Number of schools turning into academies is 'worrying' (From Warrington Guardian)
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Number of schools turning into academies is 'worrying'
11:00am Monday 21st January 2013 in News
John Rimmer
A TOP union offical has called the amount of schools converting into academies in Warrington ‘worrying’.
By April it is likely only one maintained school out of eight will remain under council control.
Appleton-based John Rimmer, former national president of the NASUWT, said: “The issue with academies is there is no accountability to the local community.
“You lose that family of schools that has made Warrington one of the most successful local authorities.
“Academies have ripped that up.
“It’s survival of the fittest and the weakest can just go hang themselves.
“There is no evidence that academies will raise standards.
“They are racially and socially divisive.
“The children that will suffer are from working class families.
“It’s very worrying and it’s very disconcerting.”
Lysander High School, on Insall Road in Padgate, and Great Sankey High School on Barrow Hall Lane, became the latest schools to open as academies on January 1.
They have joined Lymm High School, on Oughtrington Lane, as an academy.
Only a financial dispute between Culcheth High School, on Warrington Road, and Warrington Borough Council over an unpaid load has stopped it from converting.
It still intends to do so.
Conversion is also expected at three other schools in March and April.
They are William Beamont High School, on Long Lane in Orford, Penketh High School, on Heath Road, and Birchwood High School, on Brock Road.
It means only one maintained school - Bridgewater High School, on Hall Drive in Appleton - will remain under council control, along with three faith schools.
Pinaki Ghoshal, assistant director of children and young people’s services at the council, said the exodus will not impact on the ‘family’ of schools in the town.
He said: “The remaining four high schools have not expressed any intention to convert nor have any primary or special schools in Warrington.
“Those that have converted are continuing to engage positively with other schools, the local authority, and the family of Warrington schools continues to be strong. “Academies receive additional funding which was previously retained by the council.
“However, schools that have converted to become academies are choosing to purchase the majority of their services from us so we do not anticipate any impact on services to children or to schools.“
Comments(5)
MikeJT
says...
12:43pm Mon 21 Jan 13
So the decenting voice is from a union -rep. I wonder what proportion of their decent is due to protecting their own power-base rather than raising education standards.
Nick Tessla
says...
2:54pm Mon 21 Jan 13
MikeJT wrote:I am not convinced that parents want it - or for that matter staff and governors either ( I assume that is what you mean by "schools" unless you believe the very buildings are sentient) -, just a case of hobson's choice in an environmentet where ideoplogically -driven government policy is leading all schools down the academy route.
So we have parents wanting them (I believe that the only reason Birchwood hasnt confirmed they want to go to an academy is they are waiting for the PARENTS decision. The school itself does and hence why they have sent information out). A spoke-person for the children's services is pointing out that by TALKING the current system is not breaking down...ie the schools are getting what they need on terms they are happy with. So the decenting voice is from a union -rep. I wonder what proportion of their decent is due to protecting their own power-base rather than raising education standards.
I can see no real advantage in a school being an academy - with the possible exception of Padgate/Lysander which has the University of Chester involved.
YouCan'tHandleTheTruth
says...
11:11pm Mon 21 Jan 13
SAC_in_Warrington wrote:You just like the sound of your own voice. You should get a tape recorder.
This is just another trend driven by democratic politics in the same way that the Comprehensive Schools trend developed as the norm in the 70s - 90s.
I am sure that the country will adapt to this latest trend until another one comes along.
SAC_in_Warrington
says...
8:04am Tue 22 Jan 13
YouCan'tHandleTheTruGot two and they are professionally well used. Long live free speech, I say!
th wrote:
SAC_in_Warrington wrote:You just like the sound of your own voice. You should get a tape recorder.
This is just another trend driven by democratic politics in the same way that the Comprehensive Schools trend developed as the norm in the 70s - 90s.
I am sure that the country will adapt to this latest trend until another one comes along.
SAC_in_Warrington says...
12:21pm Mon 21 Jan 13
I am sure that the country will adapt to this latest trend until another one comes along.