Schools get early academy approval
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By Hayley Robinson
Fulston Manor School and The Westlands could be academies
by this September.
The schools, which have been rated "outstanding" by Ofsted, have
been given "early approval" by the Department for Education after
they registered an interest in changing their status.
They now have to spend the summer working with education chiefs
to formalise the decision.
This means they would have more power over admissions, pay, what
they teach and the power to change the length of the school day and
term times.
Jon Whitcombe, who is head of Westlands and executive head of
Woodgrove primary, said: "The key aim of this initiative is to use
this opportunity to further develop fantastic opportunities for
young people. It is a recognition that outstanding schools have the
capacity to fully manage their own affairs in the interests of the
communities they serve.
"As a result of academy status, Westlands and Woodgrove will
benefit from significant additional financial resources hitherto
retained by the local authority."
Fulston head teacher Alan Brookes (pictured) said: "It's
not been done to implement major changes. The name of the school
won't change, the pupils will still wear the same uniform, the
school day will remain the same so from the user point of view they
are not going to see major changes. We are taking the steps to
preserve what makes us an outstanding school.
"We are still looking to work with Kent County Council (KCC) and
other schools, it's not an isolation thing."
The news comes as county education officials raised fears the
authority stands to lose millions of pounds under the government's
funding arrangements, making the job of helping its remaining
schools more difficult.
KCC says the Department for Education has yet to explain how it
would plug an estimated £3.5 million funding gap the county could
face if its 15 outstanding schools became academies.
Highsted Grammar, Sittingbourne Community College and Minterne
Junior School, who have also registered an interest to become part
of the new generation of academies planned by the government, are
awaiting a decision.
Schools rated "outstanding" will be fast-tracked.
Friday, July 23 2010
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