Thank you to all those parents who attended the second parent information session on 20th July. We received questions from 25 parents in advance of the meeting and in excess of 100 questions on post-it notes during the session.

Many of the questions have common themes. We have started to group these questions and once processed will be publishing questions and answers on our website.

One of the most common questions raised was around the process of consultation and where the Governing Body are in this process.

The DfE give clear guidelines on the process for Academy conversion.

Step 1 includes the following:

1. registering interest with DfE to get a named project lead
2. reading the appropriate guidance,
3. considering the different types of academy
4. getting consent – The Governing Body to ‘pass a resolution to convert’
5. Preparing the application
6. Informal discussion, leading to statutory consultation with parents, staff, pupils and local community including whether the school should convert.
7. Seek legal advice (the order of 6 and 7 can be reversed)
8. Get an actuarial assessment
9. Land registration
10. Contracts
11. TUPE

Step 2 is to complete the application form and notify the Local Authority

Step 3 to set up or join an academy trust

Step 4 transfer responsibilities to the trust

Step 5 prepare to open as an academy

The Governing Body has completed Steps 1.1 –1.5 and are now on step 1.6. There is no law on how long the consultation period should be, but guidance says interested groups should be given reasonable opportunity to respond. The guidance also states that this formal consultation must be completed before the academy funding agreement is signed.

The two parent sessions have formed part of this consultation period so far. Parents have been presented with information that answered  questions submitted in advance and there has been an opportunity for members of the Governing Body to hear parent views including further questions and any concerns.

The online survey asks all parents, including those joining the school in September, to rate a series of statements between 0 and 100 so that the Governing Body can understand the parent view on the process and to what extent parents are in support of the conversion (question 6).

Parents also have an opportunity to add any further comments at the end of the survey. Each of these comments will be considered by the Governing Body at the end of the consultation period.

A simultaneous consultation is being run for school staff, including recognised trade unions.

Once the Governing Body has considered views from all invited parties they will then take the decision on what steps to take next in this process.

At this point we have received mixed views from parents around the process of the consultation. The Governing Body will be meeting on the 18th September to decide how to proceed. As this meeting is after the next two planned parent information sessions on the 13th, these will be cancelled.

We invite you to continue adding your comments to the online survey and to check the website for any additional information that will be added over the next few weeks.