WHY ARE WE OPPOSED TO TRUST SCHOOLS?

The NUT’s pamphlet, ‘A Good Local School for Every Child’, which contains the NUT’s arguments for opposing Trust school status, is available on the NUT’s website.  A summary of our arguments is set out below.

The NUT is committed to the principle of a good local school for every child.  Schools are at the heart of their communities.  Alongside their central educational role, they both contribute to social cohesion and economic regeneration.  They can provide a central point for vital services and play a key part, for example, in the delivery of the ‘Every Child Matters Agenda’.  Trust schools will only detract from initiatives such as these.  The concept of independent self-governing schools through Trusts will undermine the capacity of all schools in a local authority to work together.

The Education and Inspections Act sets out three general duties for local authorities: that of promoting choice and diversity within school provision; to promote high standards; and the fulfilment of every child’s educational potential.  As a result of NUT lobbying during the passage of the Act, local authorities will now be required to carry out a further duty; that of securing fair access to school provision for all pupils within each local authority.  The Schools’ Commissioner, a new position established by the DfES to promote choice, diversity and fair access, has no statutory powers.  The appointment of Sir Bruce Liddington, ex-Director of the DfES Academies Unit, indicates, however, the determination of the Government to promote Trust and Academy status.

Under the Government’s plans, Trust schools may appoint the majority of their governors, including parent governors.  There will be no guarantee that local parents will be properly and democratically represented.

The vast majority of governing bodies already work well together with staff and their communities; a partnership which has developed and strengthened over time.  Trust school status represents a significant threat to these partnerships.

There is no evidence that self-governing independent Trust schools will support teaching and learning in schools.  The creation of such self-governing schools will be to create new burdens for head teachers.  Loss of local authority support for schools and increased administrative responsibilities will divert the attention of school leaderships away from schools’ core teaching and learning role.

Schools can, and do already, work together with each other in partnership.  Where schools want a joint governing body, opportunities already exist to establish them.  Trust schools do not have to be established to promote collaboration and innovation.

Trust schools have not been proven to be necessary.  The Government maintains that Trust schools will, “provide additional social and intellectual capital that can help to drive improvement in standards, particularly for deprived communities”.  There is, however, no evidence based research to back up this assertion.

The NUT believes that an expansion of the number of schools becoming their own admissions authorities will exacerbate the acute difficulties parents in some areas experience in finding suitable school places for their children.  Increasing the number of admission authorities will further complicate the admissions process and make it difficult for parents to navigate the system.

A key cause of concern for the NUT is the potential involvement of private sector companies as sponsors of Trust schools.  Through their Trustee status, they could gain control of school land and premises; be able to shape the curriculum; and dominate the governance of schools.

Trust school status could undermine communities of schools.  Local authorities would have taken away from them the capacity to target flexibility support and advice to schools and to co-ordinate effectively the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda.  Each Trust would have its own admissions policy; a situation which could lead to an increase in covert selection.

The NUT believes, therefore, that the Government’s promotion of Trust school status will lead to the establishment of a framework which will facilitate the ability of a future government to dismantle comprehensive education.