The fastest improving school in Brighton and Hove is to consult over whether to become an academy.
The governors at Hove Park School agreed last night (Monday 31 March) to begin a consultation with current and prospective parents and carers, students and staff.
No decision will be taken until the governors have had a chance to listen to local feedback and learn more in detail about what a change in status might mean.
Mike Nicholls, who chairs the school’s board of governors, said last night: “As a good school with a goal of rapidly moving towards outstanding, the governing body held a meeting this evening to discuss the option of converting to an academy and consulting fully with our stakeholders.
“Governors voted to begin a process of an informed consultation over the status of the school.
“The consultation will involve Hove Park current and prospective parents and carers, students and staff.
“Governors also agreed to register an interest with the Department for Education.
“This allows governors greater access to advice, thereby becoming better informed in order to move forward and fully investigate the pros and cons of academy status.
“We will share this information with our stakeholders and ensure that an effective consultation can take place based upon the facts.
“The decision about whether or not to apply for academy status will only be taken at a future meeting of the governing body and as a result of a formal vote by governors.”
When the governors arrived for the meeting yesterday evening they were met by protesters.
Both the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Unison have opposed the prospect of the school becoming an academy.
Alex Knutsen, the Unison branch secretary in Brighton and Hove, said recently: “The original idea was to take failing schools and, although I don’t even agree with that, it had a certain logic.
“This really is a line in the sand for us.”
He said that Unison would consider a ballot of all its local members who work as support staff in schools with a view to calling a city-wide strike.
Both Unison and the NUT have committed funds to fighting the move and plan to call staff and public meetings.
Mr Knutsen said: “We’re asking the minority administration to run a ballot of existing parents and prospective parents in the catchment area.
“We can’t see what’s in it for the kids.”
Two secondary schools in Brighton and Hove have already become academies.
Falmer High School has become the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) and Portslade Community College has become the Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA).
They are sponsored primarily by the Aldridge Foundation, set up by the businessman Sir Rod Aldridge, who went to school in Portslade.
Whitehawk Primary School became City Academy Whitehawk last year, sponsored primarily by City College Brighton and Hove.
Brighton and Hove also has two free schools – the King’s School and the Bilingual Primary School – which operate in the same way as academies.
Hove Park head Derek Trimmer said recently that the school was not looking for an outside sponsor but wanted to be in the best position to shape its own future.
He also reassured staff and students around a number of areas of potential concern.
He said: “Naturally, there are big fears around pensions, term dates and pay.
“All of those we would continue to operate as they are, with the local pay structures that have been agreed, and there will be pensions continuity. We will work with unions.
“And we’re not suddenly going to have five terms or have a day that ends at 5 o’clock.
“This is about raising aspiration and ambitions.
“It’s about partnerships and having the capacity to support other schools.”
The school already provides support to West Blatchington Primary School.
He added: “Ultimately it’s about the children.”
