Michelmores’ Education team has completed 30 academy transactions in time for 1 September 2015 – setting a new record for the firm.
The majority of the transactions were dealt with in a short timeframe over the summer period, including a number of schools requiring significant improvement − meaning it was vital that the completions took place as soon as possible.
The Education team at Michelmores work with a large number of successful school-led Multi Academy Trusts across the UK, who have the capacity and expertise to support those schools that are in vulnerable situations.
Janine Waring, Chief Executive Officer at one of the team’s Multi Academy Trust’s, St Christopher’s (Primary) Multi Academy Trust, said:
‘When a school converts to academy status, it is a key event in its history but more importantly in today’s climate for multi-academy trusts, it is about joining a family. For schools in special measures the conversion has even more significance. For the school it is a chance for a caring, professional and rigorous organisation to take the strain of some of the responsibility and to support them to make rapid progress.
“Reaching conversion, following all of the external support and legal expertise required to get to that point, brings to an end the ‘pain’ they have gone through, continues the support but shows them that from the point the decision to convert was made, they were never alone. The Education Team’s vision and ethos matches that of the organisations they are working with and the compassionate approach they provide can be a great source of comfort to schools leaders and governors at what can be a very difficult period of change for them. Nothing is ever too much.”
A Solicitor in the Education team said:
“The summer has certainly not been without its challenges. The sheer volume of academy projects we are dealing with is a reflection of the current Government’s agenda and this influx is only set to grow once the draft Education Bill is implemented. As with any conversion or transfer, there are complexities but receiving pictures from clients like the one above, puts everything into perspective and reminds us of how important it is that legal issues do not become a barrier to children’s outcomes.”