Academy Information Pack -Frequently Asked Questions

In April this year we wrote to parents and carers, staff and partners to let you know that we were exploring the option of creating an Abingdon based Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) in partnership with John Mason and Rush Common Schools.

This exciting option arose from an extensive period of investigation and discussion following the Governing Body’s original registration of interest with the Department for Education (DfE) in the academy programme in 2014. Since that time the governing body has been carefully considering the governance options available and assessing which of these created the best opportunity to achieve the best outcomes for Fitzharrys students and staff.

Through these early investigations Fitzharrys governing body sought to retain ownership and control of the next steps, ensuring that we were ready to make an informed decision at a time that was right for our school. Following discussions with John Mason and Rush Common the governing body has agreed that academy conversion now supports our improvement aims and we should begin the process of applying for academy status.

Our preferred route to conversion is to join with two existing academies, John Mason and Rush Common, becoming a member of a local MAT, the Abingdon Learning Trust (ALT). An Abingdon based MAT arrangement brings a number of key benefits that the governing body feels are essential in securing success for Fitzharrys students, and for other students and schools in the MAT. Importantly, ALT will be a MAT that has been established by local schools working together and taking charge of our own destiny. Building on the strengths of current partnerships, we have established an agreed vision, structure and approach driven by our collective strong moral purpose, local knowledge and our desire to get the very best for the students and families of our community. This local collaboration will build on the strengths of the Fitzharrys community, helping us to ensure that Together Everyone Achieves More.

Formal consultations with stakeholders will take place up to and including 14th November. The governing body would welcome your contributions to these discussions so please contact us with any views that you wish the governing body to consider. Your comments can be provided in writing, by email or by attending a meeting at school on date.

The following Frequently Asked Questions have been compiled to provide you with some information about the proposals.

Please also see the ALT Vision that describes the aims and ambitions of the Trust.

General Questions

  • What are Academies?
  • What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)?
  • What are the benefits of joining a MAT?
  • Who decides whether a school becomes an Academy or joins a MAT?
  • How long does Academy conversion take and what are the timescales the governing body is working to?
  • What happens to staff when a school joins a MAT?

Questions specific to Fitzharrys

  • Why has Fitzharrys’ governing body agreed to progress an application for Academy status as part of the Abingdon Learning Trust (ALT), a local MAT?
  • Will any changes result from joining ALT?
  • How long does Academy conversion take and what are the timescales the governing body is working to?
  • Can Fitzharrys become an Academy on its own?
  • What are the benefits for staff?
  • How will pupils benefit if Fitzharrys joins ALT?
  • How will parents benefit if Fitzharrys joins ALT?
  • What next?

General questions

What are Academies?Academies are publicly funded independent schools. They are run by an academy trust, which is a charitable company limited by guarantee.

What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)?A MAT is formed when 2 or more academies come together to form a charitable company,a single trust (a single legal entity but not a single school) overseen by a board of members and a board of trustees/directors.

The MAT is the employer of all staff, manages the admissions process and receives the budgets of all the member academies.

What are the benefits of joining a MAT? The government argues academies drive up standards by putting more power in the hands of head teachers over pay, length of the school day and term times. Academieshave more freedom to innovate and can opt out of the national curriculum. (

In Oxfordshire the vast majority of secondary schools are already Academies or in the process of consulting or converting. Local Authority support and provision for secondary schools in particular has reduced substantially, and it is the norm for schools to commission their own support or more often work together to secure school improvement.

Local and national research indicates that when converting in groups (or chains) of 3 or more schools additional benefits can arise through:

  • Potential to raise standards and expectations: good practice in one area becomes shared practice across the group
  • Capacity to provide a broader curriculum offer: more teachers and resources and more pupils to create viable class sizes in more subjects
  • Career and Professional Development opportunities for staff
  • Efficiencies from economies of scale, sharing services and increased buying power adds financial capacity and ability to invest
  • Potential to build capacity and resilience: more pupils, staff, regulatory freedoms and flexible and pooled use of budgets can enable Academy chains to adjust to in year variations and improvement priorities and invest in genuine long term plans

The appointment of local governing boards for each school can also help retain the ethos and strengths of individual academies while continuing to bring the benefits of formal collaboration.

