Agenda item

7.1

Antony Hughes, Interim Director, Inclusion and Learning Services and Children’s Commissioner, gave a presentation on all aspect of academies. This included details of the number of academies in Sheffield and across England, and the different models in terms of academy status in Sheffield. He also provided details of those Academy Trusts that provided sponsorship, issues to be considered for those schools considering conversion to academy status, the Council’s role in connection with schools attaining academy status, and issues for consideration by the Council in the light of the increase in the number of schools attaining academy status.

7.2

Also in attendance for this item was Matthew Bradshaw, Lead Project Manager.

7.3

Members of the Committee raised questions and the following responses were provided:-

·                Any schools expressing an interest in moving to academy status would be required to consult with parents and carers of all children at the schools.  There have been examples of both good and poor consultation in this regard and, where necessary, the Authority has challenged some schools, where the standard of consultation, though adequate, had not been good.  It was very important to ensure that there was robust consultation in all cases.

·                With regard to the performance of those schools which had been in special measures, and had now converted to academy status, three sponsored academies had recently achieved their highest attainment figures ever.  When schools first convert to academy status, they were no longer classed as having an Ofsted category until they were inspected two years after conversion. The Local Authority sits on the Governing Body of those academies which were in special measures before converting, right up until their first adequate inspection outcome.

·                As with schools, there were a number of different curriculum models across the academies, with academies having the choice to choose what they wish to do in terms of the national curriculum they offered, which was compulsory in maintained schools.

·                Once a school had moved to academy status, the Authority no longer had mandatory powers to take any action if there were any problems.  The Authority’s duty would be to inform the Department for Education and would only do this once the leadership of the school and the sponsor had been alerted to, but failed to address, Local Authority concerns.

7.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(a)       notes the information now reported as part of the presentation, together with the responses provided to the questions raised;

(b)       thanks Antony Hughes for the presentation now made; and

(c)        requests the Policy and Improvement Officer to circulate a copy of the presentation to all Members.