Hove Schools Encouraged to Reconsider Academy Conversion Plan

Two educational institutions in Hove have been advised to review their proposal to convert into an academy. West Hove Infant School and Hove Juniors are currently deliberating joining the Aurora Multi Academy Trust (MAT), a move that would transfer them from local authority oversight. Brighton & Hove City Council cautioned against what it termed an “irreversible decision” and encouraged the schools to rethink their plans. The council communicated with parents and carers of students enrolled at the schools, who are invited to provide feedback on the proposals, detailing its rationale for believing that “joining the trust at this time is the wrong decision”. According to the council, “Academisation will lead to greater fragmentation of the education system in the city and remove accountability from local communities and parents.” Furthermore, it noted that most schools in Brighton and Hove have remained “proudly local authority maintained, working in partnership with each other and the council in order to best support all children and young people within the city”. The council stated, “Joining a trust does not improve local partnerships, nor does it necessarily enable more vulnerable pupils to access the support they require.” Jacob Taylor, the deputy leader of the council, commented: “This is a decision that will impact on the future education of thousands of city children and should not be made lightly or without considering all the facts.” He affirmed that the council opposes this proposal. Mr. Taylor acknowledged the existence of “a challenging situation for many schools in the city over the past few years”, but attributed this to “years of underfunding from national government”. “We want to make sure we work together to do all we can to safeguard the future of the city’s schools,” he added. “We are therefore very much of the view that now is not the moment to continue the drift towards academisation.”