Council schools 'could suffer from academies move' (From Bucks Free Press)

Buckinghamshire County Council schools 'could suffer from academies move'

5:23pm Thursday 1st July 2010 in Education By Lawrence Dunhill

SCHOOLS remaining under county control could be hit with cuts if the Government allows nine south Buckinghamshire schools to become academies, a council boss warned.

All schools in the county “urgently” need more information on the move, Cllr Martin Tett told cabinet members at Buckinghamshire County Council this week.

Six secondary schools in the south of the county have expressed an interest in becoming academies, a move which would give them freedom from the National Curriculum and the ability to change the length of school terms and times.

Three primary schools have also shown interest (see link below for a list of schools).

Cllr Tett, cabinet member for planning and environment, told the Bucks Free Press after the meeting: “Its important they understand the implications for other schools. I'm not against schools becoming academies, but there's a lot of publicity around about the good things at the moment.”

“There are disadvantages too, such as extra costs and responsibilities and the lack of support they have historically relied on.

The member for The Chalfonts and Seer Green added: “It will be more and more difficult to provide services to the schools that remain.

“They would find it very difficult if some of those services were withdrawn, but it's not yet clear what the implications are.”

Cllr Tett is a school governor at Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham and Bell Lane primary in Little Chalfont.

Val Letheren, member for Terriers and Amersham Hill, told Monday's meeting: “There's a lot of confusion out there...it [academy] sounds like a lovely name and a lovely thing to do but there are a lot of disadvantages.”

Steven Adams, the new education boss at BCC, said he would have to be cautious in talking to schools.

He told cabinet members: “This is a central government proposal with a direct letter to headteachers. I'm very conscious not to go and tell them what's right for them...this could be a very good thing.”