PARENTS are being consulted about plans to change Rastrick High School into an academy.
The school has launched a consultation exercise to get feedback to the idea.
And if it is backed, the school could re-open as an academy as soon as September.
Supporters believe the school will be better off to the tune of £450,000 in the current year by becoming an academy and it will have more financial freedom.
As a foundation school which already has a bigger say than most state-funded schools in how it is run, Rastrick High is eligible to apply to convert to an academy and governors voted unanimously to begin the process leading to a formal application at a recent meeting.
The consultation process will last until Wednesday, June 15, with the aim of converting to academy status by September.
Headteacher Helen Lennie said: “Governors have been clear from the start that they wanted an open and transparent consultation and any views expressed would be considered.
“Acting on this direction we are also having a public meeting at school so that the community can express their views, along with ongoing formal and informal discussions with staff to answer any questions of concerns.
“We do want to emphasise that as a long-standing foundation school, everybody involved will see very little difference in practical terms but the increase in funding, and no school can be sure how long that will last, will allow us to maintain and increase the provision for students, staff parents, carers and the community.”
In a letter sent to parents the governors said becoming an academy “would be a logical progression and would bring benefits which would enable us to continue our commitment to improvement for the benefit of current and future students.”
In a question and answer session to parents, the school said they would maintain a curriculum offering the core traditional subjects, but said funding changes, particularly post-16, may influence the balance of the curriculum in future.
