Guidance from NAHT, ISBL, TheSchoolBus and VWV providing school business professionals with a useful checklist to assist with the due diligence process as their schools contemplate a move to academisation.

NAHT believes every school should have the right to choose the governance arrangements it wants and the decision to become an academy should belong to the school itself. This decision should be made with the best interests of current and future pupils in mind. School leaders need to be clear from the outset what academy conversion will involve, including the importance of consulting with staff and parents at the earliest opportunity. The benefits of collaboration between schools are clear, so conversion to academy status ought to build on the effective collaborations that already exist. Becoming an academy will often take you out of your comfort zone as a school leader and will certainly require a considerable amount of work. This guide is designed to help you with every stage of the process.