Our Statement of Purpose

West Sussex Academy Watch

Statement of Purpose

March 2013

West Sussex Academy Watch (WSAW) believes in a free and democratically accountable state education system which is responsive to all stakeholders.

We believe that investment in schools is often wasted on structural change according to the government policy of the day. Instead, investment in teaching in learning should take priority.

We accept that academies are now part of the educational landscape in West Sussex. The following five points will be the litmus test by which we hold to account existing academies; schools pursuing academy status; and West Sussex County Council, for its policy of ‘encouraging all schools to convert’.

1.     Once a school governing body has voted to pursue academy conversion they must commit to a consultation process which is built on democratic principles by being open, robust and meaningful, and which engages all stakeholders. Any consultation must take into account the wider impact on its local community as well as the stakeholders of their school.

2.     All consultations must include:

a.    A Public Meeting.

This must go beyond parents of children that currently attend the school and actively engage the wider community.

b.    A Parent and Staff Ballot.

c.     An Impact Assessment under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

3.     Schools wishing to become academies must demonstrate the capacity to improve not only themselves but other local schools too, whether they are academies or not.

4.     Schools wishing to become academies and existing academies must demonstrate how they will use their additional ‘freedoms’ and money to improve educational outcomes for children.

5.     Governors of schools wishing to become academies must demonstrate their capability and capacity to run autonomous, financially demanding, large, complex and ever-changing organisations.

West Sussex Academy Watch does not believe that any school should be forced to become an academy. This objection extends to shifting Ofsted categorisation which forces more schools to ‘fail.’