PROPOSED ACADEMIES FOR HASTINGS

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PROPOSED ACADEMIES FOR HASTINGS
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Scope of Presentation

• The purpose of this presentation is to answer
  some key questions you may have about the
  proposed academies

• Why do we need academies in Hastings?
• Who are the sponsors?
• What are they proposing?
• What are the benefits of academies?
• What happens next?

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Why do we need academies in Hastings?

• Hastings is the 31st most deprived borough in
  England, the most deprived in the south east,
  with substantial concentration of economic
  activity and intergenerational unemployment
• In 2008, Hastings was the lowest attaining
  borough out of 354, based on summer 2008 GCSE
  results
• We therefore need a radical intervention strategy
  that will both combat disadvantage and raise
  aspirations and attainment in the long term

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Why do we need academies in Hastings?

• Results at the three schools have been up and
  down over the years, with a downward trend until
  the 2008 results
• Four of the five secondary schools in Hastings
  are in the governments National Challenge
  programme, with the three federated schools
  classed as high risk
• The three schools are now working together
  successfully through the federation under the
  leadership of Ninestiles Plus (Phase 1 of our
  school improvement strategy)
• We need a long term solution to ensure that we
  build on the benefits of this federation (Phase 2
  of our school improvement strategy)

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Why do we need academies in Hastings?

• Our key purpose is to put in place permanent
  long-term arrangements that will continue to
  raise standards for the young people of Hastings
• We will do this to help the town grow and prosper
  and to bring new investment
• The key questions are how we
• keep standards rising
• build on the foundations we have laid through the
  support of Ninestiles Plus and
• provide extra resources, experience and
  opportunities

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Why do we need two academies and not three?

• The number of secondary age students in the town
  is going down
• In particular, there are not enough students in
  St Leonards to keep two secondary schools going
• Neither The Grove nor Filsham Valley on its own
  has enough suitable accommodation for all the
  students
• We therefore need one school to ensure that all
  our students can get the very best we can offer,
  with modern state of the art facilities
• The academy programme provides the best way to do
  this because it provides access to funding for
  new buildings
• This funding would be available for both Academy
  West and Academy East but is not currently
  available outside the academy programme

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Who are the sponsors?

• The lead sponsor is the University of Brighton
• The co-sponsors are BT and East Sussex County
  Council
• This is a powerful combination of a higher
  education, public sector, sponsor with a blue
  chip private sector sponsor and the local
  authority

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Who are the sponsors?

• The University is fully committed to Hastings and
  has established the University Centre, bringing
  higher education opportunities to many local
  people
• It has the best School of Education in England
  Ofsted has said that its provision for every
  stage of education is outstanding
• Its research is also excellent with one third
  rated as world class and two thirds as of
  international standing

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Who are the sponsors?

• BT is one of the worlds leading providers of
  telecommunications operating in 170 countries
• The companys vision is to help create a better,
  more sustainable world for everyone and to
  promote the communication skills that people need
  to lead happy and successful lives
• BT has the best in business practice and world
  class research and development in technology
• It has previous experience in sponsoring an
  academy in Manchester

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Who are the sponsors?

• The County Council has chosen to be a co-sponsor
• The Members of the County Council want to do this
  to ensure that local elected people can continue
  to play a vital role in Hastings schools
• East Sussex is the top performing county council
  in England (awarded 4 star performance in its
  annual performance assessment)

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What are the sponsors responsibilities?

• The sponsors are responsible for the leadership
  and oversight of the academies
• They are expected to bring added value to the
  academies through their specialist expertise and
  experience, particularly in education, skills and
  training
• The sponsors act as trustees of the academy and
  are responsible for
• Deciding its curriculum
• Employing the staff
• Managing the assets and finances of the academy
• Deciding the admissions
• Setting up an endowment fund
• The sponsors are accountable to the Secretary of
  State under requirements set out in the Funding
• Agreement

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The Sponsors Vision

• The sponsors aim is to help parents and students
  to embark on a journey from pre-school through to
  further and higher education as the basis for
  employment, higher skills and greater prosperity
• The sponsors proposals provide a unique
  opportunity to design, build and put in place a
  new kind of school to serve their local
  communities, and to create opportunities
  previously unavailable to the people of Hastings

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The Sponsors proposals

• Two new academies for students aged 11-16
• New schools with new names
• Same sponsors for both schools in a single trust
• The option of federated academies with one
  governing body

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The Sponsors proposals

• The sponsors have to make sure there are enough
  places for young people in the local community
• They are therefore proposing
• six forms of entry (900) for the Academy East
• ten forms of entry (1500) for the Academy West
• To ensure a friendly, caring atmosphere the
  sponsors are proposing a schools within schools
  model which has worked successfully elsewhere

