HEADTEACHERS have rejected new calls for schools in Oxfordshire to become academies.

They said there was no clear advantage to the change and that joining multi-school trusts would mean giving up independence.

It comes as Cherwell School Academy Trust unveiled plans to become one of the largest body of its kind in the county.

Oxfordshire County Council is currently considering a “more assertive” policy towards schools, where education bosses would encourage those still under council control to form ‘multi-academy trusts’ funded directly by the Department of Education.

More than 75 per cent of secondary schools in the county are now academies, but the number of primary schools to convert remains low.

Only a quarter of primaries have converted, despite a national policy requiring all schools to do so eventually.

Head of Windmill Primary School, Headington, Lynn Knapp, said: “I cannot see any educational benefits and the whole bureaucratic process would not be worthwhile.

“A lot of primary schools have stuck it out because they do not think it is the right thing to do.”

The school, maintained by the county council, was this year rated ‘outstanding’ by education watchdog Ofsted.

Ms Knapp added: “If we were in a multi-academy trust, I would be concerned about losing autonomy.

“We have discussed it and if it came to the crunch we would want an arrangement where we had equality.”

Sue Vermes, head of Rose Hill Primary, said: “We would need to be persuaded of the advantages. The fear with many primary schools is loss of autonomy.”

This week Cherwell School Academy Trust, under its new name of River Learning Trust, said it was to take on Wolvercote Primary and Tower Hill Primary, Witney.

It already runs the Cherwell School and Cutteslowe Primary, north Oxford.

Wheatley Park Secondary may join, while a secondary free school, the Swan School, is set to open in 2017.

River Learning Trust chief Paul James said: “In the current climate, schools converting to academies is the direction of travel.

“It’s much easier to join an established academy trust than start one from scratch.

“We already see the benefits of schools working together and we only expect these benefits to grow in coming years.

“The schools are drawn together by shared values but it won’t be to the detriment of each school’s individuality.”

Melinda Tilley, cabinet member for children, education and families, said the change was in response to strong signals from the Government that the remaining council-maintained schools should convert to academies.

There are now 15 multi-academy trusts in Oxfordshire, with 61 academies between them.