Just one in 10 regional director meetings had representations from the public, backing up concerns important academy decisions are being quietly determined with little input from parents. Fifty-eight of the 65 advisory boards convened since September did not receive a single representation, Schools Week has found. The government this week delayed plans to academise Sheffield鈥檚 last council-maintained secondary, King Edward VII School (KES), after a fierce local backlash. The proposal was only spotted when education professor Mark Boylan, whose daughter Sophia attends the school, stumbled upon a copy of an advisory board鈥檚 agenda online a week before it met. System ‘completely unfair’ Parents who challenged the decision said this left them with just three days to make their views known. They also claimed KES was not made aware it could be absorbed by the Brigantia Learning Trust until this point. King Edward VII School in Sheffield Boylan said the current system 鈥渟eems completely unfair. The schools need to be told that it鈥檚 on the agenda and it ought to be a requirement that they then inform the parents it鈥檚 happening.鈥 Our analysis shows about 25 comments were lodged in all. Eight of these were made at an East of England advisory board in March, seemingly opposing a proposal to move the Ortu Federation MAT鈥檚 last two schools into a separate chain. The proposal was rejected by the regional director. It was the only item to be refused after attracting critical comments. ‘Involve parents in academy process’ Leora Cruddas, the chief executive of the Confederation of Schools Trusts 鈥 who did not want to comment on the Sheffield situation 鈥 said there should not be system 鈥渨here people are left to accidentally find out鈥 about advisory boards. Leora Cruddas While she cautioned against 鈥減arents everywhere鈥 starting to get involved with boards, she said they should be told if there was a change of a school鈥檚 legal status and a trust put forward by the regulator. 鈥淭he regional director should ask the school to communicate with its parent body. They’re core stakeholders and therefore have a legitimate interest in the legal status of a school.” Guidance says agendas 鈥 released 10 working days before boards meet 鈥 鈥渁ll contain information on how anyone can make representations about any of the projects due to be discussed鈥. ‘Academy decision-making not transparent’ Mark Boylan Boylan said representations had to be submitted not less than five working days before the meeting. 鈥淭hat needs to be longer. It鈥檚 not very transparent and doesn鈥檛 make for very good decision-making because the parents may have information that should be known.鈥 Parents at KES questioned whether Brigantia was the right choice after learning two of its five schools had received back-to-back 鈥榬equires improvement鈥 Ofsted scores. They argued that the move contradicted the government鈥檚 鈥渃oasting鈥 crackdown to force schools with two less-than-good inspections into new trusts. Regional director Alison Wilson deferred any decision 鈥渢o allow further analysis to be carried out, comparing a number of suitable multi-academy trusts, including Brigantia鈥. DfE promises improvements But the attempts to academise KES have since been paused while waiting for the results of a follow-up Ofsted visit. A DfE spokesperson said new 鈥渃ommissioning guidance鈥 to 鈥渃larify the role of advisory boards鈥 is due to be published. 鈥淲e will also improve the transparency and consistency of meetings and published decisions as the revised commissioning approach is implemented.鈥 Our analysis found minutes from meetings in April and May are yet to be published by the north-west, south-east and Yorkshire and Humber advisory boards. Guidance adds they are published once 鈥渒ey stakeholders鈥, such as schools and trusts, have had a chance to respond to the regional director鈥檚 decisions.
Barry 19 June 2023 Keep it coming Jack. Important, quality journalism coming from schoolsweek at the moment.