Academy conversion can give rise to complex issues that cause headaches for heads, governors and school business managers. Dealing with property and construction can be a stumbling block, holding up a process which has tough deadlines to meet. Having the support of an expert team - experienced in complex property negotiations, with the foresight to anticipate and avoid potential problems and the contacts to get things moving quickly - can make all the difference.

Smoothing the process

We have a proven track record of advising on property and construction in relation to academy conversions. The benefits of instructing our team include:

• Strong links with the DfE - we have helped shape DfE policy on key property issues.
• Knowledge of procedural issues - each school requires a different property solution.  We negotiate leases, transfers, licences and transfer directions.  We act quickly to produce the report on title as early as possible.
• Ability to achieve pragmatic solutions on technical issues, such as whether your site constitutes publicly funded land.  The DfE seeks to protect public investment in land.  This can cause complexities where investment has been made in private land.  We identify potential problems quickly and provide a solution to enable the conversion to proceed without delay.
• Successful negotiation with third party owners - agreeing the standard DfE lease is not always straightforward. We understand the concerns that charitable organisations and dioceses can have as landowners and are often able to pre-empt them, saving schools significant time on their conversion.
• Sector expertise - our national presence means we have established contacts with local authorities nationwide enabling us to agree documents and complete projects quickly.
• Awareness of third party issues -  for example third party funding arrangements secured on property (Sport England, Big Lottery Fund, Arts Council etc).
• Understanding shared use arrangements - our experience includes advising on leisure centres, theatres, swimming pools, combined cadet forces and an equestrian centre, all of which enables us to resolve any practical issues swiftly.
• Protecting the academy's interests - including novation of ongoing construction contracts/consultant appointments and assignment of completed construction contracts, collateral warranties and product guarantees.  This secures a contractual link to those parties responsible for design and construction, which would otherwise be lost.

If you need help with the property or construction aspects of your school’s academy conversion,  please contact Tristan Foot on 0117 314 5628.