Call for action as Hanson School academy process hits 8 years

The Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee was told the deficit at the Swain House school was forecast to grow to £4.16 million by March and councillors estimated that could increase to £4.6m two years later.

The Department for Education made an order to convert Hanson School into an academy in 2011 after Ofsted first put the school into special measures in November 2010.

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A Council officer presenting the report said the Hanson process was one of the longest academy orders known. She said it was only supposed to take 2-3 years but was "well past that timeframe".

Councillor Mike Pollard suggested that with Hanson's pupil roll still not up to full strength, the deficit could grow by up by a further £600,000 in three years' time and the Council could be looking at a total debt of £4.6m to take on if the school does become an academy.

Cllr David Green asked if it was possible that the academy order could be revoked to give people clarity over the situation at the school which came out of special measures in January 2018.

Councillor David Ward outside Hanson School

He said: "In terms of finances it may help but having that hanging over does not help with education."

But the officer said the Regional Schools Commissioner and the DfE had no appetite to revoke the order and the only other way out was for the governors to request it if the school was rated as good.

Cllr Green added that a contract about sports facilities on the site - which was discussed in the absence of the press and public - was a "very large elephant in the room" and cast doubt on whether an academy trust would want to take on the school.

"Purely on a financial situation it doesn't stack up," he said.

Cllr David Ward, who was not at the committee meeting, said: "For God's sake, do something about it."

The report said three academy trusts had not taken on the school.

"It's quite clear they weren't going to sign on the dotted line because of contract problems about the sports centre," Cllr Ward added.

He said the situation required a political solution but each of the recent education portfolio holders "had shrugged their shoulders" because everyone has assumed it would become an academy.

He said the deficit had only accumulated because of the "failed process of academisation".

"It will be a travesty if the local authority pick up the bill for this."

A DfE spokesperson said: “We acknowledge this is long process, however we are still committed to an academy solution.

“In the meantime we have been working with the school to help achieve improvements and will be providing up to £150,000 for this academic year from Bradford’s Opportunity Area programme.”