ACADEMY CONVERSION: SUMMARY OF WORK UNDERTAKEN BY GRANBY GOVERNORS 2015 - 2016

I INTRODUCTION AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

Governors have been discussing the issues surrounding academy conversion since November 5th 2016. The Government had clearly indicated an intention that all schools would become an academy by 2020 and the Local Authority called meetings of Head Teachers early in the academic year to explore these issues further.

In the budget in March 2016, then-Chancellor George Osborne announced his plans to “put the next generation first” by forcing all maintained schools in England to leave council control and become an academy. Amid opposition from politicians, parents, unions and teachers, the Government subsequently announced that it was no longer considered necessary to take blanket powers to convert good schools in strong local authorities.

However, the announcement made it clear that ‘decisive action’ will be taken in the worst performing local authorities and in failing schools. However, it went on to say that there will be ‘no retreat’ from academy conversion and that, ‘We still want every school to become an academy by 2022’.

Whilst this was welcomed as a victory by those opposed to academisation, most commentators agree that the message from government is unequivocal: poor performing schools will be forced to convert to academy status without delay; other schools will still be expected to convert in due course. This belief, coupled with the financial pressure on education departments within local authorities, leads to an assumption that academy conversion will happen. For many schools, there is a feeling of needing to choose one’s own bedfellows rather than have your bedfellows foisted upon you.

2 THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE

Whilst the landscape keeps changing, the current situation is that:

 The paper, ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’ sets out the aspiration for all maintained schools to have converted or be in the process of conversion by 2020  By 2022, local authorities will no longer maintain schools  School Improvement services will not be provided by the local authority after 2016 – 2017  The national funding formula is changing and there will be reduced mainstream and high needs funding available  A ‘soft’ funding formula will be in place over a two-year transitional period until 18 - 19  A reformed national funding formula will be in place from 19 – 20 which aims to provide gains for under-funded schools whilst those with better funding will have time to make savings without damaging the quality of their provision  A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) will average around 10 – 12 schools, around 1500 pupils  In the longer term, the average will increase to around 30  There will be no ‘empty’ MATs – Trusts with only one school in them

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2.1 Multi Academy Trust structure

* A multi-academy trust is a single entity (a charitable limited company) established to undertake a strategic collaboration to improve and maintain high educational standards across a number of schools. A group of schools form a single MAT which has overarching responsibility for governance.

* The MAT is accountable for the performance of each school in the group. Most MATs have their own Local Governing Board (LGB) which is responsible for making day to day decisions at their academy, with support from the academy’s Head Teacher and Senior Management Team. The amount of responsibility delegated to the LGB and the Senior Management Team would normally be set out in terms of reference. It is key to establish and agree a balance between central direction and local autonomy whilst ensuring that across the Trust there are common systems and procedures where required.

* A funding agreement with the MAT, and supplemental funding agreements with each individual school, is signed by the Secretary of State for Education.

* The Board of Directors, or Trustees, will sit at the top with ultimate responsibility for the governance of the Trust. Commonly this Board of Directors will comprise of key individuals from the larger academies within the Trust. However, this does not necessarily have to be the case. One academy, perhaps the largest or best performing, will often be deemed to be the MAT sponsor/lead school, and may be granted the right to appoint the majority of directors. This will be decided at the point the MAT is formed and solicitors provide advice and draw up suitable Articles of Association. It would be commonplace for a Chief Executive to be appointed as one of the directors.

* The directors are accountable to the members, who have certain rights under company law. Subject to the Articles, the members generally have powers to appoint directors to the Board. Trust members should be individuals who intend to be involved for the longer term.

* Larger MATs, and some smaller MATs, will operate a central Trust function. This central function may employ the Chief Executive, Finance Director and incur other central costs, such as audit fees, which are shared across the organisation. Individual academies may be asked to contribute to the central Trust through what is often referred to as ‘top-slicing’. This typically involves a percentage of each academy’s budget being passed to the central Trust function. (Currently, maintained schools pay their top slice/de-delegated budget to the LA responsible for them).

* Financial statements are prepared at Trust level and it is therefore important that someone within the Trust takes responsibility for overseeing finance at this level. Most MATs, certainly larger ones, will employ a Finance Director. This leaves the individual School Business Managers to concentrate on day-to-day matters at their academies.

