TAVISTOCK College is to hold an open meeting in October about its proposal to convert to academy status and form a multi-academy trust in partnership with several other schools.

A multi-academy trust (MAT) is a group of schools that work together in a formal arrangement; all schools within a MAT are governed by a single board of trustees responsible for decisions relating to how each school is run.

There will still be a local governing body which will monitor and challenge the quality of education in each respective school.

The name of the proposed MAT would be the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust.

The college is holding a consultation event on Thursday, October 5 from 5pm to 6pm in the school’s main hall. Any views expressed at the meeting will be captured and included in the final considerations of the governing body.

A record of the meeting will be distributed to all parents and placed on the school website alongside answers to questions that were determined at a previous consultation.

The formal consultation period started on September 18 and closes at 4pm on Friday, October 20. Anyone unable to attend the consultation event on October 5 can submit comments and views to consultation@ tavistockcollege.org

Each school within the MAT would become an academy, though locally there would be little change. Schools would still retain their individual names and uniform policies. There would still be a headteacher on-site, responsible for the day-to-day running of the school.

There would still be a local governing body which would monitor and challenge the quality of educational provision in the school. The difference is that in future, individual schools will be supported by the Dartmoor MAT’s board of trustees. These trustees would have legal responsibility for monitoring the quality of education across the schools in the MAT and ensure the appropriate resources are made available.

Becoming an academy also means that funding from central government is sent directly to each school, which can then decide where all the monies are spent to best effect.

The governing body will consider a report on the academy consultation before making a final decision on whether to proceed with the proposal. If the governing body agrees to proceed, Tavistock College will join the Dartmoor MAT and the school will aim to convert to academy status on January 1, 2018.

Tavistock College principal Sarah Jones said: ‘We hope that people take part in this consultation, either through emailing views or by coming to the meeting on October 5. As a co-operative school, we greatly value your input.’

Some frequently asked questions and answers are available on the school website in order to assist with the consultation process.