Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is an Academy?

An academy is a state funded school, independent from the Local Authority.

 

How would converting to an academy benefit our school?

As an academy, we will have the flexibility to secure and build on our strengths so our children can continue to achieve their best, and we can continue to give them the greatest opportunities that we can. The Trust and school share a common ethos and the opportunity to work collaboratively with like-minded schools enables the schools to support and challenge each other to ensure sustainable improvement.

 

Do we have to become an academy?

This is not compulsory, although recent government announcements and changes to the educational landscape have made the direction of travel clear. Governors and the Senior Leadership Team have considered this very carefully over a significant period of time prior to recent announcements, and we believe that doing so is right for our school. Joining the Trust is about partnership and enabling all schools to be the best they can be.

 

How are the pupils affected?

The children will not notice any immediate difference; they will be in the same uniform, in the same classrooms with the same teaching staff. In time, they will benefit from the extra freedom given to us as an academy and the additional autonomy over our spending as well as the impact of collaboration with other schools within the Trust and the support and challenge provided by the central Trust team.

 

How will being an academy affect staff?

The staff will be employed by the Academy Trust rather than Nottinghamshire County Council. Staff are legally protected and transfer under the same employment terms and conditions, including pensions. Staff have been involved in the process to date and no objections have been raised by them in relation to this proposal and in fact they recognise the benefits.

 

Will the times of the school day and holidays change?

No, we feel that the current structure of the school day works well, as do the holidays.

 

Will the school change its name or uniform?

We are proud of our school and all that we have achieved. Any changes would be a school decision and there is no expectation from the Trust that the name or uniform will change significantly. We will just be an academy not a school.

 

Will the Curriculum change?

No, we will be keeping our current broad and exciting curriculum.

 

Will we get more money as an academy?

Academies receive the same amount of per-pupil funding as they would receive as a local authority school. The County Council will no longer top-slice our budget for central services but we will have to pay the Trust for some services and purchase others ourselves.  The financial savings are not great and we are not proposing to become an academy for the money.  We will have more control over how we spend our budget which will come from central government via the Trust.  We will also receive a grant of £25,000 which covers the cost of conversion.

 

Will the criteria for getting a place at the school change?

There are no immediate plans to change the admissions criteria.  If we decided to in the future we would have to consult with parents.

We hope that this answers all of your questions. Please feel free to email the school prior to the meeting with any further queries. Unless you request otherwise, these will be added to the FAQ information and published on the school website. Please also feel free to talk with staff - conversations will be treated as confidential.