Unions threaten legal action over forced ‘academisation’ of 19 Catholic schools including one in Worksop

All Voluntary Aided schools in the Catholic Diocese of Hallam were issued letters by the Regional Schools Commissioner – who works directly for Education Secretarynadim , Nadhim Zahawi – on December 15 last year.

The Diocese – which covers South Yorkshire and parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – propose to convert or transfer all schools, including existing stand-alone academies and existing trusts, into two newly formed Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts.

If successful, the order would see Holy Family Catholic Primary School, in Worksop, among those becoming academies.

Unions have described the move an unlawful and say the only way schools can be forced to become academies is if they are eligible for intervention and none of the schools are in this category.

The Education Secretary can only issue an academy order on the application of the governing body of the school.

But, according to the governing bodies for the schools, this never happened and they did not agree to begin the process of academisation.

Unions representing these schools – including school leaders’ union NAHT, the National Education Union, the Association of School and College Leaders, and UNISON – say that the letters were therefore issued unlawfully, and, unless they are withdrawn by the Education Secretary, further legal action will be taken.

In their letter to the Education Secretary, the unions state: "We understand that the governing bodies of these schools have not applied to the Secretary of State for academy orders. The academy orders appear to have been made on the application of and/or at the behest of the Diocese.”

UNISON East Midlands schools lead, Emma Roberts said: “Becoming an academy needs to be a school community decision.

"Bypassing due process and the opinions of educators and hardworking support staff does nothing for morale or the success of a journey.

"Schools in the East Midlands affected by these decisions have our full support.

"I hope for a swift response from the Secretary of State for Education rectifying this unlawful action.”

UNISON head of education, Mike Short said the situation was putting "extra stress" on staff at an already difficult time.

“Trying to force through mass changes to academy status is not only wrong-headed, it’s a complete distraction at a time like this,” he said.

"School staff have been working wonders to keep schools open throughout the pandemic and are continuing to do so despite dangerously high Covid rates. These dedicated employees can well do without this extra stress after putting their own health, and that of their families, at risk for the past two years.”

The Hallam diocese has been contacted for comment.

In a letter sent to school leaders last year, Bishop of Hallam Rt Rev Ralph Heskett, said after a “great deal of work and examination by the Diocesan trustees” he believed that the long-term future of its schools “is best served by all diocesan schools becoming equal partners in a Catholic multi-academy trust.”

He added: “It is my intention, therefore, that as outlined last year we now move to establish two new multi-academy trusts within the Diocese with all Diocesan schools and academies, including all remaining voluntary-aided schools, becoming part of one of them.”

The Department for Education said it would respond to the letter “in due course.”

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