New Accreditation Process for Academy
Sponsors
The Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF’s) new accreditation process
for academy sponsors, school providers and school groups is now up and running with
effect from February 2010. The accreditation process seeks to ensure improved standards
in schools which are currently low attaining or underperforming, as well as a more
transparent method of academy sponsor selection.
Following the close of a DCSF consultation on new accreditation
proposals in early 2010, the accredited schools system was officially launched on
10 February 2010, with the new academy sponsor selection process brought in on 1
April 2010. The first wave of Accredited School Groups (ASGs) and Accredited School
Providers (ASPs) were announced on 23 February 2010.
When Will the Accreditation
Process Apply?
Organisations will need to apply for accreditation
to lead: majority trusts and federations (where the majority trust or federation
is being established as a result of a formal school improvement intervention), and
academies.
ASPs are non-educational organisations or educational
organisations who are accredited to be academy lead sponsors or lead partners of
a majority trust or federation for one or two schools. ASGs are organisations that
are accredited to run three or more schools as academies and/or majority trusts
or federations. Organisations which already sponsor two or more schools will be
required to be accredited to sponsor further academies or majority trusts or federations.
Local Authorities are not permitted to be accredited as ASGs or ASPs.
The DCSF has published guidance on the criteria
required to become an ASG or ASP in “Guidance on Becoming an Accredited School Provider
or an Accredited Schools Group: Criteria for Accreditation”. Non-educational institutions
may seek accreditation, in their own right, as part of a consortium or with an educational
co-sponsor. Those applying in their own right will need to set out their educational
strategy and how the organisation will access the necessary educational expertise
and school improvement experience required to successfully raise standards. Accredited
providers can choose to work with an educational co-sponsor or a partner, such co-sponsors
or partners will not need to seek accreditation but would be expected to meet criteria
regarding their educational track record. Educational institutions will need to
show that acting as an accredited provider will not have a detrimental effect on
their organisation.
The Accreditation
Process
Organisations who wish to be accredited will need
to submit a proposal which should include evidence to demonstrate that they possess
the relevant expertise, track record and capacity to support improvement in underperforming
schools. A proposal template is available on the DCSF’s website.
Application rounds will be on a termly basis, although
it may be possible for an organisation to apply outside of the termly application
rounds through consultation with the DCSF.
Academy Sponsors
From the 1 April 2010 all lead sponsors for academy
projects will need to be either an ASP or an ASG. The DCSF has published new guidance
on the academy selection process entitled “Guidance on the Process for Selecting
Academy Sponsors from April 2010”. The Guidance notes that organisations which are
interested in sponsoring academy projects should seek accreditation prior to discussions
about an individual project, however, it is also possible to seek accreditation
in parallel to registering their interest in a project.
When the DCSF and the Local Authority have agreed
that an academy needs to be established, the Local Authority will complete a project
specification.
This specification will include criteria setting out how prospective
sponsors will be assessed and how they can register an interest in the project.
All ASP’s and ASGs that have expressed an interest in academy projects in a relevant
region will be notified of the project by the DCSF. The DCSF and the Local Authority
may also notify other potential sponsors about the project, however it should be
noted that an organisation can only be shortlisted to act as an academy sponsor
on a project if they are an ASP or ASG.
Approximately four to six accredited providers will
be shortlisted and invited to interview. Where an academy is to replace an existing
school the shortlisted providers will have an opportunity to visit the existing
school. The shortlist will also be required to draw up written submissions supporting
their application. The prospective providers will typically be interviewed by a
selection panel consisting of the Local Authority, DCSF and a parent representative.
It is anticipated that the timeframe between agreement of the project by the DCSF
and the Local Authority, and the selection of the sponsor is likely to take around 12-15 weeks.
Conclusion
It is hoped that the new accredited school process
and the new academy sponsor selection process will create a more transparent and
uniform method of sponsor selection, but it is unlikely however to satisfy those
who argue that public consultations should be put in place to determine academy
sponsors.
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For More Information Contact:
Graham Burns
TPP Law Limited
53 Great Suffolk Street
London SE1 ODB
t 020 7620 0888
f 020 7620 0778
e info@tpplaw.co.uk
Email: Graham
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