You may feel tempted by Academy status, or that you have no choice about it. But have you thought about these?
1. Do you know what the Act will say? Or how many amendments have been put down, which could change it?
2. Do you know what the level of top-slicing by the Local Authority Trust is?
3. Has the government defined how it is going to work out your share of the top-slice?
4. Do you know what you would have to buy back if you were an Academy?
5. Do you know how much you would get to pay for services you currently get from the Local Authority, including the following:
– threshold payments
– experts in educational special needs
– educational psychologists
– school meals
– payroll
– insurance
– redundancy
– extensive damage to buildings
– and many more
6. How many extra staff you would need to employ to run many of the above services?
7. How much more it would cost you to buy back these services without the advantages of economies of scale?
8. How you would deal with a legal challenge from teacher and support staff unions the transfer of employment (TUPE), and possible strike action?
9. What the status of your BSF arrangements are, in the event of transfer to Academy status?
10. What the National Governors Association says about
rushing in to Academy status, and about consultation with staff and parents?
