ODST is a company incorporated in England and Wales, limited by guarantee with Registered Company number 8143249.  It is an exempt charity.

Any revenue surplus remains with the school, and is credited directly to their bank account by the LA after conversion.

Academies become their own admissions authority and we will give guidance to schools about this.  The Oxford Diocesan Board of Education runs regular training sessions for schools to update and inform them about appeals and admission policy and practice and is always happy to help.

ODST have a central board of directors which is responsible to the Secretary of State for overall standards for each school in ODST.  A local governing body will also be established which will be responsible for the day-to-day operational matters.

Being part of ODST means that the board of directors will have the necessary range of skills required at Board level.  The Local Governing Body does not take on the additional requirements under the Companies Act and therefore governors will be sought as before with the necessary skills from the local community and will have delegated responsibility for their particular school.

Academies remain subject to the Government’s inspection arrangements.

Joining ODST does not preclude a school from being part of a local partnership which is for the benefit of the school.

These are set out in the table below:

Academies were initially opened in 2002, but the Academies Act 2010 enabled all outstanding schools to apply to become an academy.  Since April 2011 the programme has been expanded so that all schools performing well could convert, together with those that needed to convert with an external sponsor or in partnership with another school/Trust

 It varies, but it is expected that most schools are able to convert to academy status in around five months.

 Yes. All schools are required to carry out a consultation process but it is up to each school to decide whom and how to consult. There is no legally specified length of time for the consultation and schools have flexibility in how it is conducted. Typically consultation is with parents, staff, local schools and the local community.

 Informal consultation can begin through school newsletters and staff meetings.  Formal consultation takes place in the context of a parents’ evening to answer any questions.  The Governing Body will then take a vote on Academy status at their following meeting and they will inform all stakeholders of the decision after then.

Academies are able to offer a more flexible curriculum but they are required to provide a ‘balanced and broadly based curriculum’. The teaching of English, Maths and Science remains central and RE is important.

The same support continues for pupils with a statement of special educational needs and the funding for this element continues to be provided by the LA. The LA retains its responsibility for statutory duties, obligations and procedures remain in place when a school converts to academy status.

All staff employed by the school are entitled to transfer under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006), to the Academy.

When a school converts to a new academy, employees are entitled to transfer on the same terms and conditions of employment.  The legalities of the process are covered by TUPE. In summary staff maintain existing pay, conditions and length of service and any alterations can only be made as they would have been by the Council (for example, changes to pay and annual leave negotiated with employee representatives).

Academies receive the same level of per-pupil funding as maintained schools receive from the LA, plus additions to cover the services that are no longer provided for them by the local authority.  Academies have greater freedom over how they use their budgets to best benefit their pupils.

ODST will ensure that the necessary insurance is in place through the approved insurance framework.

ODST has their preferred financial software.