Can voluntary-aided schools become academies?
With the recent publication of precedent legal documents approved by the relevant religious bodies, the door to academy status has finally been properly opened for all VC and VA schools.
What is a voluntary academy school?
A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In most cases the foundation or trust owns the buildings.
What does it mean if a school is voluntary controlled?
Voluntary controlled (VC) schools are partly controlled by a charity – typically a church or another religious institution. The LA funds the school, employs the staff and provides support services, and usually controls the admissions process. The charity owns the land and buildings and appoints some of the governors.
What is the difference between voluntary-aided and voluntary controlled schools?
Voluntary-controlled schools are a cross between community and voluntary-aided schools. The local authority employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria, like a community school, but the school land and buildings are owned by a charity, often a church, which also appoints some members of the governing body.
How does a school become an academy?
Academies have more control over how they do things, for example they do not have to follow the national curriculum and can set their own term times. Some schools choose to become academies. If a school funded by the local authority is judged as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted then it must become an academy.
What happens when a school becomes an academy?
An academy receives their funding directly from the government – rather than filtered through a local authority like a “traditional” state funded school. This means that an academy is directly accountable to the Department for Education. They are however, still inspected by Ofsted.
What is the difference between a free school and an academy?
Free schools are new state schools, whereas many academies are converter schools that were previously maintained by local authorities. Free schools operate in law as academies.
Who owns voluntary controlled schools?
The land and buildings are typically owned by a charitable foundation, which also appoints about a quarter of the school governors. However, the local authority employs the school’s staff and has primary responsibility for the school’s admission arrangements.
What is the difference between a trust school and an academy?
Academies receive funding directly from the government and are run by an academy trust. They have more control over how they do things than community schools. Academies do not charge fees. Academies are inspected by Ofsted.
Do voluntary controlled schools follow the national curriculum?
Pupils at voluntary controlled schools follow the National Curriculum.
Can an independent school become an academy?
Seven other independent schools have already become state academies. “It’s a good thing – particularly if the alternative is that the school closes altogether, and if it retains its very distinctive ethos and record of great success.
What are voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools?
Voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools are local authority maintained schools which are supported by a charitable (normally religious) foundation. What are voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools?
How do VC and VA schools become academies?
The Academies Act 2010 requires all VC and VA schools to obtain the consent of their foundation, as the owner of the school’s land and buildings, before the schools can apply to the Department for Education for approval to become academies.
How many primary schools are voluntary controlled in the UK?
By 2008, in England, approximately 15% of primary schools were voluntary controlled, almost all of them associated with the Church of England. Only 3% of secondary schools were voluntary controlled, of which about half were Church of England schools.
What are the different types of voluntary schools?
Firstly, there are two kinds of voluntary school; voluntary-aided and voluntary-controlled. Both have strong connections to some description of religious organisations and/or charities. A voluntary-aided school is managed by its own governing body. It is the governance of the school who decides upon the criteria set for admissions.