The Education and Adoption Bill will see the Tory Government force up to a thousand more schools to become academies. It will also get rid of the current requirement for consultation with parents and local communities on conversion to an academy, and will deny people the right to challenge forced academisation of schools by legal means.
Prime Minister, David Cameron has gone on record saying that it won't just be failing schools that will taken over and privatised by `sponsors', but schools that are, in his words, "coasting". What that actually means is anyone's guess but it does put every school in Salford (and beyond) under the threat of being converted to an academy.
This Saturday, 30th January, Salford City UNISON is hosting a public Question Time at Buile Hill Park Hall, where the community and school staff can find out more, and grill politicians and academy protagonists for more information.
"Salford UNISON believes that the only way to address the issue of academies is to have a transparent and meaningful public meeting" says Diane Ogg of Salford UNISON "It will enable all staff, parents and the wider community to develop a wider understanding of what being an academy could mean for the future of our children, grandchildren and employees of our city's schools. The meeting is a one off opportunity to speak, and question the experts on the subject, so please attend."
Salford already has seven secondary schools and four primary schools that are academies, including Oasis Academy MediaCityUK, UTC @MediaCityUK, Swinton High School and Salford City Academy. The list also includes The Albion Academy, Dukesgate Academy, Irlam and Cadishead College and Marlborough Road Academy which are now under the Salford Academy Trust, 75% controlled by Salford City College, with Salford University and Salford City Council each having 12.5% control.
On the panel at the UNISON Question Time will be David Wootton, Chief Executive of Salford Academy Trust. The latest accounts for the Trust (to August 2015) show that Wootton Education Limited, of which David Wootton is a joint director, was paid £64,000 for `consultancy services relating to the post of Chief Executive' – a rise of £12,000 on the previous year.
Wootton is also a director of Aurora Academies Trust which runs four academies in Sussex; and Interserve Academies Trust which runs the Crawshaw Academy in Yorkshire. Latest accounts, to August 2015, show these Trusts running deficits of £134,000 for Aurora and £376,000 for the Crawshaw Academy.
In 2014, Wootton was appointed as Education Director to the Crawshaw Academy Trust "to provide expertise and guidance relating to the education standards and delivery to the Trust", and his company, Wootton Education Limited, was paid £17,805.
Meanwhile, 2015 accounts reveal that governors of the Salford Academy Trust, the vast majority of whom work in Salford, claimed an incredible £6,000 in travel expenses - treble what was claimed the previous year. Salford City College also received £108,000 (up from £82,000 the previous year) for what the accounts described as "some financial services and governance functions...combined with some chargeable course fees".
Alasdair Smith, of the Anti Academies Alliance, who will also be on the Question Time panel on Saturday, today told the Salford Star...
"We believe that the Government hasn't been honest about the academy agenda; we believe that it's about privatisation" he explained "They claim that academies are about improving standards but the evidence shows that academies don't improve standards. Ten years of the academy programme hasn't improved standards in education, so we think there is a political motive for academy conversion...
"We think the Government agenda is that they don't like the idea of local democratic authorities running schools and want to hand them over to businesses" he added "Their intention is very clear, which is that they want every school in the country to become an academy. Schools should also be able to choose whether they want to be an academy and if a school doesn't want to be an academy it shouldn't be forced."
And the community is fighting back. NUT teachers at Birmingham Small Heath School have begun nine days of industrial action resisting plans to convert the school to an academy. They are being backed by parents and support staff.
The Salford City UNISON hosted Question Time, which is free for anyone who wants to go, comes weeks before the £50 per head Future of Academies Showcase and Exhibition at the AJ Bell Stadium on 24th February, run by the University of Salford, in association with the Salford Academy Trust and a host of companies with vested interests in privatised school services...including Avec - "we support schools and academies with a range of professional support services that provide a real alternative to the Local Authority..."
On the future of Salford schools, Alasdair Smith concluded: "Teachers, and particularly parents and grandparents should come to the UNISON Question Time... This is going to affect, not just this generation but generations to come. If we hand over our public services to businesses we've got no control over them. .."
Academies Question Time
Hosted by Salford City UNISON
Saturday 30th January 12pm-2pm
Buile Hill Park Hall
Buile Hill Park
Eccles Old Road
M6 8GL
With...
Rebecca Long Bailey, Salford and Eccles MP
Alasdair Smith, Anti Academies Alliance
Martin Shevill, CEO Consilium Academies
David Wootton, CEO Salford Academy Trust.
Free entrance and refreshments provided
Main photo shows campaigners against academy conversion of Irlam and Cadishead College last year
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