Academy Schools

[Earls Hall Blue]

Does anyone on here have some knowledge on Academy school's? I ask because in a certain Academies case I find the whole set-up a bit worrying.

In question for me is The Basildon Academies. I have a daughter at the lower site since September 2011 and my dealings with it have led me to go as far as getting my MP involved, he too feels that something isn't right.

A bit of background:-

The Basildon Academies opened in 2009 and were a complete disaster. The whole thing was pretty much a fiasco for two years until Dr. Rory Fox took over in September 2011, although he had been at the academy since April 2011. On taking over he installed zero tolerance on matters of uniform, behaviour, equipment & attendance, a google search of him will show just how hard-line he was. This inevitably led to confrontation with parents when their little treasures could no longer get their own way, some handled that well, some were embarrassing if you know what I mean. I met with Dr. Fox on a couple of occasions over what I felt was wholly inappropriate discipline and dared to question that he may find better ways of achieving better standards. However I found the man rude, arrogant and somewhat immature for the position he held, which led me to look further into the academy, i.e. the governors and sponsors, and this is where it gets a bit worrying.

As I understand it an Academy is usually run by a trust & has a sponsor. For BA the sponsor is Martin Finegold, a US hedge fund manager who heads The Basildon Academy Trust. Also on the Trust I believe is his son, but the amount of information in the public domain is next to nothing. The chair of governors is a Les Livermore, previously chair of governors at the site which is now the Upper Academy. Mr. Livermore is also the CEO of the Academies, appointed by the trust, on a salary of 63K p.a. When questioned he didn't feel it was a conflict of interest. I also read that on becoming an Academy, the freehold for the land they occupy can be transferred to the new Trust. I may be putting 2 & 2 together here but a lot of land & a 'banker' maybe things are not being done for the right reasons, but again public information is scarce. I and Stephen Metcalfe have both requested transparency on all matters of sponsorship, governors etc but stony silence, which doesn't help alleviate my thinking that there's more to it than meets the eye.

There's been a change of principle in the meantime, Fox quit after disagreements with the governors, and an interim head is currently in place, rumoured to be on 220K p.a., but I was wondering if anyone has a deeper knowledge of the subject because it seems to me that very few of the rules/regulations/laws that apply to traditional state school's apply to academies.

 

[MK Shrimper]

My wife works in the MK academy and it's an absolute sh*tehole - the worst performing school in MK. The kids are from the sink estates and are badly behaved - the girls worse than the boys. The teachers are demoralised and don't care.

My mate's grandson who goes there is (apparently) quite bright but when she challenged the teacher on why he doesn't get homework the response was that "there's no point as most of the class won't do it anyway."

British education - pandering to the lowest common denominator. I will make sure, when she's of age, my daughter goes nowhere near these places.

And yes, re-reading your post it all sounds extremely dodgy.

 

[C C Csiders]

Does anyone on here have some knowledge on Academy school's? I ask because in a certain Academies case I find the whole set-up a bit worrying.

In question for me is The Basildon Academies. I have a daughter at the lower site since September 2011 and my dealings with it have led me to go as far as getting my MP involved, he too feels that something isn't right.

A bit of background:-

The Basildon Academies opened in 2009 and were a complete disaster. The whole thing was pretty much a fiasco for two years until Dr. Rory Fox took over in September 2011, although he had been at the academy since April 2011. On taking over he installed zero tolerance on matters of uniform, behaviour, equipment & attendance, a google search of him will show just how hard-line he was. This inevitably led to confrontation with parents when their little treasures could no longer get their own way, some handled that well, some were embarrassing if you know what I mean. I met with Dr. Fox on a couple of occasions over what I felt was wholly inappropriate discipline and dared to question that he may find better ways of achieving better standards. However I found the man rude, arrogant and somewhat immature for the position he held, which led me to look further into the academy, i.e. the governors and sponsors, and this is where it gets a bit worrying.

As I understand it an Academy is usually run by a trust & has a sponsor. For BA the sponsor is Martin Finegold, a US hedge fund manager who heads The Basildon Academy Trust. Also on the Trust I believe is his son, but the amount of information in the public domain is next to nothing. The chair of governors is a Les Livermore, previously chair of governors at the site which is now the Upper Academy. Mr. Livermore is also the CEO of the Academies, appointed by the trust, on a salary of 63K p.a. When questioned he didn't feel it was a conflict of interest. I also read that on becoming an Academy, the freehold for the land they occupy can be transferred to the new Trust. I may be putting 2 & 2 together here but a lot of land & a 'banker' maybe things are not being done for the right reasons, but again public information is scarce. I and Stephen Metcalfe have both requested transparency on all matters of sponsorship, governors etc but stony silence, which doesn't help alleviate my thinking that there's more to it than meets the eye.

There's been a change of principle in the meantime, Fox quit after disagreements with the governors, and an interim head is currently in place, rumoured to be on 220K p.a., but I was wondering if anyone has a deeper knowledge of the subject because it seems to me that very few of the rules/regulations/laws that apply to traditional state school's apply to academies.

Fox was evil personified. He came from a prison education background and thinks he can instil similar discipline on children. Exclusions and isolation for forgetting rulers etc. Given the opportunity, no doubt, he would have been liberal in the use of corporal punishment.

