Questions and Answers
This page has some of the questions that were asked at the Open Events by stakeholders and answers from the Academy project team.
General
The Sponsors
Academy buildings and facilities
Faith
Admissions
Curriculum and Extra-curricular facilities
Academy Specialisms
Students
Staff
Academy Uniform
General
Q. What is an Academy?
A. Academies are Government funded schools that provide a first class, free education to local students of all abilities.
Each Academy is unique, able to provide local solutions to local needs, drawing on the expertise of Sponsors to deliver a distinctive ethos. They have additional flexibility to be more creative in what they offer and how they are organised and run. All offer a broad and balanced curriculum, consistent with national curriculum requirements, and focus on one or more specialisms.
Academies are all-ability schools established by Sponsors from a wide range of backgrounds including business, faith or voluntary groups working in highly innovative partnerships with central Government and local education and other partners. Should the proposal to open this Academy go ahead, the Department for Education (DfE) would fund the running costs at the same level as other specialist secondary schools in Stoke-on-Trent.
Successful Academies share specialist experience and facilities with other primary, secondary and special schools, together with the local community. In this way, they play their part in the regeneration of communities, providing a focus for learning and raising aspiration.
Q. What are the benefits of becoming an Academy?
A. The Academy will raise standards by innovative approaches to management, governance, teaching and the curriculum and it will have the ability to be creative in the structure of the school timetable.
The Academy will offer a broad range of academic and vocational programmes designed to support students' progression to a wide range of destinations. Throughout the curriculum there will be a commitment to raising students' aspirations and developing skills and competencies that give students the confidence and maturity to enter further and higher education or the world of work. In addition to this, each student will have access to a whole range of experiences which the Diocese of Lichfield and Woodard Schools believe contribute to well-rounded young adults. For example going on stage and receiving applause, having a holiday without one's parents, playing a musical instrument, taking part in a sporting activity and cultural opportunities.
In the long term, the Academy will also benefit from facilities in line with the very best in the maintained sector. These would offer an exceptional learning environment that challenges and engages learners using technology, which is personal, diverse, and empowering, and which promotes individual and group learning as well as high quality teaching.
Q. What will be different about childrens' experiences in September 2011?
A. Students will notice a difference from the first day the Academy opens. Despite being in the same buildings, with the same staff and friends, they will see - and feel a difference.
The change will not just be in a new name, a new school logo or a new uniform but, there will be a new ethos for the school and a new structure to the day. Students in current Woodard Academies have said that they noticed a change in discipline, respect and attitudes as well as a new business like uniform that made them 'ready to work'.
Academies also normally receive more funding than the schools they replace in the first years of operation so students and staff will also notice extra resources available to them in those early years of the Academy.
Q. Why should the Academy replace the current schools?
A. Academies bring a distinctive approach to school leadership drawing on the skills of sponsors and other supporters. They give new opportunities for developing educational strategies that will raise standards and contribute to diversity in areas experiencing a range of difficulties.
The Academy will be all ability state maintained schools supported by the City Council and working in innovative partnerships with central government and local education partners. The Department for Education will meet the capital and running costs for the Academy in full, as a part of an overall strategy to raise standards.
Q. Will the Academy be inspected by Ofsted?
A. Yes, all Academies are inspected by Ofsted using the same framework as for maintained schools. A full inspection is carried out on an Academy within 5 or 6 terms of opening.
Q. Will the Academy be accountable?
A. The aim is that the Academy would be at the heart of its local communities, and established in consultation with local stakeholders. Local interests will be represented on the governing body.
The Academy will be a local school for local children. The governing body and the principal have responsibility for managing the Academy. Stakeholders including staff, parents, and City Council representatives, as well as the sponsors' nominees, will make up the governing body. As trustees the governing body will have a public duty to act in the interests of the Academy and not the sponsors. Their accountability will be similar to many maintained schools.
The governing body of an Academy is accountable to the Secretary of State for Education through the legally binding requirements of a Funding Agreement. The Funding Agreement requires the governing body to publish procedures of its meetings. As charitable companies, Academies must also prepare and file annual accounts with the Charity Comm ission, prepare an annual report for the Charity Commissioners, and ensure that their accounts are independently audited.
Q. How can I make my voice heard?
A. The Academy Project Team will continue to develop its detailed proposals for your Academy. Following the first newsletter and open meetings, there will be a range of opportunities for students, staff, parents and the local community to make their voices heard.
