Agenda item

2:30

The report (ESC9) identifies and analyses trends in the Academies Programme during 2018, and indicates changes from those noted in 2017, under the following headings.  

1.National and Local Statistics

2.Conversion Numerical Data

3.Trends in Conversions

4.Sponsorship

5.Cost of Conversions

6.New Academies

7.Regional Schools Commissioner

8.Conclusion

The Committee is RECOMMENED to consider the findings of the report.

The Committee had before it a report (ESC9) which identified and analysed trends in the Academies Programme during 2018, and indicated changes from those noted in 2017. Mrs Milward introduced the report and drew the Committee’s attention to the following highlights from the data:

Following the dramatic rise in conversion in 2017 (23 academy conversions), 2018 saw an average number of conversions over the last ten years, with 11 completed during the year. 82% (9) of the conversions in 2018 were primary schools, 18% (2) of the conversions were secondary schools.  

There were 144 academies including new Free Schools and Studio Schools in Oxfordshire at 31 December 2018. 13 more than in 2017 (11 conversions and two new schools).  

As of December 2018, there were 155 maintained schools, including seven LA Maintained Nursery Schools and nine special schools. 85 had a religious designation (either Church of England, Archdiocese of Birmingham (RC) or Diocese of Portsmouth (RC). The average size of LA Maintained schools was 210, with 44 schools (28%) having less than 100 pupils on roll. 

Approximately 62% of the total Oxfordshire pupil population were now educated in academies, with 97% of secondary pupils attending an academy.  

There remained marked differences in volume of academy conversions between locality areas.  

Conversions to academy status were at average rate of approximately 1 per month in 2018 down from 2 per month in 2017.  

There were no new MATS established in 2018 in Oxfordshire, all schools converting in 2018 joined an established MAT.  

Multi-Academy Trusts were maturing and, in some cases, merging with others to become more sustainable units in terms of both school improvement and financial security.

Church of England schools have a number of options for joining a MAT in the county.   Catholic schools in Oxfordshire may still only convert to academy status with other catholic schools.  

In 2018 four primary schools, judged by Ofsted to have serious standards issues, were issued Directed Academy Orders. Three converted to sponsored academy status with an established Oxfordshire based MAT, and one from Reading. 

The pool of sponsors available to support under performing schools in

Oxfordshire remained the same in 2018.  The need to identify more sponsors was a challenge nationally.  However, the supply of sponsors in Oxfordshire remained good and officers have intimated to the RSC that there is potential from within trusts operating in the county to meet the need to support schools with standards issues.  

A managed system continued to ensure schools convert with all business issues relating to the Council set out in transfer documentation.     The cost per conversion to the Council remained approximately £12,000.  

As part of the programme to meet savings required across Council services, a one-off contribution to the costs of the Council per conversion has been levied on converting schools since 1 April 2016.  This was set at £6,000 per school and was met from the DfE grant to them to meet costs of the conversion process.    

Following discussion with Schools Forum and all schools and academies the local authority adopted the national funding formula criteria for allocating funding to its schools and academies from 1 April 2018.

The authority must provide revenue funding to new academies in the preopening stage and during the time it took for the school to be open in all year groups.  This will be a significant amount as new academies open.  A Growth Fund to meet this expenditure was created and funded one school in 2016 and two in 2017, and a further two in 2018. There will be more schools opening in 2020 and 2021.

The Council would always be consulted on any proposal from an external bidder to set up a new academy in Oxfordshire as the responsible body for strategic pupil place planning.   It may choose to work actively with proposers if the places were required and offer a cost-effective approach to meeting basic need and increased diversity of choice in the area.  

All new provision schools were now designated as Free schools and may be provided either through the Local Authority led ‘Presumption’ process or through a ‘central’ (DfE-led) process whereby sponsors can make direct bids to open new schools to Secretary of State.

Following debate, the Committee made the following points:

The Chairman indicated that the Committee would wish to pursue the Regional School Commissioner offer to look at the future of Oxfordshire’s small rural schools to see what could be done to keep them open.

Ms Milward reported that officers had been undertaking some analysis on this issue, including talking to Headteachers and Governors to look at ways of saving money such as joint head teachers or Governance.  Barbara Chillman, Pupil Place Manager would be visiting all the schools and putting plans in place to sustain them.

The Committee requested that it be kept informed regarding Oxfordshire’s involvement in the DfE’s DSG funding unit task group which had been set up to meet the authorities’ responsibility to provide revenue support funding to new academies, both in pre-opening stage and during the time it takes for the school to be open to all year groups.  Mrs Milward reported that officers were currently in discussion with the DfE on this issue and would report back to the Committee or to the Schools Forum Committee in the Autumn.

The Committee noted that four schools had been judged by Ofsted to have serious standards issues and therefore had been issued with Directed Academy Orders.  The Committee queried whether officers had spotted any patterns or had any reflections on whether there were any lessons to be learnt.

Kim James, Head of Learning and School improvement confirmed that officers had noted a pattern around safeguarding and that action was being taken to address the issues, including briefing all schools.

RESOLVED:  The Committee noted the findings of the report.