A LEADING LAW FIRM
WITH A
APPROACH
Schools Working Together – A
Presentation for Voluntary Schools
Rowan Ferguson
The Changing Landscape
• Emphasis on working together
• Push for Academies
• Reduced LA budgets
Benefits of Working Together
•
•
•
•
Sharing skilled staff
Improved purchasing power
Joint projects for staff and pupils
Recruiting talent
Where are we now? (1)
• Maintained school
• Voluntary aided/foundation school
– incorporated governing body (charitable)
– staff employed by governing body
– premises owned by Diocese/foundation/local authority
– admissions authority is the governing body
Where are we now? (2)
• Voluntary controlled school
– incorporated governing body (charitable)
– staff employed by LA
– premises owned by LA/Diocese/foundation
– admissions authority is LA
The Governing Body
• Recipient of delegated budget
• Runs the school
• Employs staff (except those on service level
agreements) unless is VC school
• Exempt charitable status
Voluntary Aided Schools
Voluntary Controlled Schools
Community Schools
Trust/Foundation Schools
Academies
Working Together – Maintained
Schools
• Trust schools
• Collaboration (soft federation)
• Federations
Working Together as Trust Schools
Working Together in Collaborations
Working Together in Federations
What is an Academy? (1)
• Independent state sector school
– funding comes (currently) direct from central government
• Charitable company limited by guarantee
– governing body become directors/trustees of company
– employs staff
– owns premises
• Admissions authority is the Academy company/trust
What is an Academy? (2)
•
•
•
•
•
Company
Limited by guarantee (rather than shares)
Members are guarantors rather than shareholders
Members =
– (“old” academies) Sponsor/sponsor
appointees/Chair/additionals/[SoS]
– (“new” academies) some of School’s GB/[foundation
appointees]/Chair/additionals/[SoS]
Directors
What is an Academy (3)
• Company is a charity
– Trustees = Directors
• Charitable objects
“The Academy Trust’s object is specifically restricted to the following:
to advance for the public benefit education in the United Kingdom, in
particular but without prejudice to the generality of the forgoing, by
establishing, maintaining, carrying on, managing and developing a
school with a designated Church of England religious character
offering a broad and balanced curriculum…”
• Exempt charity
– subject to charity law but not on the register of charities
– no charity number
(Single) Academy Trust Structure
Academy Federations/Chains (1)
Academy Federations/Chains (2)
Academy Federations/Chains (3)
Contact Details
Rowan Ferguson
Head of Education
Newcastle Direct Dial: 0191 279 9952
York Direct Dial: 01904 464 472
Mobile: 07980 715 520
rowan.ferguson@dickinson-dees.com
Content of all slides © Dickinson Dees 2011