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 education responsibilities. I have heard this from a fairly reliable source but can't currently contact them to substantiate.
Does anyone have any more information?
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another question from me; if all schools become academies, what is the responsibility of local authorities for education? If none, then with whom will it lie? If we suddenly have a shortage and need for bulge classes, then how is that to be provided if there are few, if any schools remaining within the relevant local authority family. Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere, its just that I cant find it.
Stephen Twigg, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, has pointed out the anomaly in commissioning of school places.
“Local authorities have responsibility for planning local school places, but do not have financial powers to make this happen."
http://www.lgcplus.com/briefings/joint-working/education/labour-proposes...
Local authorities which were unable to find a backer for a new school would have no option but to expand existing ones perhaps with temporary classrooms.
http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2011/09/lincolnshire-advises-all-i...
http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/news/latest_news/2011/march/five_organisa... (March 2011)
Even though Peterborough City Council is not responsible for academies, the Council has agreed to fund the rebuilding of Nene Park Academy which is sponsored by Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust.
http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/children_and_families/schools/secondary_s...
The Council is also funding the rebuilding of Stanground College, judged to be inadequate in January 2012 while in the process of academy conversion. It is now sponsored by Greenwood Dale Foundation.
http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/children_and_families/schools/secondary_s...
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/education/ofsted-stanground-coll...
The Peterborough situation raises interesting questions:
1 How much, if anything, should councils be expected to pay for rebuilding or refurbishment of academies for which they are no longer responsible?
2 Is it reasonable to ask local taxpayers to fund schools which voluntarily took themselves out of local authority control?
3 Surely any capital expenditure for academies should come from the Government?
Most commentators agree that the Academies and Free Schools policy makes the planning of pupil places more complex but still vitally important.
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