Hovingham Primary: Leeds school to join Owlcotes academy trust after successive Ofsted requires improvements
A Leeds primary school is set to become the ninth to join the Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust.
Hovingham Primary School will officially transfer to academy status after gaining approval from the Department for Education (DfE) in December 2024, Leeds City Council has confirmed.
The school will become the ninth to join the Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust, whose portfolio includes Armley Park and Morley Victoria primary's.
It comes after Hovingham received successive requires improvements ratings following Ofsted inspections in November 2021 and February 2024.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We can confirm we will now be entering into a commercial transfer agreement with the governing body of Hovingham and the Owlcotes Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).
“This agreement will facilitate the formal transfer of relevant assets and contracts from the council to Owlcotes MAT as part of the school’s forthcoming conversion into an academy.
“Teams from a number of council services – including children & families, finance and legal – have been working hard to ensure the transfer process runs as smoothly as possible for staff, parents and, most importantly, pupils.”
The commercial transfer will see all contracts assigned to Owlcotes Multi Academy Trust where third-party consent is not required, or where consent has been obtained. Where consent has not been granted prior to the conversion date, City Council will continue with the contract as an agent of the trust.
If a school wishes to become an academy, then an application can be made by its governing body to the DfE for permission to convert. Councils do not have the right or ability to prevent an academy conversion once such an application is approved.
The currently proposed conversion date is September 1, 2025. Owlcotes have been approached for comment.