Stories + Views: local government

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Sarah Barton: All the good schools in Brum are academies – says academy Head Liam Nolan

Birmingham Scrutiny team are currently conducting an inquiry into academies and the future role of the Local Authority. I gave evidence today on behalf of the Ask Parents First campaign, then I stayed on for the next session in which they heard from 3 Converter Academy Headteachers. These Headteachers suggested that all the good schools in the city are academies ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Thanks, Sarah, for clarifying the situation. The picture does seem to be very confused with Nolan saying one thing and doing the opposite. He spoke at the Tory conference and Gove praised both Perry Beeches, the school that ......"

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Seamus: Bromley LEA giving up…

Bromley LEA are making it known that all schools, both primary and secondary, should look to become academies as existing LEA services are becoming unsustainable and will no longer be provided by them. Can they do this ?? Will they still be legally responsible or can they absolve themselves in this way ?? read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "A full list of services provided by LAs to their schools is in first link below. Academies have to decide how they will obtain these services. They are free to purchase the services from the LA but LA ......"

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Fiona Millar: London schools – another success story

I am feeling very proud of my local schools today. The latest Primary Performance Tables have just been published and show a story of improvement across the country. This is especially interesting as so few primary schools have converted to academy status which proves that success isn't actually due to 'independent' status and is instead down to the sheer hard ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by agov: "The statement quoted by Janet Downs is not a matter of statistics nor was it necessarily written by statisticans. It is a statement about control. It is also in part a lie and the DfE must know it ......"

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Sir Peter Newsam: Some bold ideas for Labour

Yesterday Fiona Millar wrote an article in the Guardian calling on the Labour Party to come up with a bold, coherent education policy. I agree. We need someone tough and visionary to rescue the English school system and tackle this country's wider educational and training needs. How difficult would it be for a Shadow Secretary of State to say the following ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Rebecca Hanson: "Oh no Janet - I approve of posting grumpy some of the time. I wasn't advising you not to. I was showing you a document which shows how I did post grumpy in a way which contradicted what ......"

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Janet Downs: Rise in number of academies will worsen financial malpractice

Auditors in one local authority (LA) have raised major concerns over financial malpractice and issued a warning that the rise in the number of academies is likely to make the problem worse. Following a “robust” audit, Brent Council is concerned about financial management in six out of 10 schools it checked. Some of its primary schools had been locked into “toxic” ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Ricky Tarr: "Yes, and those are the sort of people who serve on academy boards. As opposed to LA stooges...."

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Janet Downs: Co-operation, not fragmentation – Birmingham throws out enforcement

“I am proposing to you today, the beginning of what I hope you will agree is an added value approach, and will welcome ideas on how this should work for the success of all. To build on the schools as an excellent community service with social responsibility at the centre… a cooperative model going forward, allowing real partnership between the ... read more and comment →

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rosalyn: LB Bromley – all schools to become academies soon?

I have heard what could be a rumour that LB Bromley is actively pursuing a plan to 'offload' all of its schools in the next few years and force them to become academies so effectively their responsibility for their local authority estate will be gone after this time although I am not sure whether that means they would  have no ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by sarah: "Local authorities still have a statutory duty to ensure adequate numbers of school places for the children in their area. Basic need capital funding comes to them from the Education Funding Agency (DfE) for all types of schools not ......"

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Bob Wolfson: ASDAN and personal effectiveness qualifications

A couple of months ago, LSN started a thread on this subject that went up a blind alley or two, so, as Chair of ASDAN’s Trustees, I’d just like to put a direct perspective on it. The recent research report from the University of West of England demonstrating the positive effects of completion of the certificate on attainment across GCSE - ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Roger White: "ASDAN offerrs much more than simply a " programme for young people who may struggle with personal skills" - although some of the ASDAN courses are superb in this respect. The highest level qualification (CoPE level 3) has been ascribed ......"

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Fiona Millar: Accountable for some, responsible for all

I have got an article in today's Guardian about how schools, including academies, are forging new relationships with their local authorities and with each other. My piece also poses the question of why we need to re-invent a 'middle tier'  when, as the Leader of Lambeth Council Steve Reed points out "We don't need to create a new middle tier. We ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Bob Wolfson: "The interesting development that LSN doesn't seem to have picked up on is who will sponsor the Academies that DfE has placed on the naughty step? There is a broad choice - will it be other local schools that ......"

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Sarah Dodds: Do not mention autonomy……I think we said it once, but it looks like we got away with it….

I just wanted to give a quick update on where we are in the mad, mad academy world of Lincolnshire. First of all....this story has broken in the press this week. The Greenwood Dale Trust are becoming a major sponsor of schools down the east coast of Lincolnshire, despite people always expressing concern to me about their policies on unofficial ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Rebecca Hanson: "Nobody should be making judgements about these kinds of statistics at a school without investigating the circumstances. There will always be outliers. If inspectors tell a school to reduce a statistic that statistic will be reduced whatever the consequences and ......"

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