BOURNVILLE SCHOOL ACADEMY CONSULTATION
Concern:
I am concerned that the decision for Bournville School and Sixth Form to convert to academy status will be taken by the governing body without full and proper consultation with parents.
Solution:
A full consultation is required including: an open public meeting at which speakers for and against academy conversion are given the opportunity to represent their views AND a ballot - 1 parent 1 vote
Comments:
Email to Official
Dear Official,
I live in "your local area" and I have just supported the !Change, "BOURNVILLE SCHOOL ACADEMY CONSULTATION", on www.digitaldemocracy.org.uk. I'd really like to hear your views on the issue and would be grateful if you could you comment.
Thank you
View additional !Change information
Please fill in all fields
Your personal information will be kept private and held securely. By submitting information you are agreeing to Digital Democracy keeping you informed about !Changes in accordance with our privacy policy.
BOURNVILLE SCHOOL ACADEMY CONSULTATION
Concern:
I am concerned that the decision for Bournville School and Sixth Form to convert to academy status will be taken by the governing body without full and proper consultation with parents.
Solution:
A full consultation is required including: an open public meeting at which speakers for and against academy conversion are given the opportunity to represent their views AND a ballot - 1 parent 1 vote
Category:
Education and Skills
UK supporters
![](http://www.digitaldemocracy.org.uk/avatars/avatar.png?1371707465"){kind=avatar}
West Midlands
Date posted: 21-Sep-11 07:55
| Report comment
I don't live in Bournville, but have two reasons for supporting this campaign (1) The more minor one is that I was once, a long time ago, for a couple of years a pupil at the school in question (2) More importantly, and sentimental reasons apart, I want to offer a warning. Twenty years ago I was involved in a campaign to try and stop Ninestiles School in Acocks Green becoming Grant Maintained. This was a campaign started by Head and Governors. The process was apalling undemocratic. There were meetings, but one for each year group, so that the same small body of parents who had managed to contact each other to oppose, had to attend all meetings.
There was a vote but the opposing parents had great difficulty in obtaining an up-to-date copy of the address file of other parents and were, finally, able to write to other parents only once, by second class post, if my memory serves me right, as opposed to the ten (I seem to recall) first class letters which were sent out by the Head Teacher and Governors in support of the GM status - our children also reported that pupils were also told to tell their parents to vote in favour on the basis that the school would receive a million pounds - a gross simplification of the issues involved. Needless to add, the school duly went Grant Maintained, on the basis of a large majority vote.
Date posted: 13-Oct-11 15:08
| Report comment
This is not a decision for the parents to make. They have very little information regarding the pros and cons of conversion. The priority has to be the standard of education offered to the pupils at the school. With massive cuts to services at local authority level the school will have limited resources to call on. Turning into an academy would allow the school to have more money to spend on the reources that they need. I am sure that the head and the Governors have the best interests of the children at the forefront of their minds. Let the professionals make the decisions for what is the best interests of the school.
![](http://www.digitaldemocracy.org.uk/avatars/users/images/thumbnail_1304871610.jpg?1371707465")
East Midlands
Date posted: 13-Oct-11 16:12
| Report comment
Guest4989: Maybe the parents ought to have the full information regarding the pros and cons of conversion!
I think parents SHOULD be making decisions about the education of their children (or at least be offered the choice to make those decisions, rather than have them foisted on them by "professionals".
More money to spend on resources is not the only issue involved.
The "best interests of the school" is not always the best interests of the children!
Post your message