2.2 Members

MATs are required to have a group of members who sit above the Board of Directors. The members have a hands off but significant role. They establish the Trust and set out the constitution, through signing its Memorandum and Articles of Association. They hold the trustees/directors to account, can

2 | P a g e appoint and dismiss directors/governors and monitor the performance of the Trust. They meet rarely and there are generally 3.

A typical MAT structure looks like this:

The smallest MATs may only have one level of governance, without local governing bodies (LGBs) or committees. As MATs grow, particularly if they become more geographically dispersed, many add in an additional layer between the MAT board and the LGB or committees, resulting in a structure more like this:

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2.3 Trustees/Directors

Directors set the strategic direction for the MAT and are accountable to the Secretary of State for the performance of the schools within it. They enter into the funding agreement and supplemental agreements with the DfE. They are also governors and trustees but are referred to as Directors to distinguish them from the members of the Local Governing Board (LGBs). The directors decide how much day-to-day responsibility is delegated to committees and local governing boards and how much they retain at Trust level. The structure and degree of delegation takes into account the number and size of schools involved as well as the individual schools’ circumstances ie Ofsted grading.

2.4 Local Governing Board

LGB's oversee different functions of individual schools within the Trust, depending on the responsibility delegated to them by the Directors. They are set up like current governing boards but may not have responsibility for things like HR and finance, for example, which may be handled at Trust level. The role of LGB's is more focussed on their school's teaching and learning which is reported back to the Trustees. They support the work of the Board of Directors through taking decisions/making recommendations. They are usually comprised of the head of school, parents and community governors.

2.5 Chief Executive/Executive Principal

The CEO provides the professional leadership of the trust and is usually a Director.

2.6 Individual Head teachers/Heads of School

The head of each school is responsible for the day-today running of their school and is accountable to the Directors/LGBs, depending on where responsibility is delegated within the MAT. They implement the strategy as devised by the governors and report back to the governing body.

2.7 The role of the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC)

Regional schools commissioners work with school leaders to take action in underperforming schools. RSCs act on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education and are accountable to the National Schools Commissioner. Each RSC is supported by a head teacher board (HTB). HTBs are made up of experienced academy head teachers and other sector leaders who advise and challenge RSCs on the decisions they make.

RSCs main responsibilities include:

 taking action where academies and free schools are underperforming  intervening in academies where governance is inadequate  deciding on applications from maintained schools to convert to academy status  improving underperforming maintained schools by providing them with support from a strong sponsor  encouraging and deciding on applications from sponsors to operate in a region

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 taking action to improve poorly performing sponsors  advising on proposals for new free schools  advising on whether to cancel, defer or enter into funding agreements with free school projects  deciding on applications to make significant changes to academies and free schools

The DfE appoints RSCs for their extensive knowledge of the education sector within their regions. They typically have backgrounds as highly experienced academy head teachers, chief executives of multi- academy trusts (MATs) or leaders in education.

Rather than intervening directly, RSCs commission teaching schools, national leaders in education, MATs and other leaders in education to improve underperforming schools. RSCs work closely with a number of partners, including leaders from the education sector, Ofsted, local authorities and local dioceses.

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting and reporting on the quality of education that schools provide. RSCs decide whether intervention is necessary based on Ofsted’s inspection results and accountability measures for school performance. The RSCs work with the relevant Ofsted regional directors to make sure that appropriate information is shared.

2.8 Head teacher boards

Head teacher boards (HTBs) are responsible for advising their RSC, contributing their local knowledge and professional expertise to help the RSC’s decision-making. This can involve assessing school performance data, reviewing the governance structure of a new multi-academy trust or challenging a school’s improvement plan. RSCs and HTBs also make use of local networks to gather information to support their decisions.

HTB's are made up of 4 to 8 members, generally head teachers, former head teachers, trustees or business leaders. Local academy head teachers elect 4 members on each HTB. Each HTB member, no matter how they are appointed, has equal status. HTBs generally meet 1 or 2 times a month.

