Yes, there is no reason why such a visit could not be organised for a group from student council to go to a Multi-Academy Trust school to find out more about it. The headteacher will organise this
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Why didn’t the school consider academy status sooner?
The decision to allow schools to become academies was made by the Diocese of Leeds through the Trustees. The decision to allow schools to become academies was discussed for a long time, and the decision was that in order to avoid any Catholic school in the Diocese feeling isolated, that the way forward would be to form Multi-Academy trusts across the Diocese. There are already two Multi-Academy trusts formed in Leeds Diocese.
Will our uniform change?
No, not necessarily. We were considering looking at badged skirts and trousers for Year 7 next year but this has been put on hold. Uniform changes could come about without academy status. Students would be consulted on any proposals before any decisions would be made.
Will we have to meet and work with students from the other schools? What if we don’t get on?
Each school will remain their own school but staff and students may come together for specific joint projects, training or other special occasions. It is not about all becoming one school.
Will we be able to study a wider variety of subjects on the timetable in options? (Year 10)
It will be possible to look at new courses but at KS4 core subjects will still remain important for progression.
Will we see the benefit of moving to academy status? (Year 10)
If the conversion takes place in the next academic year, as Year 11 students you will not see a great difference in the last few months of your time at All Saints. Younger students will see more impact later as schools in the Multi-Academy Trust start working together.
What about conversion costs?
Schools can trigger £25,000 to go through the conversion process. If a school decides to withdraw at a later stage this money will not be taken back, but likewise, the £25,000 cannot be triggered again if the school changes its mind again further down the line.
We like the way All Saints is moving and improving and we want that to continue. Our children are happy here. They tell us that eg. Teachers do not shout. We don’t want that to change.
Change is inevitable but we must not lose what makes All Saints distinctive. It is important that we move from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ by the next Ofsted inspection. It has to be about continuing to improve the schools. The school feels that the extra freedom regarding curriculum and budget will help develop the vision for the school and ultimately improve the lives and learning of the students.
What will becoming an academy mean?
It could be the way to closer and stronger relationships, especially for Catholic schools in this area. It is essential to approach conversion with this continued and close relationship in mind. The school will have no additional money. It will be allocated its share of the money that is currently held by the local authority and receive 100% of its funding direct from the Dfe.
How will it benefit our children and staff?
The change to a Multi-Academy Trust will not impact immediately. Our Catholic heritage is essential and it is important that we strengthen that. This will benefit all our staff and students. However, as the group of schools start working closely together and exerting the element of choice about how money is spent, we will see developments in resources bought, services used and potential capital bids.