Primary schools start new year as academies

Two Peterborough primary schools will open their doors for the new school year this week as academies for the first time.

The two schools are St Michael’s Church School, Stanground South, and Peakirk-cum-Glinton Church of England Primary School.

An academy is a state-funded school run by a not-for-profit trust, and independent of the local authority.

Peterborough City Council, which has officially backed the changes, said its priority was to ensure that all pupils received an excellent education.

St Michael’s Church School previously operated as a maintained voluntary aided school but its conversion to an academy – run by the ACT Multi Academy Trust – was completed over the summer.

The school obtained an academy order from the government, meaning the council was required to support the conversion, and it was backed by the cabinet in June.

The trust will now be responsible for the school’s day-to-day running and will employ the staff.

Peakirk-cum-Glinton Church of England Primary School is now run by the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust. The school recently obtained its academy order.

Katy Cole, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: "Our priority is to ensure that all our pupils receive an excellent education and get all the opportunities necessary to develop and achieve positive outcomes during their school years, whether they are educated in maintained or academy free schools."

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