THE governors at another Basingstoke secondary school are discussing the pros and cons of converting to an academy.

Parents at Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School, in St Michael’s Road, South Ham, have been informed that the governing body is investigating whether the school should convert.

Currently, Everest Community College, in Popley, is the only secondary school in Basingstoke to have applied to become an academy, by joining the Academy Enterprise Trust.

Tony Corish, headteacher at Bishop Challoner, which is a voluntary-aided school, said it could convert without joining a trust, because it has received a good Ofsted report.

He added: “We could become an academy very easily. All schools will be discussing it – if they aren’t there’s something wrong. But locally, I don’t see any other schools which are close to applying.”

He said the governors at Bishop Challoner were assessing the benefits, and added: “We are looking at the evidence and the pros and cons and taking our time. Will we apply? I don’t know.”

The headteacher warned that an announcement by Edu-cation Secretary Michael Gove could completely change the situation.

He has said he will review funding cuts after 23 councils threatened legal action against a Government cut of £148million for support services, such as special needs education. It was thought that many schools decided to convert to academies because of the cuts, which would not affect academy schools.

Mr Corish said: “Schools which were going to become academies might get less funding than they thought. We are being very cautious and any decision will be for the benefit of the pupils of the school.

“I will inform them when I have something to update them with. At the moment, I think the benefits are difficult to see clearly. If the financial arrangements change, which they might, the benefits might be less clear. And voluntary-aided schools already have some of the benefits, so they might not be as attractive to us.”