Highams Park School is an INDEPENDENT state funded school run by The Highams Park Academy Trust NOT by the Local Authority, the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
The Secretary of State for Education confirmed that Highams Park School converted to become an Academy on 1st October 2011.
The school is governed by the Highams Park Academy Trust, a charitable company limited by guarantee established specifically and solely for the benefit of the school.
The Highams Park Academy Trust was set up and officially incorporated with Companies House on 12th August 2011. The Highams Park Academy Trust does not have any external sponsor(s) and as such the school is known as a "Converter Academy".
What is an Academy?
The government's own website says the following:
-
- Academies are publicly funded independent schools.
- Academies don’t have to follow the national curriculum and can set their own term times. They still have to follow the same rules on admissions, special educational needs and exclusions as other state schools.
- Academies get money direct from the government, not the local council. They’re run by an academy trust which employs the staff.
There are three key legal documents that established the Academy Trust:
- pdf Memorandum of Association (32 KB)
- pdf Articles of Association (376 KB)
- pdf Funding Agreement (488 KB) with the Secretary of State for Education
All Academies have these key legal documents, however the wording, articles and clauses sometimes differ between Academy Trusts depending on when the particular Academy was established.
The Academy Trust is required to publish on the website the above key legal documents relating to the establishment of the Academy Trust. Further Trust documents including annual reports and financial statements are also available.
Academy Trusts are companies limited by guarantee and exempt charities. The Board of Trustees is subject to the duties and responsibilities of charitable Trustees and company directors as well as any other conditions that the Secretary of State agrees with them. These responsibilities are mutually reinforcing and are there to ensure proper governance and conduct of the Trust. The key requirements are reflected in the Articles of Association, the Funding Agreement, and the Academies Financial handbook issued by the Education Funding Agency (EFA).
Each Academy Trust has to comply with guidance from the Charity Commision and the requirements of company law as well as regulations imposed by the Department for Education (DFE) via its Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
