| SPOTLIGHT |
Kent County Council has been discussing the option of setting up a multi-academy trust with the National Schools Commissioner, Sir David Carter, it has been reported.
Plans are said to be at an early stage and no individual schools have yet been identified as possible participants. Multi-academy trusts already exist in the county but there are no academies anywhere sponsored by a local authority.
In an exclusive interview with Kent Online, Council Leader Paul Carter said: “What size and scale they would be has yet to be defined but if they [the government] is to set up a system that favours academies to the detriment of community schools, it seems a pretty sensible option against our track-record of school improvement, which is one of the best in the country.”
No final conclusions have been reached. Cllr Carter said: “We are exploring the opportunity - it doesn’t mean we are going to do it. The Government is struggling to find sponsors and free schools. This is something that could be to everyone’s advantage.”
If the plan goes ahead it would be up to the individual schools if they wanted to join.
