The local authority is required to grant a 125 year lease to the academy trust.

Yes, there are legal costs associated with becoming an academy. The government gives each converting academy £25,000 to contribute towards these costs.

SEN funding comes directly from the government through the Education Funding Agency. Funding allocated to a named child continues to be funded directly by the local authority.

In summary, there are 10 governors in total – five Bright Tribe Trust appointed governors (likely to be drawn from the existing governing body), two staff governors, two parent governors plus the Headteacher.

Yes. Bright Tribe Trust has ultimate accountability to the Department for Education for the performance of all academies within its community. As such, Bright Tribe Trust is responsible for establishing and running those academies – a responsibility we exercise through strategic planning, policy setting and financial control.This means that Bright Tribe Trust approves the business plans and budget, implements the financial control systems, sets standards and manages overall performance. Bright Tribe Trust will delegate the management and internal control of the school, its performance, its financial management against the agreed budget and the implementation of the Bright Tribe Trust policies and systems in accordance with the Terms of Reference to the Headteacher, the Business Manager and the Board of Governors.

Bright Tribe is committed to a fully inclusive admissions policy. No entry requirements will be introduced by Bright Tribe Trust.

Academies do not have to follow the national curriculum as long as the curriculum remains ‘broad and balanced’. This provides academies with greater flexibility to design a school curriculum around the needs of their children and local community.

The school’s governing body.

Academies can take advantage of many freedoms compared to other schools. However, academies are required to follow the law and guidance on admissions, special educational needs and exclusions.

Bright Tribe is a non-profit making trust with charitable status.It is a multi-academy trust, which is an organisation that is responsible for a number of academies. Working within a Trust can help schools work together to share good practice and expertise.A Trust can help academies form links with different types of schools outside the traditional local authority boundaries. Being in a multi-academy trust is a long-term and on-going commitment. Academies within the Trust do not stand in isolation and the academies and staff help each other to improve.

An academy is essentially an independent school which is funded by the state. It is independent of the local authority and receives its funding direct from central government.