Balgowan Primary School
Academy Consultation Meeting for
Parents: 10th March 2011
Agenda
1.Presentation from Dr Swatland, Head
Teacher
2.Questions to Governors and Head
Teacher
Dispelling a Myth!
• Our Academy consultation is quite separate from any of
the current academy developments at local Beckenham
secondary schools
• There are two types of Academy:1. Type 1 Academies -set up by the previous
government to improve secondary schools. They have to
have a sponsor, such as Harris or Oasis.
2. Type 2 Academies -set up by the 2010 act initially for
successful primary and secondary schools. There is no
requirement for a sponsor.
• It is the Type 2 Academy that governors are consulting
about - an independent primary academy.
Background
• Key Government Policy-all schools to become
Academies or free schools in the next few years
• Over 400 Academies so far and many more in the
pipeline.
N.B. Bromley-all but one secondary school are likely to
be academies by September, and at least 15 primaries
have declared they are considering academy status.
Background
• Local Authority cutbacks (25% +) and services
threatened, with LA’s becoming commissioners of
services and a champion for vulnerable children
• Funding implications for schools- loss/reduction in grants
and increasing costs of services to schools
• Cost pressures on Balgowan will be approximately an
additional £130K in 2011-12.
Background
• The government claims that the front line
delivery of education is “protected”
BUT:1. Additional grants will be cut and absorbed
into main school budgets
2.Harnessing Technology (LGFL) cut by
50% (£9K for Balgowan from April 2011)
3.Reduced capital funding for maintenance
and repair (down 80% or £47K to £11K
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from April 2011.)
Primary Role of the LA
• Children’s safety
• Attainment and progress of pupils-commission
school improvement from schools.
• School admissions and strategic planning for
pupil numbers
• Support for SEN pupils
So the role of the L.A. will be tighter and sharper.
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What does Academy mean?
• Free, all ability state funded school independent of
LA control, governed and run by a Trust made up
of educationalists and members of the community
(i.e. school governors/school staff)
• The new Type 2 Academies are very different from
older Secondary School Academies (Type 1
Academies-sponsor was needed.)
• Accountable to the Department for Education
• New freedoms for Academies
What are these new freedoms?
• Freedom from the National curriculum -but we already have
flexibility over the curriculum and are not sure exactly what the
curriculum freedoms will amount to especially in the light of the
Government’s on going review of the National Curriculum
• Freedom to take decisions about delivery and prioritisation
of services to suit pupils at our school as academies are
given their money which is currently retained by the LAcurrently around £200K
• Freedom from local bureaucracy and administration
• Ability to set pay and conditions for staff (N.B governors
have already made an undertaking that they would not change
staff terms/conditions/pay.)
What would it mean for
admissions?
• Existing admissions arrangements would continue
• The 2010 Academies Act specifically states that with the
exception of schools which were selective before they
converted to academy status, academies must provide
‘education for pupils of different abilities’
• There would be no change at Balgowan and we would
continue to admit children according to our current
admissions criteria-so there would be no selection of
pupils
• We would continue take local Beckenham children.
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The Rationale for becoming an
Academy
• Continue to raise academic attainment for
pupils as the school would have more
flexibility on targeting our financial
resources.
• Enhanced opportunity to develop a new
creative curriculum and resource it
• Supporting a less successful school, which
would provide further staff development
opportunities
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• Becoming an academy would help to protect our
services to children in a time of unprecedented
pressure on school budgets.
Our additional budget pressures from April are
around £130K (local/national cuts of 1.5% plus
increased costs), and we may not have the money
meet them all if we stay as a community school.
N.B. our per pupil funding is the 7th lowest for Bromley
Primary schools. We receive £2757 per pupil
compared with £5990 at the best funded school. The
average funding is £3627 per primary pupil which is
still £870 more than we get!
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Our additional budget pressures from April are around
£130K.
1. Funding reductions
• 1.5% reduction of school budget
• 80% reduction in Capital
• Total (known so far)
£25K+
£47K
£72K +
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2. Increased costs
7% increase in pension costs for
support staff in pensions scheme
LGFL(broadband/email/resources)
£11K
£9k
Funding for third reception teacher
For 4 months (maybe be refunded
Retrospectively)
£6K
Teachers pay progression (2011-12) £31K
Increased service costs, including
new sold services
Awaiting charges from LA
Total (so far)
£57K (£51K)
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Summary
Funding pressures from April: £129K+
Our 2011-12 Budget together with reserves is not
sufficient to meet these cost pressures.
Our £11K capital funding does not go far in the light of
£37K+ worth of urgent work needing doing to our Listed
school building. There is additionally over £250,000 of
roofing work that has to be done over the next few years!
Therefore the additional funding and the flexibility
to spend our budget to benefit our pupils and the
building are the key reasons for considering
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Academy Status.