Who decides whether a school becomes an Academy or joins a MAT? The decision rests with the governing body and the Regional Schools Commissioner. Before a decision is taken to progress the applicationFitzharrys’ governing body will

  • consult with parents and staff
  • hold discussions with local partners and
  • consider carefully the process of conversion to ensure that the benefits sought are achievable and consistent with the school’s improvement plans.

How long does Academy conversion take and what are the timescales the governing body is working to? General advice is that a conversion takes a minimum of 5 months but usually takes longer. If, following consultations, the governing body agrees to progress the application for Fitzharrys we anticipate the process should be concluded no later than September 2017, possibly as early as March 2017.

What happens to staff when a school joins a MAT?The MAT becomes the employer instead of the Local Authority. Staff are protected by TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) which means that pay and conditions remain the same on conversion. Creating the MAT will lead to potential deployment across the member schools.

Questions specific to Fitzharrys

Can Fitzharrys become an Academy on its own? Does it need to be in a MAT? Standalone conversion does not offer the benefits achievable through a MAT and so this is not the governing body’s preferred option. In addition, current national policy (March 2016 White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’) promotes local MAT options.

Why has Fitzharrys’ governing body agreed to progress an application for Academy status as part of the Abingdon Learning Trust (ALT), a local MAT?The governing body has been seeking a long-term solution that addresses the challenges faced by all schools (limited budgets, vulnerability to staff turnover, changes in pupil numbers and reduced funding)and creates the capacity to offer more choice and opportunities to our students and staffwhile maintaining the improvements that have seen the school achieve record results in recent years.

Partnership and collaboration have been fundamental in Fitzharrys’ success in recent years. The Abingdon Partnership of primary and secondary schools is flourishing; the Abingdon Consortium for Education has seen record results in recent years; our partnerships with the Outstanding rated Faringdon Community College and with Abingdon School have been mutually beneficial, improving outcomes and enhancing opportunities for students and staff.

Having considered the information available and feedback from other schools and converted Academies, the governing body believes that shaping, establishing and joiningALTsupports our improvement plans by offering a number of benefits:

Continuing to provide and further develop high quality education for all

  • Access and share good practice, high quality teaching, resources, development and extra-curricular opportunities
  • Flexible use of resources to focus on key priorities and invest in improvements
  • Freedoms around curriculum offer

Extend student choice and opportunities for success

  • Increased course options providing a range of suitable and relevant choices to a high standard
  • Providing access to specialist resources and curriculum offers beyond what any individual establishment could offer

Work efficiently to ensure that resources are directed at improving educational achievement

  • Ability to adapt budgets to address priority issues and invest strategically for the long term to provide access to high quality premises and resources
  • Enable school leaders to focus on teaching and learning, student wellbeing and outcomes while operational functions (finance, HR, premises) are coordinated
  • Work together to secure economies of scale and make the best use of the budgets available to us

Resilience and sustainability

  • Increased job security, extended career and professional development opportunities that encourages the retention and recruitment of high quality staff
  • Reducing vulnerability to variations in pupil numbers and school funding
  • Potential to attract additional DfE capital funding as the MAT grows
  • Creating the potential for external investment from local businesses securing funding for long term investment

Retain the community focus, inclusive ethos and high ambitions that underpin Fitzharrys’ Vision

  • A shared moral purpose for all academies within ALT that maintains focus and commitment on high standards to improve outcomes and raise life chances for all our children
  • Direct involvement in the creation and development of a local MAT to retain our community focus and ability to contribute to the future shape of education in Abingdon
  • Ability to continue positive partnerships: with ACfE to provide post-16 education and with the Abingdon Partnership to support smooth transition from primary to secondary school

Please also see the ALT Vision that describes the wider aims and ambitions of the MAT.

Will any changes result from joining ALT?

