed. 

The petition says:

‘Once a school has become an academy, should the academy trust struggle or fail, the only current option is for the school to be handed to another academy trust.’

‘Parents, teachers & the local community have no say.’

Decisions about who runs academies are made by Regional Schools Commissioners.  These are not elected.  They are government appointees.  RSCs are assisted by their headteacher boards.   But these are not filled solely by heads but with officials from academy trusts.

‘It is undemocratic that the RSC can influence or instruct a change of academy sponsor without parents, teachers & the local community having any say,’ the petition adds.

 Sign the petition here.

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