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The Sponsors proposals

• The academies will serve their local communities
• There will be no selection by ability or aptitude
• Existing students will have a guaranteed place in
  their local academy
• If there are more applications than places, the
  County Councils normal rules will apply

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The Sponsors proposals

• The sponsors are proposing that
• The academies will teach specialist subjects -
  English and ICT (East) Maths and ICT (West)
• Improved SEN provision - speech, language and
  communication (East) physical/sensory/autism
  (West)
• Multi-agency family support unit at each academy
  (currently only one, in The Grove)
• The County Council will have to meet the cost of
  the SEN and multi-agency provision

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The Sponsors proposals

• The academies will be for the 11-16 age range
• They will make provision for students aged 14-19
  through their strong links with Sussex Coast
  College (Academy 6), Bexhill Sixth Form College
  and other training providers
• The sponsors are proposing to set up a vocational
  centre in the West to match the new vocational
  provision in the East

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The Sponsors proposals

• The sponsors understand the need for a smooth
  transition
• They will do all they can to ensure that
  students studies are not disrupted
• These arrangements will be carefully planned
  between now and the academies opening
• The close working of the schools in the
  federation supported by Ninestiles Plus will help
  this transition

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What are the benefits of our academies?

• The Academies will
• Provide the best opportunities for the young
  people in our most needy communities
• Have access to the extra capacity and expertise
  of the sponsors
• The best professional development
• World-class research in teaching and learning
• Outstanding management expertise
• Cutting edge research and development in ICT
• Democratic accountability
• Provide opportunities for new ideas, innovation
  and best practice
• Ensure the progress made through the federation
  continues

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What are the benefits of our academies?
The Academies will

• Bring access to huge investment in new and
  remodelled buildings
• Provide improved facilities, including SEN,
  sports facilities and ICT infrastructure
• Provide this for all young people in the
  catchment area with no selection and within the
  current admissions rules
• Bring new opportunities for communities that we
  could not otherwise get e.g. multi-agency family
  support unit
• Give extra choice and diversity to parents
• Enable standards to keep rising

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10 Myths About Our Academies (1)

• The academies will not be accountable to local
  people
• Local interests will not be represented on the
  governing body
• Ownership of the land and building will transfer
  to the sponsors
• The academies will break up the family of local
  schools
• The sponsors will bring in selection

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10 Myths About Our Academies (2)

• The academies will be exclusive and wont cater
  for local students
• We will not be able to check their claims about
  improved results
• The academies wont cater for the needs of
  vulnerable children, particularly those with SEN
• The sponsors will change the terms and conditions
  of staff
• The academies will be better funded then
  community schools

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What happens next?

• Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have been approved
  by the Minister and funding released for a
  feasibility study
• The DCSF have just appointed an independent
  Project Management Company to run the feasibility
  study
• Public consultations will take place as part of
  this study in September and October
• Sponsor consultation on the opening of the
  academies
• Local authority statutory consultation on the
  closure of the predecessor schools

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What happens next?

• As part of this study, the sponsors will
• Produce the Education Brief for the academy
• Consult with parents, students, staff governors
  and the wider community about what they want to
  see in the academies
• Consider carefully the views of parents and
  students about the academy and its design
• Consider the governance and management
  arrangements for the academy in the light of the
  consultations
• Start the process of appointing the Principal -
  which will only go ahead if the Minister approves
  the proposals

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of pupils achieving 5 A-C Grades
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of pupils achieving 5 A-C Grades
5 A-C   15 year olds
Filsham Valley Hillcrest The Grove
1999 45 42 29
2000 45 39 25
2001 36 31 30
2002 39 38 38
2003 39 31 34
2004 40 27 34
2005 34 26 39
2006 34 25 31
2007 30 29 37
2008 49 23 41
2009 66 76 80
sources
2009 provisional results collected from the school 2009 provisional results collected from the school 2009 provisional results collected from the school
all other data from DCSF AAT tables all other data from DCSF AAT tables all other data from DCSF AAT tables
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of pupils achieving 5 A-C Grades including
English and Maths
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of pupils achieving 5 A-C Grades including
English and Maths
5 A-C incl Eng maths   15 year olds
Filsham Valley Hillcrest The Grove
1999      
2000      
2001      
2002 25 30 21
2003 31 21 17
2004 24 18 18
2005 28 15 18
2006 30 17 17
2007 24 20 25
2008 34 16 12
2009 34 34 37
sources
2009 provisional results collected from the school 2009 provisional results collected from the school 2009 provisional results collected from the school
all other data from DCSF AAT tables all other data from DCSF AAT tables all other data from DCSF AAT tables