EDUCATION is changing rapidly and schools will need to make changes to keep up.

Cooper School and Glory Farm schools have taken the first steps towards becoming an academy.

They are following in the footsteps of many Oxfordshire schools that have already converted to academy status or which are going through the process.

By becoming an academy, a school gets more control of its finances, admissions and curriculum. So, there are benefits.

And in light of proposed cuts to education services by Oxfordshire County Council, it seems now is an appropriate time to look at the options for our town’s schools.

At this stage, other primary schools have been invited to join the trust and talks have taken place at senior levels.

Moving away from local authority control is a big step and the schools and governing bodies are right to explore all the options before coming to a final decision.

One of the benefits must surely be local people having more influence on how a school is run and the ability to make decisions about education in the town.

Schools have already collaborated to jointly pay for the North Oxfordshire Schools Sports Partnership to continue to provide better sport in schools.

So, further collaboration may reap more benefits for children. It seems the more schools that join forces, the better spending power.

Maybe the future is an academy trust for all the town’s schools?

For all those involved the most important thing is our children’s education.

We all want the best and agreeing on that principle is a good place to start any discussion.