OKEHAMPTON Primary School is to hold an open meeting in October about its proposal to convert to academy status and form a multi-academy trust in partnership with several other schools.

A multi-academy trust (MAT) is a group of schools that work together in a formal arrangement; all schools within a MAT are governed by a single board of trustees responsible for decisions relating to how each school is run.

There will still be a local governing body which will monitor and challenge the quality of education in each respective school.

The name of the proposed MAT would be the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust.

The school is holding a consultation evening on Wednesday, October 11 from 6pm for parents and members of the wider community alike. School staff will have their own meeting earlier in the afternoon.

The formal consultation period started on September 18 and closes at 4pm on Friday, October 20. Anyone unable to attend the consultation event on October 5 can submit comments and views to [email protected]

Each school within the MAT would become an academy, though locally there would be little change. Schools would still retain their individual names and uniform policies. There would still be a headteacher on-site, responsible for the day-to-day running of the school.

There would still be a local governing body which would monitor and challenge the quality of educational provision in the school. The difference is that in future, individual schools will be supported by the Dartmoor MAT’s board of trustees. These trustees would have legal responsibility for monitoring the quality of education across the schools in the MAT and ensure the appropriate resources are made available.

Becoming an academy also means that funding from central government is sent directly to each school, which can then decide where all the monies are spent to best effect.

In a letter to parents, chair of governors Keri Quertier and headteacher Hazel Fox said: ‘The educational landscape is changing more rapidly than ever before. We believe that by working much more closely together we will be able to navigate through those changes to the benefit of all our youngsters, whether they are entering early years provision or on the brink of leaving our schools to enter the world of work or higher education.

‘We do not enjoy the luxury of each of our schools having the time to redesign the wheel with every change that is expected of us. By sharing expertise, professional develop-ment, leadership, teaching and learning, structures and resources, we will be able to ensure all our schools get access to the best opportunities and focus on what really matters — the best possible teaching and learning.’

Anyone unable to attend the consultation event can send an email to [email protected]

Following the consultation, the school’s governing body will meet to discuss the views of all parties before making a final decision. If the school decides to proceed with the proposal, it will aim to convert to academy status by January 1, 2018.