A PRIMARY school has been granted academy status after receiving a letter of confirmation from Education Secretary Michael Gove.

The Priory Primary School in Pamber End, Tadley, is now officially free of Hampshire County Council as its Local Education Authority, and will make its own decisions about education and management.

The school, which has 169 children, already had foundation status, and Suzanne Kelly, head teacher, said it was a natural progression to become an academy.

She added: “We already had some of the freedom – we look after our own payroll. But following the outstanding Ofsted report last March, it seemed like the natural step to take. We consulted parents and spoke to staff and children and we felt it was the right thing to do. It will give us the opportunity to do exciting things with the curriculum.”

Previously, schools needed to be graded as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted to become an academy school, but now all schools are allowed to apply.

Academy status means the school is publicly funded but has greater freedom from local authority control.

Mrs Kelly said: “It will mean that we can adapt the curriculum ideas for the children. Standards will remain high but if we want to do a block of teaching on a certain topic, we can, or devote a whole day to something.”

Academy schools also set pay and conditions for staff and can change the lengths of school terms and days.

They continue to receive the same funding per pupil, but are also given top-up funding to meet additional responsibilities which are no longer managed by the local authority.

The Priory applied to the Department for Education last year, and then entered into a funding agreement with the Secretary of State.

Funding then comes directly from the Government, allowing the school to decide how to use it, rather than via Hampshire County Council, which has now ceased to maintain the school.

Children at The Priory gathered in the playground with parents to officially declare the school an academy on Tuesday. Mrs Kelly said: “This is a really historic day in the history of The Priory school.”

Parent Joanna Benke-Smith, from Monk Sherborne, has two children at the school. She said: “More money will be directed to the school as a whole. The children are really excited about it because it makes it their own school.”