HEAD TEACHERS in York have given a cool response to Government proposals to allow primary and secondary schools to become academies.

Education Secretary Michael Gove is writing to all head teachers offering them the chance to be directly funded by the state so by-passing the local education authority.

Schools which are rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted inspectors could even be fast-tracked to academy status if they so chose.

Carole Farrar, of New Earswick Primary School, said: “Ultimately, it’s a decision for governing bodies, but my personal feelings are that I would need to know a lot more about it before I would even consider it.

“I know it’s in the headlines, but we certainly don’t have enough information.

“The other point is that we are very happy as we are and more than happy with the support we get at the moment from the local authority.”

Dave Ellis, head teacher at York High School, also said he was very happy with the support given by City of York Council’s education department.

But he said in the future governing bodies and head teachers would have to examine opportunities that become available and take decisions that would best serve the school and its students.

Stephen Watkins, the regional spokesman for the National Association of Head Teachers, said changing status could be attractive for head teachers who felt they did not receive the support they wanted from their local authority, but also wanted more details of the proposals.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, is strictly opposed to the proposals.

A spokesman said: “It is staggering that a Government that is committed to community empowerment is now seeking to disenfranchise democratically elected local councils who represent local people and deny them any say when proposals come forward to open new academy schools.

“Given the imperative to tackle the budget deficit, the Academies Bill represents a costly and unnecessary solution to a problem that simply does not exist.”