Considering Academy status? Useful links

• Implications for governors of joining an academy chain Local Governing Bodies
• “Ten Governor” looks at questions that governors might ask about academy conversion in an article that is freely available to non-subscribers, and which provides links to DfE pages and other sites.
• January 2012: Channel 4 Fact Check for some background information.
• Feb 2011: Discussion Process for Governing Body considering becoming an Academy
  The first question might be: Are we, as a Governing Body, at all interested in pursuing Academy status? Advice: Take into consideration the view of the headteacher and the view expressed by staff governors about likely feelings of staff, and, if a church school, obtain the views of the diocese. The Governing Body would then set up a working party to obtain and consider more details, and to make a recommendation to the Governing Body. (Read more)
• The Consultation Process  Who to consult, and when?
• Academies Funding, and Costs of becoming an Academy  How much money will we get? (See also DfE Academy Funding Arrangements)
• Academies Law (The main links in this introductory section are to School Governing’s blog. Acknowledgements to Sean Whetstone)
• Chains of Academies – an outline of how schools can become part of an Academy group, even if they are not Outstanding.
• Article (Autumn 2010) :Academy schools – who benefits? Stephen Machin and James Vernoit
• My school has become an Academy – what now?
• How academy governance works – advice from SGOSS (Governors for Schools)

Neutral Views

 

• NGA Academies FAQ Version 9 (advice for members of National Governors Association)
• Schools World TV: Several short programmes in a series “Thinking of becoming an academy“
• The Academies Act 2010 - Legislation
• A Hampshire school’s set of FAQs
  

Not in favour

• Anti Academies Alliance
• NAHT Union 
• NUT (National Union of Teachers)
• NASUWT Union
• ATL Association of Teachers and Lecturers
• Voice the Union
• Three Unions Letter to Chairs of Governors Three unions letter to chairs
• Three Union Briefing Notes for School Governors
• A Governor’s view: “Some lessons learned“
• Kevin Courtney NUT speaks against primary academies (You Tube)
• Anti Academies Alliance National Secretary speaks against academies (You Tube)

In favour

• Department of Education 
• DfE Academies FAQ
• DfE Conversion Process
• Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT)
• Church of England Academies
• The National Society and Association of Anglican Diocesan Directors of Education
• Catholic Education Services Views of Academies
• DfE Youtube Links on Academies Programme 1   Programme 2   Programme 3
• Funding DfE Funding for Academies

With acknowledgements to Sean Whetstone, whose Useful Links for Academies School Governing blog forms the basis for this list. For more guidance on making a decision about whether to pursue Academy status, click here.

 

1. See also: A Guide to Becoming a Trust School (Word doc)
2. DfE Free Schools information

3. Report published April 2011 Changing School Autonomy: Academy Schools and their Introduction to England’s Education  by Stephen Machin and James Vernoit (Centre for Economics & Education

4. Research into the leadership of sponsored and converting Academies by the National College