2.9 Advantages and disadvantages

The DfE suggests the following advantages of MATS:

1. Opportunities for collaboration, with the flexibility to delegate locally as appropriate 2. Economic benefits such as centralised services, potential for economies of scale, and the ability to focus funds on local priorities 3. Consistent strategy across the MAT helps to drive school improvement and provides support and challenge 4. Better governance results from addressing governor capacity and developing the experience of governors 5. Sharing staff is a potential benefit to support raising standards and professional / career development

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Organisations opposed to academies, such as The Anti-Academies Alliance, suggest the following disadvantages of MATs:

1. Less autonomy is enjoyed by individual schools as a result of shared accountabilities, along with an extra layer of reporting 2. Increased costs may be incurred in the short-term before cost-benefits are evident in the longer term. Dilapidated buildings and repair commitments may be considerable and the core infrastructure may become over stretched 3. Corporate responsibility means that the failure of one school within the Trust can affect the entire MAT 4. Dilution of school’s teaching and leadership talent may occur through working with weaker schools and capacity may be drained from the better schools in the MAT 5. Due diligence may be insufficient leading to economic and legal risks and the Trust has to take on liabilities such as debt, pension costs and unbalanced budgets

3 THE LOCAL PICTURE

Chairs of Governors were very quickly brought into discussions and maintained schools in Leicester have, since then, been exploring the possibilities. Meetings of Head Teachers and/or Chairs of Governors have continued through the year and the table below shows the dates and nature of these meetings. On most occasions, the academy agenda was only one part of a meeting with a wider agenda.

Date Meeting Attendees 17th September 2015 Local authority – head teachers Peter Fowler 18th September 2015 Leicester Leaders Peter Fowler 23rd September 2015 Development Group meeting Peter Fowler 6th October 2015 Local Authority Peter Fowler & Glenys Mulvany 6th November 2015 Leicester Leaders Peter Fowler 11th November 2015 Development Group Meeting Peter Fowler 18th November 2015 Leicester Primary Partnership Peter Fowler meeting 25th November 2015 The Academies Show Peter Fowler & Glenys Mulvany 11th December 2015 Development Group meeting Peter Fowler 12th February 2016 Development Group meeting Peter Fowler 25th February 2016 Leicester Leaders Peter Fowler 29th February 2016 Westgate Outreach Centre Peter Fowler and Glenys Mulvany 14th March 2016 Development Group Meeting Peter Fowler, Glenys Mulvany, Graham James, Louisa Kiggell, Geraldine Murphy, Dale Cross 16th March 2016 Leicester Primary Partnership Peter Fowler meeting 22nd April 2016 Leicester Leaders Peter Fowler 28th April 2016 Leicester Strategic Partnership Peter Fowler meeting 8th June 2016 Leicester Primary Partnership Peter Fowler 20th June 2016 Leicester Leaders Peter Fowler 22nd June 2016 Development Group meeting Peter Fowler

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The local picture is that Leicester City has previously held out against academisation with a keen desire to keep the city community together and retain collaboration. However, given the new information on local authority and school improvement roles, it is becoming accepted that this is no longer a viable option. As more schools become academies the authority will struggle to provide central services (some of which have already ceased) which will have a detrimental impact on remaining maintained schools.

3.1 Granby Governors

At Granby, our strategic committee consisting of Chair and Vice Chair of Governors, committee Chairs and Phase Forum Chairs is known as the Executive Committee and information was shared and issues discussed first with this group, then at the full governing board meeting; and subsequently at committees as appropriate. Minutes of these meetings reflect these discussions.

Governors have undertaken a range of research, reading and web based work to fully understand the range of issues involved in academy conversion. Bibliographical references and websites used include the following:

 City of Leicester Governors Association. Academies Discussion Paper. (August 2015)  Freeths LLP. Preparing your school for the future: A report to aid Governors’ decision making. (Undated).  www.gov.uk. Academies Financial Handbook (2015)  Shoosmiths HR. Converting to academy status: HR implications for schools. (June 2016)  National College for School Leadership. The conversion journey: A step-by-step guide for schools converting to academy status. (2012)  The Key for School Leaders. MATs: due diligence activities for joining schools. (April 2016)  www.gov.uk/efa  www.thekeysupport.com  www.naht.org.uk  www.nut.org.uk  www.academiesshowbirmingham.co.uk

3.2 Values and ethos

Granby Governors have agreed that if a MAT is to be considered, then the values and ethos of the other schools must dovetail with our own and there must be a synergism resulting from the alliance. At this early stage, it has been agreed that there are currently 5 factors which must dominate any decisions about academy conversion. These are (in no particular order):

 The driver for conversion can only be school improvement  Ethos and philosophy are core factors in deciding which partners we might want to work with  We must take every possible step to future-proof any arrangements we enter into  Children, parents and staff are key considerations in any change of status  Granby Governors want to remain proactive and in control of the process

The timing of any decisions about conversion is a critical issue to consider. Many Leicester City schools are currently in negotiations about joining or creating a MAT and it is possible that good MATs may get themselves established with a finite number of partners, closing the door to others.

