Brabners Chaffe Street advises on academy conversions

Law firm Brabners Chaffe Street has advised five Lancashire schools on conversion to academy status.

The schools, including Roseacre School and Waterloo Primary Academy, are all within Blackpool Council Local Authority.

Kevin James, employment partner at Brabners Chaffe Street’s Preston office, together with corporate partner Gill Gardner and commercial property partner Ross Shine acted on behalf of the schools on each occasion overseeing the incorporation of each of the academy companies, transfer of all of the relevant property by way of lease and transfer of all of the affected teachers and employees from the council/school to the newly formed academy company.

Advice was also given on the funding agreement between the academy and the Department for Education (DfE) and the smooth handover of other contracts.

Kevin said: “In round terms the whole process from beginning to confirmation by the DfE has taken approximately four to five months. If schools are looking to convert to take the benefits that the academy status gives then they need to plan well in advance.

"Many of the schools wished to complete the conversion so that it coincided with the beginning of the new academic year or at least new term. Therefore my advice would be that if schools are looking to convert by the beginning of the new academic year i.e. September 2013, then they should be planning to start the whole process within the next few weeks."