A glimmer of hope?

Sarah Dobbs's picture
 6
How fascinating - is the new Labour controlled council of NE Lincs trying to stem the tide of schools leaving the authority? There has been no public consultation in the area, just north of Louth. I wonder if the this now gives an opportunity for a proper public debate on the issues?

 
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Fiona Millar's picture
Tue, 14/06/2011 - 12:34

Even I am quite shocked to see that the LA has to cough up cash to help its schools convert to academy status. Surely the DFE should be paying to take them over?!


Sarah Dobbs's picture
Tue, 14/06/2011 - 15:16

I must admit I had never thought of it before Fiona. I will be trying to look into this a bit deeper. I too had thought that DFE paid for the conversion.


Janet Downs's picture
Tue, 14/06/2011 - 16:19

It appears, then, that there is extra cost to conversion - £30,000 per school for legalities, and this has to be paid for by council taxpayers. There are about 3,000 secondary schools in England. If all of these become academies as Mr Gove wants, then the cost for councils is going to be £90,000,000. Add to that the £25,000 start-up that each academy receives and the total is a hefty sum of money.

And once primary schools start converting.... there are nearly 17,000 of them. Oh, and don't forget the Pupil Referral Units...

Sarah's picture
Tue, 14/06/2011 - 18:48

There is no funding available to LAs to meet the costs of conversion - however there is nothing to prevent local authorities passing on the additional costs of conversion to schools, after all they receive funding to meet the conversion costs. Some authorities are doing just that, quite rightly as the workload involved is significant not just in terms of property issues but in relation to TUPE of staff and legal issues. Why should other schools have a reduced service from their LA just so that other schools can convert - and many of them want to do so quickly because they believe there is a financial incentive to do so (they've been bribed in other words)


Sarah Dobbs's picture
Tue, 14/06/2011 - 19:02

Thanks for providing that clarity Sarah. I wonder how many other LAs are being stung in this way? Although it is also worth noting that this is also a matter of personnel - they did not think they had the staff to physically process the work at a time when they have made such big cuts.


Janet Downs's picture
Wed, 15/06/2011 - 13:41

I have submitted a Freedom of Information request to Lincolnshire County Council to find out the cost to the Council of converting one school to academy status, and the total paid to date.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cost_to_council_of_school_academ

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