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Simultaneously, Leicester City will no longer be providing school improvement support and we need to consider how this might be brought into Granby. Working with schools which have already received an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted grading might be one way of doing this.

A further consideration relates to the phase of education offered by the schools in a Trust. Any MAT can consist of secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, or any combination thereof. A lead school in the MAT could have a significant influence on the rest of the MAT and so governors have to consider whether Granby would be well-placed in a MAT led by a secondary school; or whether a collection of primary schools would be more appropriate.

The options which are available to Granby can be summarised as follows:

Option For Against Do nothing and continue as we  Less investment needed in  There is a risk that we may are, responding to any the short / medium term be put into a MAT not of our statutory changes as they come choosing at a later stage along Join an existing MAT either  An established MAT might  Granby may enjoy less locally or nationally, small or provide us with more stability influence and control large at a time of change  The organisation will already have systems set up which we can follow Join a new MAT either locally or  Granby could have an  Granby may have to give up nationally, small or large opportunity to influence some influence and control emerging practice within the new organisation Initiate a new MAT with other  This could maximise the  This would require huge schools amount of influence Granby capacity in terms of setting up has over the way in which the systems, structures, etc MAT is set up  Identifying potential partner schools who are good enough to move us to outstanding might be challenging

4 POSSIBLE PARTNER MATs

Granby Governors have examined a range of potential partners and there have been several ways in which this has been done. In some cases, head teachers have met together; in others, heads and chairs of governors have met; and in other variations, heads, chairs and other governors and staff have met together.

There has also been discussion about whether Granby could or should be a lead school in creating a new MAT. It is unlikely that the RSC would approve this because Granby is not an ‘Outstanding’ school.

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Even if Granby collaborated with a school which is ‘Outstanding’ it would take enormous capacity for Granby staff and governors to lead, or be instrumental in, the creation of a new MAT. Energies need to be focussed on school improvement and our journey from good to outstanding.

4.1 Discovery Schools Academy Trust

There are currently 11 Primary schools in the MAT - Captains Close, Danemill, Farndon Fields, Fossebrook, Greystoke, Kibworth C of E*, Mowmacre, Parklands*, Sileby Redlands, Woolden Hill, Barwell Academy C of E (Associate School) *founding schools

There are another 4 schools in the process of joining and these should be part of the MAT from Autumn 2016, taking the MAT to 15 schools. These are all based in , Leicester and Rutland; the MAT is well established (4 years old) and has continued to grow.

The website says:

DISCOVERING JOY IN LEARNING. SHARING THE JOURNEY FOR ALL OUR TOMORROWS.

Dedicated to encouraging the aspirations of all in a supportive and safe culture of learning. Being visionary to create opportunities to develop both voice and partnerships across our diverse learning communities. Providing dynamic, inclusive experiences where success is created through exciting

opportunities. Voice, energy and resilience for the youth of today and tomorrow.

4.2 LEAD Academy Trust

There are currently 13 schools in the MAT, 11 of which are in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The two local schools are Millfield (Leicestershire) and Uplands Junior (Leicester). The MAT was first established in October 2011.

The website says:

When you visit a L.E.A.D. school you will notice these core characteristics:

 the highest standards of behaviour and conduct;  outstanding teaching and learning;  a fully inclusive approach where all children are equally important;  a climate of mutual respect between the children, staff and community;  positive relationships;  high aspirations for all involved with the school – a ‘can do’ attitude;  a wide range of enrichment opportunities for all to get involved;  a celebration of all the cultures and faiths represented in the school;  an organisation where there are no excuses for underachievement.

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4.3 Wigston Academies Trust

This consists of two academies: , (formerly Abington Academy and ) and .

The website says:

Wigston Academy and Wigston College will provide, in partnership, a welcoming learning campus of excellence across the 11-19 age range at the heart of the local community.

Our core purpose is to secure the highest standards and outcomes, raise aspirations and achievements by securing continuous, first class education and provision for all.

Our schools will provide high quality teaching and learning with a rich curriculum and wide extra-curricular opportunities. We will have high expectations of our learners who will be challenged, supported and celebrated to achieve their full potential and maximise life chances for the future.

