Academy ‘dream team’ scuppered

Mar 10 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

EDUCATION bosses who proposed a “dream team” academy sponsorship deal have had their plans scuppered by a government minister.

Now Durham County Council must go back to the drawing board if it is to continue to seek sponsorship for three planned academies, in Consett, Durham and Stanley.

And it could yet mean that North East motor magnate Sir Peter Vardy’s Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF) will get the opportunity to open an academy in Consett after all, despite strong opposition from local county councillors.

The refusal by Lord Adonis, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, to sanction a consortium led by Durham University to sponsor all three academies will also deepen a rift between county councillors in Consett and MP Hilary Armstrong. Ms Armstrong, a former Government Chief Whip, favours a bid by ESF and former Sunderland football club chairman Bob Murray to co-sponsor an academy in the former steel town.

But councillors including deputy leader Clive Robson, member for Consett North, and Bob Young, who represents Delves Lane and Consett South, are strongly opposed to the Emmanuel/Murray bid. Coun Young said: “Hilary Armstrong should go out and ask the people of Consett what they want. They do not want the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.”

Last month Durham County Council’s cabinet unanimously voted to confirm their preferred choice of potential sponsor for all three academies as the Durham Excellence in Education Partnership (Deep).

Apart from the university, other Deep partners are local secondary schools, the North East Chamber of Commerce and the county council itself, a consortium described as “a dream team” by Coun Young. But a memo sent to county council members has revealed that David Williams, director, and Coun Clare Vasey, cabinet member for children and young people’s services, had a meeting on Monday with Lord Adonis.

Mr Williams reported to councillors: “He (Lord Adonis) had reservations about Deep sponsoring all three as it has not previously sponsored an academy, and because he wanted greater diversity... It (the meeting) was positive that he stated several times that he would not seek to impose a sponsor who would be unacceptable to the county council.”

He added: “Lord Adonis accepted, in principle, the idea of Deep sponsoring one or two academies in the county.”

While local MPs Kevan Jones (Durham North) and Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham City) favour Deep as sponsors in Stanley and Durham respectively, Ms Armstrong, whose constituency takes in Consett, has spoken of her “anxieties” over Deep sponsoring one in Consett.

Last night Mr Williams added: “I welcome the fact that Lord Adonis has accepted, in principle, the idea of Deep sponsoring one or two academies in County Durham, should we agree to have them at all.

“Lord Adonis expressed reservations about Deep sponsoring three academies on the grounds that the group has not sponsored an academy before and because he would like to see greater diversity.

“We have agreed to hold further discussions with Deep and other possible sponsors to see whether we could put together a revised proposal...”

By stating its preference for Deep to sponsor all three academies the cabinet overruled a report compiled by Maurice Smith, a former chief inspector of schools, which recommended accepting the Emmanuel/Murray bid to run a Consett academy; The United Learning Trust to sponsor the Stanley academy; and the Church of England Diocese of Durham, in partnership with New College Durham, to sponsor the Durham one.

The decision was described as “disappointing” by Sir Peter and Mr Murray who said in a joint statement: “We are disappointed that the cabinet report goes against the recommendations in the Maurice Smith report, which is an independent and comprehensive assessment of the sponsor applicants and how they could meet the educational needs of Consett.

“In recommending our proposal, Mr Smith commented on our ‘impeccable educational credentials in the context of academies and serving the educational needs for pupils in these age ranges and on our experience in planning, governing and leading academies. We therefore look forward to an early opportunity to have further discussions with the council on this important proposal.”

Sir Peter’s spokeswoman said he had nothing further to add at this stage.