- There will be Academy Discussion Groups on a termly basis. These will be promoted via the Academy website and newsletters
- The project website is updated regularly and also includes an email feedback mechanism
- The Project Manager can be emailed or written to directly
- A range of further meetings will be held with groups representing all elements of the communities affected
Q. If we decide the Academy is not for us, can we change our option of school?
A. Admissions Policies of all schools include provision for in-year transfer. Parents of children wishing to move schools should contact the local Admissions Team for further advice on helpline no 01782 236885/236867.
Q. Who gets the final say on whether the proposed Academy goes ahead?
A. The legal decisions to close Berry Hill and St Peter's High Schools have already been taken, subject to the Sponsors signing the Funding Agreement (Contract) with the Secretary of State. We are currently in the "Feasibility" stage, where we are testing out plans for the Academy.
If the Sponsors come to the view that opening the Academy is not feasible, then the proposal will not go ahead and the existing schools will remain open. Equally, it is possible that the Secretary of State could decide not to proceed with the proposed Academy. However, the fact that Ministers approved the Feasibility stage suggests that there is a will to see this project succeed. The Local Authority could withdraw BSF Funding, but that is most unlikely because the capital funding for the Academies in Stoke-on-Trent is part of a whole package of capital support and funding negotiated and approved by the LA and the Government via Partnerships for Schools (PfS). In the event that the Academy project did not proceed, the LA would need to consider and revise its strategy and re-apply to Government for funding for a revised BSF programme. This would cause delay and there is a risk that post-election, the equivalent funding may not be available.
Q. Why do the schools need to become Academies, why can't they just stay open as they are?
A. The Academy programme is an integral part of the city's Building Schools for the Future Programme, which is now implementing the decisions taken by the Cabinet in 2009 to re-organise the secondary and special schools in Stoke-on-Trent. The citywide strategy to introduce academies amongst other types of schools will strengthen the diversity of education offered, increase choice for parents, and introduce new ways of educational thinking, and challenges that will help to raise aspirations and attainment of all the children and young people in the city. They will also play a key role in helping the regeneration of the city.
Q. Can we have the money without it being an Academy? If not - why not?
A. The City Council has now secured £250 million funding in principle for the citywide Building Schools for the Future programme, based on the strategy to re-organise the secondary and special school estate which was approved by Cabinet in 2009. An integral part of this strategy is to turn some of the schools into academies so that Stoke-on-Trent offers a wide choice of education pathways to students and their families. If this strategy is changed, the City Council would need to re-apply to Government for funding, which would significantly delay the programme; and in the current economic climate there is a risk that funding may not be available in future.
Q. Why is the Academy going to be called St. Peter's?
A. Sponsors have thought long and hard about this. Firstly, this is not a take-over by St Peter's High School. Both St Peter's and Berry Hill High Schools will close on 31st August 2011, and (assuming all goes well) a new school called St Peter's Academy will open on the two sites on 1st September 2011, before the move to Fenton.
We chose St Peter's as the name for a number of reasons. First of all, we are conscious that the current St Peter's is a legacy of the Christian witness in Stoke-on-Trent going back for many decades, and we wanted to recognise the commitment and vision for a school that led the Christian community to establish a school called St Peter's. St Peter's Academy will be the third incarnation of a school called St Peter's in Stoke - the first being a primary school and the second the current High School. When it moves to Fenton the Academy will also be located within the parish boundary of the Stoke Team Ministry, of which St Peter ad Vincula Church plays a leading role. The current St Peter's school is not actually in St Peter's parish, and as a Diocese we like our schools to have the name of the parish church. Finally, taking up that theme of the succession of schools in Stoke, the Academy will effectively be the successor in title to St Peter's High School, and we believe it carries a recognisable "brand", whereas a school with a completely different name would be more of an unknown quantity.
Q. When will the Funding Agreement be signed?
A. The Funding Agreement is expected to be signed in Autumn 2010.
Q. What steps will be taken to minimise disruption to students taking GCSE's in 2013-2014 when the Academy would move into new buildings?
A. The move to the new site would take place over the summer holidays 2013. Students will start at the new site in September 2013 so disruption will be minimal, if any. Furthermore, students taking their GCSEs would benefit from new facilities which would be in line with the very best in the maintained sector. These would offer an exceptional learning environment that challenges and engages learners using technology, which is personal, diverse, and empowering, and which promotes individual and group learning as well as high quality teaching.
Q. Are there concerns about merging with Berryhill which has a poor reputation and behavioural difficulties?
A. There will be a consistency of standards across the Academy. The sponsors are creating an institution that will improve on both the predecessor schools.
