AN ABINGDON primary school is in line to be the first of its kind in Oxfordshire to become an academy after impressing education inspectors.

Rush Common School will be the first stand-alone primary to break away from Oxfordshire County Council control if it converts in the spring.

And the school’s headteacher believes others will make the same move. The school was given the Government go-ahead last week after being rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

The move means the school will get funding direct from Government and will independently manage its budget, curriculum and staff.

Headteacher Maxine Evans said: “It is about the autonomy, about making decisions for ourselves based upon the local community we serve.

“We feel we are best placed to make decisions about which provision we have.”

She said the school would still work with the local authority and other schools but could buy services from elsewhere.

Dashwood Primary School in Banbury is set to become an academy this month but in a federation with secondary Banbury School.

Yet Mrs Evans added: “I think over the next few months other schools will come on board. It is a hot topic. It is coming on to everybody’s agenda.”

The Hendred Drive school, which has 413 pupils, was praised following the November inspection. It had been rated ‘good’ in 2007.

Inspector Barbara Atcheson said in her report: “This is an outstanding school... which is always looking for ways to improve and has a proven track record of dealing quickly with challenges and priorities.”

Chairman of governors Carol Oster Warriner said: “We strongly believe proceeding with academy status strengthens our ability to consistently secure outstanding outcomes.”

Father-of-two at the school Mark Reynolds, 33, of Reade Avenue, Abingdon, said parents had faith in the decision.

He said: “Getting rated outstanding is a clear indicator they know what they are doing and we should be confident.”

But Lynn Knapp, headteacher at Windmill Primary in Headington, said her school would not convert as it was important to remain a part of the council network. She said: “I feel schools would be isolated rather than work together.”

Melinda Tilley refused to comment when asked about the financial implications for the council if more and more schools became academies.