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Priory/Western Road school trust...

On 13 Jan 2014 at 2:05pm Brussel Sprout wrote:

Can anyone explain simply what this new alliance means? I have read through the literature but I still have little idea of what this new arrangement will mean in practice......
Both my kids are still pre-school age but it seems like this new situation will be in place when they reach school age. What are the implications for schools not involved in the trust? Wallands and Saint Pancras for example....
......and gosh!, I'm not a fan of the vague and superficial style of the language used in these kind of reports. I would like to know in concrete terms what is actually going to happen. What will it mean for education in the town?

On 13 Jan 2014 at 3:47pm bastian wrote:

I think you'll find that it will appear that nothing has changed st the schools at all. They will still be provided with money by the LEA, they will operate as they do now, they can't select and they will keep all the working conditions for their employees as they are now. It just means that Gove can't force the schools involved into becoming academies, (which are not as obliged to honour employment laws, and can select students.)
It won't change anything about how the other schools operate in the town either, the are still feeder schoold to Priory.
It has nothin gto do with the co-operative bank either.
Does that answer your question.

On 13 Jan 2014 at 8:15pm Old Trout wrote:

Bastian's post covers it well. Just worth noting that the Trust status would also place a legal obligation on every member school to help any other member that may be in need of support. The Trust would also carry charitable status, which may open the door to new funding streams. Personally, I think it is a positive move given that all schools are under so much pressure to do as they are told and become academies.

On 13 Jan 2014 at 8:45pm Old Malling wrote:

It has the potential to provide shared specialist staff to schools, employed by the trust. Also sharing of procurement, equipment and services. Or maybe it will just turn into a big talking shop and deliver nothing, these types of collaboration often do.
Presumably Wallands are big enough not to need this too much. Priory want to avoid being turned into an academy and most of the primaries have got nothing to lose because their trusts remain unchanged. A harder decision for Western Road.