SOUTHEND Council will launch a new board to monitor education in the borough as more schools leave its control to become academies.

The ruling Tory cabinet is expected to approve plans to scrap the current Schools Forum and replace it with an Education Board on Tuesday as a means of holding academies, which fall outside of Local Education Authority control, to account.

Councillor responsible for education, James Courtenay, who will sit on the board, said it will help schools work together to raise standards

It would also include a role for Regional Schools Commissioner Tim Coulston.

He said: “The idea behind the Education Board is to drive up standards. As more schools become academies, the local authority has less statutory responsibility, but still has a role to play in ensuring accountability.

“The board will incorporate the local authority, represent all headteachers and academy sponsors, with good schools helping others to improve and allowing the leadership to worry about the day to day running of their schools.

“It would be a one-stop-shop to keep an eye on all the schools in the town.”

As well as school representatives, membership of the board would also be extended to include universities, local businesses, health professionals, and council officers, in order to consider children’s welfare and education in the round.

If the cabinet agrees the recommendation, a formal consultation will take place during the summer, with the board being set up by September and a first meeting taking place the following month.

The creation of the board appeared to have strong support from academies and non-academy schools alike.

Stuart Reynolds is headteacher of Futures Community College, in Southchurch Boulevard, Southend, which is preparing to join the Partnership Learning academy trust.

He said: “I think it’s a forward-looking thing to do, so local authorities can have involvement and influence over school improvement in Southend because, with academies, it’s the regional commissioner who has responsibility.

“I think it’s also a sensible way to address changes in policy from the Department for Education and making sure everyone benefits from it.”

Dr Robin Bevan, headteacher of Southend High School for Boys, Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff, added: “I think it’s a superb development. With the rise of individual academies and clusters of schools in academy trusts, there’s a real risk the relationship between the people of the town and their schools get broken.

“I think every voting member of the public wants to at least be able to have some say over the quality and direction of travel for the schools in the town, and I think the education board would also reinforce the existing sense of quite strong co-operation between schools.”