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 ofthe decisionby the following Governing Bodies to voluntarily convert to Academy Status:

·       St Edmunds and St Thomas, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Mary’s, and Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary Schools to convertto Pope Francis Learning Trust

·       The Grange Primary School to become part of the Lydiate Learning Trust

·       Lander Road Primary School to become part of the Great Schools Trust.

·       Trinity St Peters to become part of the All Saints Multi Academy Trust.

In accordance with statutory requirementsthe report sought authorisation forofficers to signthe documentation required by the academyconversion process. The Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) hadindicated that the dateof conversion would be 1 September 2024.

The report also advised the Cabinet of the decisions by the Secretary of State for Education, as follows:

·       to convert Linacre Primary School, to the Great Schools Trust in accordancewith statutoryrequirements andsought authorisationfor officers to signthe documentation required bythe academy conversion process.The ESFA hadindicated that the dateof conversion would be 1 September 2024

·       to convert Linaker Primary School, Southport to a trust that was to be identified by the Regional Schools Group in accordancewith statutoryrequirements andsought authorisationfor officers to signthe documentation required bythe academy conversion process.The ESFA hadindicated that the dateof conversion would be 1 September 2024

Reference was made to the tight timescales and Cabinet Members thanked staff for their work on the conversions.

Decisions Made:

That

(1)      the statutoryrequirements regardingacademy conversions be noted;

(2)      the financialimplications tothe Councilof theacademy 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.