Dunn Deal and Money Money Money

Why can't the money that will be made available to the Academy be given instead to the grammar school to update the very old buildings?

Some of the money comes from the private sector and they will want to influence how that is spent. DINGGGGGGG (That’s the sound of alarm bells)

For the significant central government investment the DCSF will want assurances that standards will improve quickly and this means real changes in approach and accountability.
Couldn’t agree more. (but how this is done leaves a lot to be desired; at the very least a need to be open to full public scrutiny – which we’ve not been given)

It is not just a question of throwing money at the problem. There must be a guarantee high aspirations will lead to new educational opportunities and higher educational achievements for local young people.Waffling of the highest order.
But in fact, studies show that it is INVESTMENT not the academies themselves which make the difference. There is another funding stream called “Excellence in Cities” (obviously not appropriate to Midhurst). The point is that EiC-funded schools which stayed in Local Authority control had less capital funding, but raised standards and results better than academies on a like-for-like basis (except the EiC schools kept the same proportion of SEN students and students eligible for FSM, unlike academies). New buildings, feel-good factor: that’s what parents like when looking at a new academy. But buildings and facilities are new for only so long. High apsirations, opportunties and achievements can be provided for very well by OUR schools.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has been quite clear with us. There is no prospect of any significant capital investment coming Midhurst's way for years to come unless we secure what can now be made available to us.
This is what we keep hearing. Apart from the fact that it’s very interesting that this was only such a burning issue when the academy beast reared its head, we still have not had a satisfactory answer to the allocation on the BSF website: http://www.p4s.org.uk:80/programme/la_west_sussex.jsp which states that West Sussex is in Wave 10-12, not 12-15, probably 15 as is bandied about
Maybe West Sussex have another school/schools in line for this BSF funding, and giving away our secondaries is the easiest and best ££££ decision for them. If they think we are in such desperate need for the money that we need to sign over the schools to a private sponsor in a few months, as soon as the money is released to West Sussex, they must invest in the Rother Valley and keep our school(s) our own.

To turn down up to some £30m of capital funding would be wrong (my italics) and would deprive local children and school staff the opportunity they deserve of working in the most supportive learning environment that could be provided.
This sounds more like Dunn. It really does make me cross- what an insult to many of the fantastic staff we have now! Are they incapable of providing the most supportive learning environment that could be provided?!