  • Governance:New governance structures will be established in the form of a Trust comprised of Members, Directors and local governing bodies. Members, Directors and governors will be appointed from the existing governance structures of the member schoolsto ensure that there is continuity through retained knowledge and skills. New members will also be recruited to ensure that the Trust has people with the right skills and experience to manage the MAT. The vision, ethos and commitment to our community will continue to run through the governance of ALT. Academies will be able to retain Local Governing Bodies, which will include representation from staff and parents.
  • Closer working arrangements between John Mason and Fitzharrys: The two secondary schools already collaborate to share opportunities for students, deliver training and CPD, share good practice, support school development and coordinate contracts for greater efficiency. There are already teaching and support staff working across both schools. The ALT will build upon this existing relationship to strengthen outcomes and increase opportunities for the good of everyone.
  • Closer working arrangements with Rush Common: Our three schools working together will enhance opportunities by sharing specialist expertise, resources and facilities. This relationship will bring many benefits, including enhanced leadership opportunities for students, strengthen transition to secondary school, with a positive impact on progress and outcomes in Key Stage 3 and beyond. These benefits will be extended as other primary schools join the MAT.
  • Accountability and leadership: The Headteacher of each academy is responsible for their school and is accountable to the local board (formerly governing body) and to the ALT board through the Chief Executive Officer. In a MAT the CEO is accountable to the Regional Schools Commissioner for the performance of the Academy.
  • Curriculum delivery: The two secondary schools will consider the best ways of ensuring appropriate breadth and access to different courses. Continuity of education and courses is a fundamental principle of further collaboration, which will be managed carefully through a transition plan to ensure that everyone benefits.Access to specialist facilities and expertise will provide opportunities to enhance the curriculum at Rush Common as part of the work of the Abingdon Partnership.
  • Staffing: Pay and conditions will be unchanged and staff will transfer to the new structure under TUPE. For teaching staff the MAT structure will help build teams across different schools and phases, with a positive impact on planning, moderation, workload, standards and professional development. For support staff the MAT structure will further the sharing of best practice already seen in the existing collaborations (for example the School Business Managers group). When a vacancy becomes available it will enable ALT to coordinate our provision and appointments to get the best value, efficiency and effectiveness across the MAT.
  • Admissions: MATs are the admissions authority for their schools and have to follow the law for school admissions, special educational needs and exclusions as if they were a maintained school. No changes are anticipated in the initial stages of the move to ALT.
  • Ethos: The inclusive, caring, community ethos of Fitzharrys will remain in all of our work and as core principles in the vision and purpose of the ALT.This is fundamental to our taking charge of our own destiny by shaping the creation of the ALT.
  • Partnerships with other schools in Abingdon will be unchanged: The governing body is committed to continuing the positive relationships with the Abingdon Consortium for Education (ACfE) and the Abingdon Partnership.

What are the benefits for staff? Benefits arise from being part of a larger, sustainable, more agile organization. ALT aims to be the employer of choice in each aspect of our operations.

  • We will be able to offer greater personalisation in training, with teams coming together to develop best practice.
  • Collaboration will create bigger and stronger teams, with a positive impact on job security, workload and standards.
  • Enhanced leadership opportunities will supportan agile and purposeful approach to school improvement.
  • We will seek to nurture talent and leadership at all stages in the profession.

How will pupils benefit if Fitzharrys joinsALT? Greatersuccess, greater choice, greater challenge and support. As part of ALT schools can work more closely together, strengthening primary and secondary provision by building capacity to accelerate the improvement plans that have already seen record results and success at Fitzharrys. This means that even more students should achieve success at GCSE and at A-level and over time have access to a wider range of courses and learning opportunities.

ALT aims to ensure that every child is supported, championed and enriched by being part of the exceptional learning community

  • Working together from a young age, we will understand your needs and dreams as you move through school.
  • Sharing specialist facilities, resources and teaching with secondary school will open up new opportunities.
  • Working together we will be able to provide an enhanced curriculum.
  • As part of ALT you will have greater access to more activities, clubs, bands, trips, performances and events, making more friends.
  • Sharing sports facilities will increase involvement & healthy lifestyles, with more chances to participate and compete.
  • You will develop confidence and have more leadership chances as you work with pupils from across ALT.
  • Pupils who need additional support will be nurtured in their journey through primary to secondary and beyond.
  • Each pupil will be able to develop their abilities, skills and talents by working with older students
  • Familiar faces will support your transition to secondary school, providing continuity and care

Students in Years 12 and 13 will have access to the full range of courses across the Abingdon Consortium for Education, whether academic, vocational through AWC, or a combination of the two. Specialist provision and support will equip you to move into employment, apprenticeship or continued education.