Four Harlow schools granted academy status

FOUR schools in Harlow have started the new term as academies after breaking away from local authority control.

The Secretary of State for Education has approved the applications for academy status from Passmores, St Mark’s West Essex, Holy Cross Primary and St Albans Primary.

Passmores headteacher Vic Goddard

As well as being able to take on a sponsor to aid funding, the schools will now make decisions in areas including staff pay and conditions, delivery of the curriculum and the lengths of terms and school days.

Passmores Academy, which welcomed pupils and staff back to its new multi-million pound complex yesterday (Wednesday September 7), is supported by the Schools Co-operative Society.

"The Co-operative vision for schools is very different from the other fast-growing chains where sovereignty and governance in the long term is effectively handed over to the sponsor," said headteacher Vic Goddard.

"This model ensures that it is the community and those with a direct interest in our school who are at the heart of our governance for the best possible chance to succeed in a challenging economic environment."

Susan McGuiggan, headteacher of Holy Cross, said the most important aspect of the move was that it was independent from local authority control.

"We are still a diocese school and our main funding will still come from central Government," she said. "In essence, becoming an academy means we will have more freedom with decision making which we feel is important in Catholic schools.

"We had to get the Bishops backing on this and would like to stress that the Catholic faith will always stay central to what we do. It is an important development for our school and the start of a new era."

Harlow MP Robert Halfon said: "Academy status will mean more freedom for heads and teachers, good teachers will be able to earn higher salaries and more money will be invested in Harlow education.

"I hope that many other schools will take up the opportunity to become academies in years ahead, though respect the decision of those who choose to stay under the local authority." 

But Mark Wilkinson, Labour group leader on Harlow Council, said the move had been "rushed".

"My party has had a lot of reservations about academies from the onset," he said.

"I don’t believe there was ever enough consultation with the parents and students on changing to academy status, and instead the plans were pushed through as quickly as possible by people primarily interested in making money."