Our schools will provide a safe, nurturing, inclusive environment with high quality care in which to enjoy learning. All our children and young people will be encouraged to be responsible, resilient and confident individuals who work hard to achieve their best. They will be well prepared for the next phase of higher education, training or career, equipped with the personal, academic and work related skills to flourish in a 21st Century global society.

Within our community all can Learn, Aspire and Achieve

4.4 Symphony Learning Trust

Currently, Glen Hills Primary School, The Meadow Community Primary School, Ashby Willesley Primary School and Newcroft Primary Academy are the four lead hub schools and Thornton Community Primary and Fairfield Community Primary Schools are Partner Schools.

The website says:

The Symphony Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust that places outstanding learning and teaching at the heart of all its activities. All Lead Schools and Partner Schools are committed to continuing to raise standards and to inspire young minds. In an ever-changing world, SLT are committed to provide balanced, inspirational and exciting learning experiences for our pupils, with our values of aspiration, effort, tolerance and integrity underpinning this drive. The Symphony Learning Trust Lead Schools have a proven track record of devising and leading national initiatives and highly effective School to School support. We are proud of the impact we have upon outcomes for children across schools.

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4.5 Lionheart Academy Trust

Currently the Trust is made up of the following: lead academy , 14-19 provision based in Oadby. Two primary schools, Riverside and Highcliffe; and , an 11-19 provision (merger of Stonehill High School and Longslade Community College), all based in Birstall. They are currently in the process of acquiring a new-build school on Hallam Fields in Birstall.

The website says:

Our philosophy is clear. We promote a student- centred approach that is underpinned by the understanding that the highest quality education is a right that all young people deserve regardless of their starting points. We are dedicated to providing young people with the strongest foundations; educational qualifications that they can feel proud about because their education has taught them how to feel proud. We know that promoting a positive, proactive approach that celebrates success unites school communities and breaks down barriers to learning. Students under our care will be taught how to learn in this way. We will encourage students at every level of ability to aspire to develop personally and academically and we will use the ‘4Rs’ as cornerstones of outstanding learning. The ‘4Rs’ encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, help them to grow in confidence and prepare them for life outside of education. They are:

Resilience – The ability to bounce back when the going gets tough.

Reciprocity – Learning to work together and show care and understanding for each other.

Resourcefulness – Having the confidence to ask for help and to find answers in new ways.

Reflectiveness – Considering what needs to be done to make the next steps.

4.6 Tudor Grange Academy Trust

Currently the Trust is made up of the following: Tudor Grange Academy Solihull; Tudor Grange Academy Worcester; Tudor Grange Academy Redditch; Tudor Grange Samworth Academy Leicester; Tudor Grange Samworth Academy Leicester – Primary; Tudor Grange Primary Academy St James; Tudor Grange Primary Academy Haselor.

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The website says:

Tudor Grange Academies Trust is a family of academies with a shared ethos, common values and collective goals. We are working together in a model of meaningful, focused collaboration to achieve excellence in our schools.

We are driven by four key values:

 Our children will live ‘Happy, fulfilling lives’  Outstanding teaching and learning is our core focus  Outstanding Governance supports our schools  Leadership and professionalism drives continuous improvement

Our core values underpin the strategic vision for the Trust: we aim to be one of the top 3 performing MATs in the country. We understand that this is extremely difficult to measure and indeed that there is, as yet, no real consensus as to what a fair measurement looks like. However, we are confident that we know what is important and therefore a sharp focus on what we consider to be critical will ensure we become the provider of choice in the communities we serve.

5 WHERE ARE WE NOW & NEXT STEPS

On reflection, Granby Governors feel that this is the appropriate time to proactively seek to join a MAT arrangement with like-minded schools. Granby’s values and ethos would be the guidelines which dictate which partners will be the best fit for our school.

We will therefore actively be seeking partners which:

 have school improvement as the main driver  are primary schools with a similar nature, values and ethos to our own  use a flat structure so that no single school or person has a greater sphere of influence than others  has a written and public statement of commitment to enable all schools to improve their capacity to dictate their own direction  has chosen Members of the Trust for their particular expertise and independence  has Trustees who are local people experienced, engaged and committed to the schools and the Trust  Encourages Local Governing Boards retain responsibility for their individual school

Consultation with key stakeholders must now follow to inform and guide the Governing Body in relation to what to do next.

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