Recently, the local council has let out news that six schools in the lewisham borough are planned to become academies. The schools include: SedgeHill School, Prendergast Lady Wells Fields, Prendergast Vale, Prendergast Hilly Fields College, Bonus Pastor and one more school that is currently unannounced.
Many teachers, parents and children are concerned by the news, others are confused about what an academy actually is; Academies are independent state schools set up with the help of outside companies or sponsers. A student from one of the schools becoming an a academy says: "Academies are set up by companies run by the government and not the local authority, therefore they have no communication if problems occur" and another student adds that "The pay could go down so some of our best teachers could leave, like head of sections"
However, other students are not sure on what an academy really means for a school, or if it even has an effect. A student states that "A school in south London has changed to an acadamy but it hasn't changed much". A parent, concerned but confused by the news says that "I don't know enough about it, I don't know what the implications are. What I'm not happy about is if the school becomes selective and effects the local area by not accepting children from near the school"
Some other students or teachers are not affected by the news, and are unsure on whether their schools will change their structure or just their name.
The schools will mot become academies, if it all goes ahead, for at least another two years but possibly longer.
Written by Lily Hutton, Prendergast Hilly Fields College
