New Academies

[Yossarian]

In that case, I would contact IPSEA who may well be able to consider legal action, as happened in Bradford (see IPSEA website for more details on this.)

[Athena]

Here is the link to the Bradford case

 

Hertfordshire KNOW that what they are doing is illegal, but they won't do anything unless you take them to Tribunal. It is no good making empty threats - you have to be prepared to call their bluff and lodge an appeal with SENDIST against the lack of specificity in Part 3; Part 2 too if it is woolly.

 

Whilst I am no fan of the LEA, Academies have to be accountable to a public body that can hold them to account if they fail to deliver on SEN for their pupils.

[BusyLizzie100]

Here is the link to the Bradford case

 

Hertfordshire KNOW that what they are doing is illegal, but they won't do anything unless you take them to Tribunal. It is no good making empty threats - you have to be prepared to call their bluff and lodge an appeal with SENDIST against the lack of specificity in Part 3; Part 2 too if it is woolly.

 

Whilst I am no fan of the LEA, Academies have to be accountable to a public body that can hold them to account if they fail to deliver on SEN for their pupils.

 

 

Yes, IPSEA has got its eye on Herts too. The difficulty is getting their illegalities in writing, eg they are saying these things but IPSEA needs written proof.

 

For our son the issue is not so much over specification of hours - he doesn't need 1:1 support as he's academically able - but is mainly in the understanding of his anxieties and in supporting him emotionally. however, should our meeting on Friday show that there is a need to specify those elements of support in more detail, we shall certainly take it further. This meeting is in itself a response to our decision to complain about non-compliance, eg he is supposed to see his keyworker at registration twice a day but it has only ever been twice a week; the social group isn't working because all the ASD kids from the year are lumped together, with no thought as to individual need - some are more able than others and it's just boring for them. I'm really shocked to find out from my son that the other ASD lad in his class has started biting himself in the last couple of weeks - a sure sign that the school is clearly not managing their autistic pupils well enough.

 

Sorry if I've gone a bit , tho it does tie in to the wider scheme things - like how can academies possibly be an improvement to the current system, which itself is so flawed....

 

Lizzie x

[Athena]

Just a quick update on the Academies Bill, it has now been passed from the House of Lords to the House of Commons.

 

It could be law in as little as two weeks!!!!

 

It had its first reading in the House of Commons yesterday and it will be debated in the House of Commons on Monday, 19th July 2010.

 

So now is the time to write to your MP, if you have not already done so.

 

There is a website that you can email your MP from theyworkforyou.com it is also a useful resource for keeping an eye on what is going on in Parliament.

[KezT]

I went for an interview* yesterday, at an outstanding school, which has voted to become an academy in Sept....

 

I asked about the consequences of this:

 

"as a foundation school we already control our own budget, but 12% of that still has to go to the LEA for services such as Ed Psych. We do not use anywhere near that 12%, most of it is spent on schools in [nearest town] schools, wo have a lot more problem children and families. As an academy we will keep al of that 12% for ourselves"

 

I also asked about their admissions, and where their students came from - were they all from the locality:

 

"Oh no, we take students from accross the whole county. We are oversubscribed so can take the ones we feel will fit in best with out school & ethos. We even have children coming from [nearest town] because they prefer to come here than the local school there."

 

which I think pretty much sums up the points that we are call worried about. The SEN budget for the LEA will drastically be reduced when the "best" schools withdraw, yet their workload will barely be affected as the "problem children" are not in those schools, and those schools have no intention of taking them (for "ethos" read "behaviour").

 

The schools that are left will have more and more problems to deal with, with less and less money

 

 

 

*They offered me the job. I am absolutely oposed to Academies as a concept, not just because of the SEN issues, but because it is against everything I beieve in politically. But, a term time only job would solve an awful lot of problems......... = dilemma

[Kathryn]

"Oh no, we take students from accross the whole county. We are oversubscribed so can take the ones we feel will fit in best with out school & ethos.

 

Interesting. How do they do that then? They still have to comply with the admissions code which prohibits unfair oversubscription criteria.

 

Congrats on the job offer, by the way!

 

K x

[KezT]

Interesting. How do they do that then? They still have to comply with the admissions code which prohibits unfair oversubscription criteria.

 

Congrats on the job offer, by the way!

 

K x

 

Don't know what their admissions criteria are, but its a foundation school and a church school already so I guess they probably use the church attendance criteria as a start, and that the family must uphold the "Christian values and ethos" of the school - I was asked about that at interview, so I expect prospective parents are quizzed on their suitability/family values/etc

[call me jaded]

Ahhh the 'non-interview interview'. Faith schools have it down to a fine art.

 

Take the job! You can do what you can from within!