ABSTRACT
It was inevitable that the legislation which initiated grant-maintained schools would cause political friction between schools that were attempting to opt out and their maintaining LEA and that the ground rules for the opting out process would be tested in the courts at an early date. The following account by Cecil Knight, OBE, Headteacher of Small Heath School in Birmingham, explores the factors which motivated the governors of his school to call a parental ballot on grant-maintained status and should be read against the wider political backdrop. He describes the process which was followed, highlighting the legal and practical challenges that were encountered and indicating the essential components of such a campaign. Finally, Cecil Knight provides some pointers to what schools must do after a successful ballot and when the Secretary of State gives his approval. Small Heath School was amongst the first eighteen schools to be incorporated as grant-maintained in September 1989.
