FOUR more schools in Somerset will become academies in the next 12 months, the county council has confirmed.

Schools near Bridgwater, Highbridge and Radstock will join existing multi-academy trusts, bringing the total number of academies in Somerset to 97.

Two of the schools involved will be required to convert to academies as a result of being rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.

These schools follow hot on the heels of four other schools which converted to academies in April and May – namely:

  • Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School in Hatch Beauchamp
  • North Curry Church of England VC Primary School in North Curry
  • St Vigor and St John Church School in Chilcompton
  • West Buckland Community  Primary School in West Buckland

St Vigor and St John has become part of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust, while Hatch Beauchamp has joined the Redstart Learning Partnership, which is based in Chard.

Both North Curry and West Buckland are now part of The Richard Huish Trust, based in Taunton.

Kevin Nacey, the council’s outgoing chief financial officer, confirmed the status of these schools in the council’s annual statement of accounts, which was published on June 1.

He said: “Four schools have academy orders agreed and will transfer early in 2018/19.”

The council’s website also lists two sets of forthcoming decisions relating to academies, each covering two different schools in Somerset.

The four schools which will become academies this year are:

  • Hemington Primary School near Radstock (rated ‘good’ in November 2016)
  • The King Alfred School in Highbridge (rated ‘inadequate’ in June 2017)
  • Otterhampton Primary School, north-west of Bridgwater (rated ‘requires improvement’ in January 2016)
  • Pawlett Primary School near Bridgwater (rated ‘inadequate’ in May 2017)
  • Hemington Primary School will become part of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership on August 1, with the school’s leasehold being transferred to the partnership on a 125-year lease.
  • Otterhampton Primary School will become part of the Bridgwater College Trust on the same date, with a similar lease being put in place.
  • The latter’s pre-school will also be transferred to the trust, but only on a 17-year lease.
  • The King Alfred School and Pawlett Primary School will both become part of the Priory Learning Trust in Weston-super-Mare, but the dates for this transfer have not yet been confirmed.

A council spokesman said: “We can confirm that both schools are required to convert as a result of ‘inadequate’ Ofsted judgements, and that the regional schools commissioner has decided that the Priory Learning Trust will be the sponsor.”

Schools which are rated as ‘inadequate’ or ‘coasting’ by Ofsted inspectors have faced pressure to become academies since the Education and Adoption Act was passed in 2016.

Elizabeth Smith, the council’s service manager for schools commissioning, said it was one of the county’s top priorities to “improve our schools and drive up results for our children at all ages.”

She added: “Sponsored academies will generally replace underperforming schools where standards need to be raised. Sponsors are held accountable to the Department for Education for their academies and in particular improving performance.”

Neal Chislett, the council’s head of school effectiveness, said in March that there had been a rise in the number of Ofsted inspections being carried out in Somerset in the last few years.

He said that there had been an accompanying rise in the number of ‘inadequate’ judgements in Somerset schools, requiring them to become sponsored academies.

He said: “The regional schools commissioner likes academy chains, which can take children through from nought to 18 years old.”