Academy the detail
• The Governing Body becomes the board/directors of
the Academy Trust Company
• Can mirror current GB composition
• Governors set the strategy and challenge as they do
in their current role
• All staff transfer with the same terms and conditions
from Bromley to the new Academy (TUPE) which
becomes the employer (N.B. This is the situation
already in Foundation Schools.)
Funding
• Direct from central government (no LA topslicing) – approximately £200,000 plus
• £25k grant for conversion costs
• Capital Funding-central pot
• Assets secured for the Academy- usually 125
year lease from Bromley.
Critics of Academies claim that
there will be a negative impact on
other schools
• Claimed to divert money from the LA and
disadvantage schools remaining in the LA.
(Almost all Bromley secondary schools are
intending to become academies as are an
increasing number of primaries.)
• Claim to disadvantage other schools by cherry
picking the best pupils (Primary admission
criteria will not be changing.)
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Losses from being outside of local authority
control
• Less support and guidance for schools
(But the LA will have drastically reduced resources
in the next few years and will be selling almost all
its services to all schools!)
• Schools having to procure services that were
previously organised by the local authority
(we currently buy services from the LA and
outside.)
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Current Sold Services-Balgowan
Cleaning-via LA-private contractor
Grounds- via LA-private contractor
Premises-Private contractor(SJH) and LA sold services
Refuse/recycling-Private contractor
Insurance-via LA
Human Resources-Bromley HR
Payroll-Private contractor (Capita)
Financial support-LA-but a very small contract as our
finance Officer is a trained accountant
I.T. –Private contractor (SNS)
Training, including governor training/support (CPD)-LA
EAL support-LA
SEN specialist support-learning-LA
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New Sold Services for all schools
So far we know about:Behaviour Support
School improvement-termly visit from our link inspector
There are not many other services we would need to buy.
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Other additional costs currently met by LA
Maternity pay-school would set up a budget area for this as we currently
do for staff sickness.
Premature retirement and redundancy (this has not been an issue at
Balgowan in the past)
Cost of annual financial audit which all academies must commission
VAT-academies currently receive a VAT grant
Pension deficit-support staff in the local government scheme and all
schools are liable
N.B If the governors apply to convert they will carry out a full cost
analysis.
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Relationship with other schools and
the LA
• We currently have excellent relationships with
local secondary and primary schools in the
borough. Should we become an academy we
would continue to build on these.
• We would continue to be a supportive member of
Bromley schools and will continue to work with
the LA where appropriate.
Who makes the decision?
• After considering all the consultation responses
the Governing Body will decide whether to pass a
resolution to convert to academy status
• The Governors hope to be in a position to make a
decision before Easter
The process
• Register interest with DfE (Done)
• Governing Body passes resolution after
consultation
• Apply to convert to an academy with the DfE
• Cost vs benefit analysis
• Engage Legal and other support as needed
• 3-4 months is typical process-Sept 2011
Making Sense of the Opportunity
• Benefits of Academy Status
Autonomy -from Local Authority control
Independence - increased funding directly to the
Academy, the Academy decides what to spend the
money on
Flexibility - set our own agenda and Curriculum
Control - our premises and destiny!
Your children’s education is an
over-riding consideration in
deciding whether our school
becomes an academy.
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September 2007: I would like to see Balgowan become an
outstanding school in which:
All children:
•Achieve the highest possible standards (appropriate to each
pupil’s abilities) in a stimulating and friendly environment
•Are happy, secure, well behaved and keen to learn
•Have equal access to an exciting, broad and balanced
curriculum
•Work independently or in a team to investigate, interpret and
solve problems.
•Are able to participate in an expanding range of extra
curricular activities
•Cooperate fully with all members of the school community,
•Can use ICT competently to further their own learning
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Balgowan has high expectations and its ethos
both encourages and promotes the best
traditional values. Achieving high levels of
literacy and numeracy for all our pupils continue
to be key priorities for the school, but our
commitment to encouraging them to
“ work hard “, “ be kind “ and “ make friends “
provides us with an important focus for
developing the whole child.
School Prospectus
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Our main aims are:
To provide a broad and balanced education so that every
pupil achieves his or her full potential.
To ensure that pupils enjoy learning, feel confident, and
are equally valued and fully inclusive participators in all
areas of school learning.
To encourage promote and secure for all pupils the
experience of success and genuine achievement and to
instil in them the importance of striving to attain the
highest possible standards of performance at all times.
Governors’ Aims for the School
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To provide a high quality education for your children,
adequate resources (human, financial, material) are
essential.
How do we ensure we have adequate resources in a climate
of budget cuts and increasing cost pressures on schools?
Becoming an academy could be part of the answer.
It has many risks, but doing nothing could carry greater risks
in terms of achieving our aims for our children.
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Questions
Parents are invited to ask questions regarding
academy status.
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What next?
Written feedback requested to the Clerk of Governors by
18th March.
All information will be on the school website.
Governing Body to meet before the end of term to make
a decision on the basis of the available information.
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