Collaborate and convert

Why do geese fly in V-formation? As a goose flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the goose which follows, so that the second goose expends less effort flying. If the V-formation is maintained and the leader is periodically changed between different members of the formation, the flying range of the formation is increased greatly, perhaps by as much as 70 per cent. So we should learn that sharing the same destination and sticking together can make progress faster and easier for all compared with going-it-alone.

Being much smaller than secondary schools, and so with smaller scale resources, the pros and cons of a primary school converting to academy status may be more finely balanced. However, the underlying reasons for conversion are the same: more opportunity to realise better educational outcomes, independence from a local authority, greater flexibility in the organisation of the school and how it chooses to spend its funding.

Time to collaborate
In addition to receiving a lump sum conversion grant of £25,000 – to cover conversion expenses such as HR and legal fees, enhancing the financial management system, signage and uniforms – a further grant of £25,000 is currently available to primary schools if they convert on a collaborative basis together, rather than each becoming a single standalone academy. Just as collaboration benefits geese flying in formation, collaborative academy conversion should give a double win. If you have identified suitable partners for your group, what choices are open to a primary school minded to explore group arrangements when appraising how to collaborate and convert?

There are three models: Multi Academy Trust (MAT); Umbrella Trust (UT); and Collaboration Agreement (CA). While each model has some flexibility, they differ considerably in character.

Starting with MAT academies, all academies are owned, and the staff employed, by one MAT company. All or most important decisions are made centrally by the MAT board. Individual academies in the MAT have either a local governing body with decision making power limited to specific items, or a local advisory board with no decision making power. Budgets are pooled. The MAT is driven from the top down.

Under the umbrella
The Umbrella Trust (UT) model means each academy is a separate standalone academy owned by a separate academy trust company. Each academy trust company employs its own staff. The UT selects areas for decision making  by the UT. These can include governance issues, but need not do so. Budgets are separate. Individual academies agree a proportion of their individual budget to fund the UT. Areas for co-operation are selected by the UT and can be added to later. All academies in the UT take part in its decision. The UT is driven from the bottom up.

The Collaboration Agreement model means that each academy is a separate stand alone academy owned by a separate academy trust company. Each academy trust company employs its own staff. All decisions are to be agreed by all academies participating, but not every collaboration activity needs to involve all participants. Additional activities can be added later. Budgets are separate. Activity budgets are agreed between the activity participants.

A common direction
Like geese, academies sharing a common direction and sense of community can reach their destination more quickly and easily if they travel on the thrust of one another, but it is important to understand what this relationship is built on and how it will be sustained. There are no right or wrong answers, just different ways of doing things. Any model can be successful; any model can also fail if trust in the decision-makers is lost. Poor communication of strategy, progress and achievement or a lack of mutual reassurance are just as likely to be causes of failure as  disagreement over matters of fundamental principle.

Leadership considerations
Some careful evaluation is required to ensure that the model chosen matches the mindset and aspirations of all those collaborating; also that it will facilitate delivery of the style of leadership which is envisaged. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation, and another goose flies to the front. Leadership is hard work. In the healthiest organisations it is a burden shared with the support of a team. Being in the limelight is part of leadership; some enjoy it more than others. Hogging the limelight is not a sign of good leadership, and may be a signal that leadership is in danger of becoming dominance.

If several primary schools are combining to convert together, choosing to form a new Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) as the conversion vehicle will add a significant additional dimension of change to the shape and function of the individual schools’ management teams just when resources will be stretched by the demands of the conversion process. A MAT will need to fill only one pre-eminent leadership position of executive headteacher or chief executive. That role will require oversight and performance management of the heads of the individual academy schools.

Likewise, the pooling of budgets for the group will mean the MAT needs an upgraded business and finance team headed by a finance director who will assume responsibility for the enhanced financial planning, financial management and reporting of the whole group. In contrast, where schools convert by being absorbed into an existing MAT where the central management infrastructure is already in place, the process can be expected to run more smoothly. Centralisation of finance and other business management and support functions may relieve pressure and bring positive benefits where the individual school team is already stretched.

A phased approach
Choosing an Umbrella Trust (UT) as the conversion vehicle offers good opportunities both for formalising existing collaboration arrangements between individual schools and extending these further to benefit other members of the group. The degree of co-operation can be over one or more of education resources, support services and governance. If not all of these are chosen initially, they can be added to later. This phased approach will have strong appeal where the converting group is planning to work together for the first time, or to a much greater extent than previously, and needs to create the protocols essential to allow the co-operation to be effective.

Retaining and administering separate budgets will ensure no-one feels their autonomy is being threatened. The need to agree within the group how the UT will be funded will be a good test of how well the collaboration works in practice. If the functions agreed as allocated to the UT go well, come the next budget discussion expect to see more enthusiasm for the allocation to be increased.  Compared to an MAT, a UT is a looser legal tie. But, if there is strong commitment from all participating schools to good working relationships and the ethos of mutual help and improvement by consensus, the potential for achievement is no less. It is clearly a good vehicle for a partnership between equals.

At arms length
One advantage of a Collaborative Agreement (CA) as the basis for the partnership is that it preserves an arms-length relationship between the individual academies without extending into common governance, so there is no threat to the independence of each participant. Areas ripe for collaboration, for example through sharing of resources or joint procurement, can be specifically identified with a focused objective, such as cost saving.

The commitment to the collaboration and the speed of its development can be tailored to accommodate particular members of staff. Partial rather than full on collaboration initially may be an easier path towards changing culture, with sceptics persuaded later. A CA should be regarded as organic, an incremental approach that will grow and flourish if nurtured.  

If a goose is sick or injured and unable to continue the flight in V-formation, two other geese also drop out of the formation to help and protect it. The benefits of partnership, whichever form of combination is chosen, should show in times of crisis as well as when schools are performing well. Academies as independent schools no longer have the support safety net of local authority service infrastructure – although they can choose to buy-in elements of this. Whether in the medium and longer term local authorities can or should maintain a full school support service infrastructure remains an unresolved issue. While the DfE has an active role as regulator of academies, this is no substitute for the comprehensive range of advisory services and specialist resources traditionally offered by a local authority.

And why do geese flying in V-formation honk? Because the right sort of honk encourages the leader to keep up speed. Are the right noises coming from your group?

Owen Willcox, Director & Solicitor and Peter Hill, Associate & Solicitor at Public services specialist firm, TPP Law. The authors are grateful to Alexandra School, South Harrow for pointing out the lessons to be learned from geese.

Further information
www.tpplaw.co.uk