Derbyshire County Unison News : 07 July 2010

Academy Status

The branch has joined with the teaching trade unions in Derbyshire to mount a campaign to persuade Headteachers and School Governors not to apply for academy status at present. The new Government is hoping to persuade mainstream schools who have received the “outstanding” category in a recent Ofsted inspection to go for academy status.

Any school opting to go for academy status will forever opt out of local authority support and will have to purchase all services currently provided by the Local Education Authority. These include such services as advisory, human resources, payroll, legal, public relations, behaviour support, insurance, psychologists, special educational needs, finance, health and safety, etc. Current indications are that present arrangements in terms of schools not having to pay VAT as they are part of the local authority will not be the case for academies.

Academy schools will be able to opt out of all national pay bargaining and national conditions and staff employed will be at the mercy of the Headteacher and School Governors for their pay etc. No consultation with the staff, parents or the community at large is necessary and any school opting for this “fast tracking” will be an academy from September 2010.

A joint briefing paper has been prepared by the teaching unions involved, NUT, ATL, and NASUWT. Further information is being sent out by Unison and other non teaching staff unions to all Headteachers and Chairs of Governors in an effort to show the realities of opting out of local authority support.

If your school is thinking of applying for academy status please let the branch office know as soon as possible as we would want the opportunity to speak to your Governing Body before any decision is made.

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