Council to investigate city academy plans

27th June 2007 - Norwich City Council is to conduct a Scrutiny investigation into plans for Heartsease High School to be replaced with an academy.

The decision, taken at a full council meeting last night, will see the cross-party Scrutiny Committee hear evidence and views from the potential sponsors of the academy, the campaign group against it and other stakeholders such as parents and governors.

The decision to investigate the full implications of the plans has been welcomed by Scrutiny Committee Chair Councillor Claire Stephenson and other Green Councillors.

Councillor Adrian Ramsay, who is also the Green Party's Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South, has expressed concerns about the academy plans which he will raise during the investigation: "We need to investigate the influence the private sponsors would have over the new school and the effect an academy would have on other schools in the city. We also need to look at the effect on the staff and at the implications of plans to build a new school rather than refurbish the existing building."

The City Council will formally respond to the consultation on the academy proposals following the Scrutiny investigation and before the 20th August deadline. The Green Party nationally already has a policy against academy schools and will express this view to the Government.