With regard to what autonomy they have this link should assist:

http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/NASUWTNews/Nationalnewsitems/NASUWT_009449

 

[Earls Hall Blue]

Fox was evil personified. He came from a prison education background and thinks he can instil similar discipline on children. Exclusions and isolation for forgetting rulers etc. Given the opportunity, no doubt, he would have been liberal in the use of corporal punishment.

With regard to what autonomy they have this link should assist:

http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/NASUWTNews/Nationalnewsitems/NASUWT_009449

I kind of sympathised with Fox to a degree, something had to be done about the shocking standards at the school, but his absolute refusal to accept criticism of his actions & refusal to listen to alternatives won him no friends. I told him he had mine & I expect the majority of parents support in raising standards if he does it fairly, but I would pull him up the moment he wasn't, which inevitably happened.

I think its fair to attribute to him the big steps forward the school has taken, but the whole set-up as I've mentioned, is decidedly dodgy.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-information-request/the-freedom-of-information-act

 

[pickledseal]

Academies are going to implode... Only answerable to Gove personally effectively. Even Boris suggested that there needs to be localised monitoring - er that was the LEA which have all bit abolished! No need to be a qualified teacher to teacher or even be a head. Academies and Free Schools will effectively create a massive divide and an awful system.

 

[Earls Hall Blue]

https://www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-information-request/the-freedom-of-information-act

You would think that as I have my MP involved that wouldn't be necessary, but they really do seem deliberately secretive.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I work in an Academy school, and was a school governor elsewhere for 13 years. I stopped that at the time they were just moving from the idea of Trusts to Academys - both are similar, but the Academy model, to me, is flawed on so many levels. To start with, children don't all conform to the norm, they can't, they're individuals and you will always get those who are so far to the extreme either above or below what is "average" that it's really difficult to think of them all as numbers.

Unfortunately, that is what they are. A junior school pupil is "worth" less than either an infant or a secondary child, but each child is worth a sum of money. It's having control over their own budgets that has pushed so many schools down the Academy route, so you can use money that should be allocated on buildings, to teaching...or vice versa - it's down to the Head and the governors.

Basildon Academy was one of the first to take the plunge, combining two schools with poor standards and pumping lots of money in. Of course, the combining of two schools, or the creation of a new Academy (or Trust for that matter) means that all historic information becomes null and void, so a school with falling results or consistently bad Ofsteds has that all wiped out in the blink of an eye, starting afresh as a new entity.

Dr Fox did have some good ideas, and certainly the area of discipline was one that needed addressing. Children who are bright will learn anywhere, but they need the challenge to make them excel. As MK says, catering to the lowest common denominator in a class is restricting those bright children from being challenged.

I can't promise, but I'll have a hunt around and see if I can find some of the reams of literature we were given when we became an Academy, there may be something in there for you.

 

[Napster]

the challenge to make them excel.

word. ....

 

[Earls Hall Blue]

I work in an Academy school, and was a school governor elsewhere for 13 years. I stopped that at the time they were just moving from the idea of Trusts to Academys - both are similar, but the Academy model, to me, is flawed on so many levels. To start with, children don't all conform to the norm, they can't, they're individuals and you will always get those who are so far to the extreme either above or below what is "average" that it's really difficult to think of them all as numbers.

Unfortunately, that is what they are. A junior school pupil is "worth" less than either an infant or a secondary child, but each child is worth a sum of money. It's having control over their own budgets that has pushed so many schools down the Academy route, so you can use money that should be allocated on buildings, to teaching...or vice versa - it's down to the Head and the governors.

Basildon Academy was one of the first to take the plunge, combining two schools with poor standards and pumping lots of money in. Of course, the combining of two schools, or the creation of a new Academy (or Trust for that matter) means that all historic information becomes null and void, so a school with falling results or consistently bad Ofsteds has that all wiped out in the blink of an eye, starting afresh as a new entity.

Dr Fox did have some good ideas, and certainly the area of discipline was one that needed addressing. Children who are bright will learn anywhere, but they need the challenge to make them excel. As MK says, catering to the lowest common denominator in a class is restricting those bright children from being challenged.

I can't promise, but I'll have a hunt around and see if I can find some of the reams of literature we were given when we became an Academy, there may be something in there for you.

Actually Chalvedon School (The Upper Academy) was over subscribed, so good were its results. The problem's began when the then head Alan Roach took over running Barstable (The Lower Academy) as it was failing. A Federation then Academy were pushed through at such a pace no-one actually looked at the consequences of too much change too soon. On opening the Academies never even head a timetable. Roach was a fantastic head at Chalvedon but totally ruined his reputation with the pace of change he inflicted on the two sites.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Actually Chalvedon School (The Upper Academy) was over subscribed, so good were its results. The problem's began when the then head Alan Roach took over running Barstable (The Lower Academy) as it was failing. A Federation then Academy were pushed through at such a pace no-one actually looked at the consequences of too much change too soon. On opening the Academies never even head a timetable. Roach was a fantastic head at Chalvedon but totally ruined his reputation with the pace of change he inflicted on the two sites.

Apologies John, Barstable was always the bad egg in the basket.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

Get your kid into St Anselms pitsea its a shoein for priest hood.

 

[LeedsSUFC]

I attend a State School turned to Academy School in Brentwood, the effects are very minimal, just gives the school more freedom, and more income in cash in, a way I can't remember...