IF a large number of Warrington schools elected to convert to academy status, it is unlikely borough council would have the capacity to manage the situation.
The warning is given in a report to the council’s audit and corporate governance committee on the financial and other risks of academy conversions.
Pinaki Ghoshal, the council’s assistant director of universal services says the demand on officer time to support an academy conversion is significant.
At present, with only a small number of schools converting in the borough, this is manageable – but if a large number converted it would be different.
So far, Lymm High, Great Sankey High, Lysander High, William Beamont High and Penketh High have converted.
Birchwood High plans to convert on April 1 and Culcheth High has indicated its intention to convert, but no date has yet been agreed.
The remaining high schools will continue to be maintained by the local authority and no primary school has expressed an interest in converting.
However, the Department for Education has the power to force a school to convert if it believes it is failing or underperforming.
Academies are funded directly by the government which means the funding the council receives is reduced. But the council can still sell services to schools – currently worth about £8 million a year.
The experience of the schools which have so far converted is that they continue to purchase most of the services they previously received from the council – including services which were previously “free”.
Mr Ghoshal says changes in the way academies are funded from next month will reduce the financial risk to the council.
But as academies have greater freedoms, it should be anticipated that some reduction in income for the council is inevitable. If academies continue to purchase most services from the council, it should be possible to manage such changes.
The emergence of clusters of academy schools, sponsored by a single organisation, will provide an opportunity to market current services over a wider footprint and discussions are already taking place with one academy spnsor.
IF a large number of Warrington schools elected to convert to academy
status, it is unlikely borough council would have the capacity to manage
the situation.
Could council cope with academies rush?
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
