SCHOOL chairman of governors, Terence Carney, revealed that a relatively small number of parents responded to the consultation process on the school moving towards academy status.
He said: “Proportionately, there was not a great deal of feedback from parents – we are talking about a few hundred, rather than potentially thousands – but of those who did respond, most seemed to support the move.
“I must stress that this is about ensuring the financial security of the school in very uncertain times and securing what is best for our children, while continuing to work in the community for the benefit of all children.
“This is not about going out into the private marketplace and asking for investment, as may have been the case when Tony Blair launched academies, but rather about the school being able to tap into vital sources of funding that it is currently not able to do.”
And while St Joseph’s was originally a grammar school, Mr Carney also stressed it was one of the first in the area to “embrace the comprehensive ethos”.
Mr Carney, who has been a St Joseph’s governor for 18 years, said the matter will now be considered by the trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Newcastle, before coming back to the Hebburn school for verification.
While supporting the move towards multi-academy status, which would involve Catholic feeder primary schools, Mr Carney said he was “no fan” of Conservative Education Secretary Michael Gove, adding: “This is all about ensuring the future stability and financial security of St Joseph’s.”
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