Academy conversion diary: the Sandy Hill experience

What is it like to lead your school through the academy conversion process? Andrew Fielder, principal of the primary Sandy Hill Academy in Cornwall, has agreed to share his personal diary on his school’s journey to academy status.

April 2010

Looking forward to a good run up to the end of the year and a well-deserved summer break for children and staff alike. Still very worried about next year’s budget, concerns are growing about how we might sustain standards. The recession is making it increasingly likely that we are going to have a very different and reduced staffing structure this time next year. Still, this is the summer term and I can look forward to a long break with no building work or school business to manage for a change.

May 2010

The coalition has announced the Academies Bill. First reaction from many different sources is very powerful indeed, mostly anti new academy. Information is sparse, should we consider the implications for conversion or just ignore it and hope that it goes away? It’s difficult to understand what those implications are. The importance of the new policy is evident when measured against the sheer scale of the opposition to it.

Question 1: Does this strategy spell the end of local authorities as we know them?

Question 2: What are the benefits for the children from staying a school rather than converting?

Question 3: What value does our local authority add to the education and wellbeing of the pupils at Sandy Hill?

A full governors meeting. They agree to explore the possibility of becoming an academy. A brave decision considering the hostile environment.

1 June 2010

Still no meaningful advice or guidance. I have looked at what little evidence or information there is on the case for conversion. At first and second glance it begins to look as though we may have to delay the decision given how little there is and how much work I would have to do in order to achieve conversion by 1 September.

Seems an impossible task to me. Have discussed the situation with our Department for Education–allocated support colleague and she is keen but not really any better equipped than we are to know what our next steps should be.

11 June

Just had an interesting meeting with a former ex-director of children’s services. He has agreed to undertake a commission from Sandy Hill to develop a business case around academy conversion, warts and all. This proposal needs to be taken to the full board at an extraordinary governors meeting before he can go ahead.

Start a dialogue with parents and carers through our website. Questions and responses placed on website for all to see.

17 June

Extraordinary meeting in more ways than one. The governors are as keen as ever to do the right thing for the children. They unanimously agree to submit an application, to commission the ex-director to do the business case, and to explore the possibilities of leading both locally and nationally on this policy. I promise the governors that should we become an academy that the children and staff will enjoy a seamless transition. This is a very important principle that we will stick to at all costs and will colour our every decision.

The form is submitted to the Department. There are many calls from the press as they pursue the story.

We receive £25,000 to support our application. I talk to my deputy at great length and then all staff about possible transition, gauge their feelings, concerns, and worries. I talk to the children and to the unions.

July

Project management involves a great many conversations between the school, the LA, and the Department for Education.

Have first meeting with parents. An interview with the local paper follows and then project manager and I start to find answers to questions raised from previous consultations.

I talk to a local heads group. A lively discussion indeed.

1 August

Local authority officers in legal, insurance, HR, payroll, and other business areas are proving to be a great team. Very helpful, constructive in their commentary, and prepared to grasp this as an opportunity not a threat.

I start to work with colleagues on shaping services for academies.

20 August

I’m on the beach at St Ives when my mobile rings – I’m still being pursued by the press to talk about academy. There has been a lot of interest shown but not much informed comment yet. The business case and project management progresses smoothly. The LA legal team handle our case well and work with the legal documents provided by the Department (lease, memorandum, etc).

Continue to work with project manager and LA colleagues shaping relationships for the future. Very exciting.

All LA service managers agree to continue contracts with us as is after conversion. Very helpful indeed and demonstrates a new and perhaps better co-operation and relationship developing between new academies and LA colleagues.

14 September

Whole process is picking up in pace and direction. Business case is a very powerful document. Profiles all risks. Looks as though the additional £170,000 in our budget will easily offset any additional managerial, compliance, and structural risks that we might gain as an academy.

Hold further meetings with staff, children, families, and the wider community to analyse impact on all groups, especially the more vulnerable. Assured parents of children with special education needs that we would intensify our support through our additional freedoms and better budget if we became an academy.

Project management bang on target, project manager’s role super critical as there’s no conversion without it.

Further TUPE consultations. Most unions have challenged and supported appropriately and have shown high regard and concern for their members while also acknowledging the complexity of the debate.

Staff are reassured that the transition to academy status, should it happen, will be seamless for them, with all rights preserved, and stability guaranteed.

October

It’s the moment of truth. The case is for conversion is analysed by the governors. The proposed model of governance is agreed. Our legal team have advised us brilliantly every step of the way. The funding agreement is ready to be signed. The governors unanimously agree to do so.

We are registered as a company and have a new bank account lined up. We have all the correct new reference numbers and details that we need.

Still a lot of hostility, confusion, uncertainty, and polarised views on academies but it looks as though it will soon be open to all schools. Perhaps we might sponsor a school to academy status? Don’t know what that means exactly but it sounds exciting.

By the end of the half-term we get the final leasing documents from the council ready to be signed.

1 November

While I’m in London the school becomes an academy smoothly and with no drums and trumpets blaring. Uniforms and signs will change over the next three months.

Rachel Carter becomes headteacher with a new job description and pay scale. Nobody better for the role.

I start to examine performance management for new academy leaders with a consultant and director of the academy.

Start to re-shape the form and function of the sub-committees. I’m looking to reduce numbers of meetings but increase the relevance and focus on outcomes.

Also start to design options for service provision when service level agreements end in March or August.

December

Uniforms and signage begin to change over. There are more invites to talk to other school networks, heads, staff and governors about our transition to an academy. In fact I’m inundated, with almost five inquiries a day everyday including weekends. I simply can’t do them all!

January 2011

More academy presentations. Small school colleagues particularly worried, but truth is most are uncertain, worried, and confused about what is happening regarding the drop in budgets over the next few years, academies and other developments.

I’m beginning to explore the possibility of creating a chain of academies under a single overarching trust. Another local school very interested.

Discuss with directors the need for academies to work together in brand new ways in order to thrive and survive long term. Savings in scale so that costs related to services and professional support can be shared.

There’s a possibility for me to be able to work closely with two very different but very talented new headteachers as part of this groundbreaking chain that we are creating jointly. Other local schools have expressed an interest in joining as well.

February

More academy presentations. I’m working with another school, their governors, the Department and LA on a model of academy chain and sponsorship of a nearby school to academy status. There’s real potential to develop a brand new model for new primary academies to work together.

March

The chain project is moving forwards rapidly. Sandy Hill directors fully understand and support the need to make rapid progress towards creating an organisation that gives us a real chance to not just sustain standards here but continue to drive them upwards. This will be a way to offset the coming cutbacks in budget over the next few years.

Expression of interest regarding our sponsorship and partnership with another school has gone to scrutiny at the Department for Education, been approved and awaits ministerial approval.

More academy enquiries from across the county and the country – from Penzance to Darlington!