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St. Mary’s Middle School

St. Mary’s Middle School. A Church of England Academy. Why Did We Convert?. Pragmatism Co-operative development across the three middle schools in the Dorchester pyramid Control of our destiny Reading ‘The Writing on the Wall’ The glimpse of something great. Benefits of Converting.

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St. Mary’s Middle School

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  1. St. Mary’s Middle School A Church of England Academy

  2. Why Did We Convert? • Pragmatism • Co-operative development across the three middle schools in the Dorchester pyramid • Control of our destiny • Reading ‘The Writing on the Wall’ • The glimpse of something great

  3. Benefits of Converting • A little more discretion over how to spend money • Yet 70% of schools converted for financial reasons • A little more freedom to run our school • The journey; in particular learning from the other converting schools • Relationship with LA • Links with Salisbury Diocese • Self awareness (rather than the self confidence often cited by converters) • A vision of what might be

  4. Did We Make the Right Decision? • On balance ‘yes’ • No obvious changes to the school but • “governors expect all observed lessons to be good or outstanding” • More funds available for CPD • Some capital work taken place • Better self-awareness for governors and school management team • But…

  5. What You need to KnowThe Little Picture • There is a lot of work involved in converting • You need a good bureaucracy • you will need to comply with company law • ability to define needs clearly to outsourced services • control of the finances and cash flow • etc. • You will need to support a struggling school • The DfE will not look favourably on schools of less than 300 students looking to convert • There are other short/medium term options

  6. What You need to KnowThe Bigger Picture • Government Policy • Local Government funding down 28% 2011-2015 • 10% reduction in 2015/16 • DfE Policy • Increasing the number of academies and free schools to create a better and more diverse school system • A report last year found the academies programme to be £1bn overspent • All political parties are committed to the academy programme

  7. Is There a Crisis for Our Schools? • Can we learn from the Chinese? • 我们的学校是有一个危机？ • 我们可以从中国学习？

  8. Crisis 危机 Danger Opportunity

  9. 我们所有的机会 • Opportunities for us all Danger Opportunity

  10. What Now for St. Mary’s? • We want to • help students in our area get the best education possible • preserve and enhance the very special role of smaller/village schools • facilitate the journey for rural schools • maintain very close links and share expertise with partner schools • ensure that we all understand • what we have to do • what we can choose to do • what we are trying to achieve

  11. Our Options • More flexible structures being considered by DfE • Single School Multi Academy Trust (MAT)! • Considering the implications • governance – MAT, existing schools, new academies • management • capacity • capability • learning needs for governors and school managers • if one school needs financial or other support the MAT is responsible

  12. I believe that when you strip away the politics , that most of us want one very simple thing A better education for all our children My final wish…

  13. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

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