Issue - meetings

Report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services (Education Excellence)

The Cabinet considered the report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services (Education Excellence) advising of thedecision by the following Governing Bodies to voluntarily convert to Academy Status:

·       Waterloo Primary School, Valewood Primary School, Forefield Infant School, Forefield Junior School and Rowan Park School to convertto Mersey View Learning Trust

·       Thomas Gray Primary School to become part of the Northern Schools Trust

·       Ainsdale St Johns CE Primary School to become part of the Liverpool Diocesan Schools Academy Trust (LDST)

Inaccordance with statutory requirements the report sought authorisation for officersto sign the documentation required bythe academy conversion process.The Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) hadindicated that the dateof conversion would be 1 April2024. The report also advised the Cabinet of the decision by the Secretary of State for Education to convert the Impact Pupil Referral Unit, to the Peoples Learning Multi Academy Trustin accordancewith statutoryrequirements andsought authorisationfor officers to signthe documentation required bythe academy conversion process.The ESFA hadindicated that the dateof conversion would be 1 April2024

Reference was made to the revenue costs and the implications of reductions in Traded Services. Further detailed information would be provided to Cabinet Members in due course.

Reference was also made to the consistency of the report template and this would be addressed.

Decisions Made:

That

(1)      the statutory requirementsregarding academyconversions be noted;

(2)      thefinancial implicationsto theCouncil ofthe academy conversions be noted; and

(3)      authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Corporate Resources andCustomer Services, in conjunction with the ExecutiveDirector ofChildren’s Social Care and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Education, to complete the necessary agreements required as part of the academy conversion processas outlined in the report.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The Cabinet needed to authorise appropriate officers to enter into the agreements required as part of the academy conversion process.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None – this was a statutory process following the exercise of the educational establishments’ discretion to choose to convert to academy status under the Academies Act 2010.

TheSecretary ofState hadthe powersto direct that the academy conversion process could continue if the agreements were not signed.