It appears that Furness primary school is drifting towards academy status. I am not sure whether this is supposed to benefit the school or is merely a consequence of its linkage to Oakington Manor School. Either way it doesn't seem satisfactory.
As I have pointed out before, the widespread conversion of schools into academies is making life impossible for local authorities. They retain the responsibility for providing school places, but have almost no powers to create them. They can't build new schools unless they create new academies, and they can't force an existing academy to take pupils. If the academy fails financially (as some have) the local authority is left to pick up the pieces.
Brent Council sought to get around this by ensuring that new academies be part of the Co-operative network of schools. Despite this being the official Brent Council policy, the Council appears not to be implementing it. It is the closest that, under the existing government, we can get to the Labour Party's official policy of having schools under local authority control.
I find it quirte baffling that the Council is not pursuing its duly passed policy.
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