Q. What will be the disciplinary and exclusion procedures at the new Academy?
A. The expectation will be that students are well behaved and well presented. A happy community for students leads to a creative environment and we hope to not have to exclude anyone. However, in some cases expulsion may be necessary to protect and maintain the ethos of the Academy. A full disciplinary policy will be finalised during the feasibility stage of the proposal.
Q. What systems will be used in the new Academy? What training will be provided for new systems implemented?
A. Systems to be used by Staff and students will be determined over the months leading up to the opening of the new academy. The Government provides a number of SSAT raining days and some during funding for training. Training needs will be an important consideration in decisions taken about any new systems to be introduced.
The Sponsors
Q. Why the Diocese of Lichfield?
A. The Diocese of Lichfield has a long history of involvement in schools, with a track record of high standards and a commitment to building an ethos based on Christian values, which emphasises the unique value of each individual. St Peter's CE (VA) High School is already part of the Diocese of Lichfield. The Diocesan Board of Education is a Statutory Body with certain responsibilities in respect of Church of England schools.
The Diocese has a wealth of experience in education and is responsible for 205 schools, attended by over 40,000 children and young people. These schools serve the communities around them and can be thought of as community schools with a Christian character. Although the schools have been built on a Christian ethos, pupils of all faiths and none are welcome and the Diocese encourages understanding, diversity and tolerance for all.
The Diocese serves a culturally diverse population of over two-million people - Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall and Telford boast a high number of people from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds, as do many of our schools, for example St Peter's Collegiate and The King's School in Wolverhampton and St Edward's Junior High School in Leek.
As part of our family of schools, the Academy will benefit from belonging to a network of established schools which have strong links with each other and with their neighbourhoods and which take a leading role in opening up opportunities and strengthening the community.
The Diocese provides a range of advice and support to its schools, including professional support for headteachers and teachers, governors' training, specialist support for building development and legal matters, as well as advice for clergy, governors and parishes in support of their schools.
Q. Why Woodard Schools?
A. Woodard Schools is a charity, not a commercial organisation. It was established more than 150 years ago in response to the need to provide education for all. Today, there are 46 Woodard Schools including some of the country's most well-known independent schools and some of the most respected state maintained schools.
With its wealth of experience and educational expertise, Woodard Schools believes that it is in a unique position to use its expertise as a Sponsor to support the Academy to succeed, in particular with curriculum extension and enrichment activities as a key to the success of the individual students.
Woodard places great importance on the development of the individual and all their schools have an outstanding reputation for providing academic excellence coupled with unrivalled pastoral care.
Woodard brings more than 150 years of experience to the Academy and in February 2010, the former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown noted that Woodard Schools, one of only six education organisations to be accredited by the Government is, "truly world leading ...... at the cutting edge of international practice, delivering excellent results, outstanding learning and with a strong ethos of good behaviour."
Q. What if the sponsors walk away in five years time?
A. The Sponsors will not walk away in five years time. Both Sponsors, each with over 100 years of experience in education, have committed to being involved with the Academy for the next 125 years. The Diocese of Lichfield is responsible for over 205 schools, of which 12 are primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent and has a long term commitment to the future of young people within the city. Likewise, Woodard Schools is responsible for over 40 schools and academies in England and Wales and has recently opened two academies in West Sussex.
Q. Will the sponsors be putting money into the Academy?
A. Academies are Government funded schools that provide a first class, free education to local students of all abilities. The sponsors will contribute their educational expertise and experience and the benefits of sharing best practices and belonging to both the Diocese of Lichfield and Woodard groups of schools.
Academy Buildings and Facilities
Q. When and where will the new Academy facilities be built?
A. The new Academy would open in existing school buildings on 1st September 2011. The Academy's new buildings are anticipated to be ready by September 2013 and will be located on the Fenton Manor site, close to the Fenton Manor Sports Centre.
The new facilities are to be built as part of the Stoke-on-Trent Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Phase 3 programme. The design work will include several reviews and checks by agencies operating on behalf of the Department for Education. This will ensure the final design and the construction represent best practice and that the Academy is ready and fully equipped to provide the personalised learning and supportive and safe environment required by the Sponsors by September 2013.
Stoke City Council will be responsible for procuring the design and construction of the academy buildings on behalf of the sponsors, in accordance with its established contract with Thomas Vale/Wates and Balfour Beatty and within the context of the overall BSF programme. Design development will be overseen by the sponsors and monitored by Partnerships for Schools. Further work is still to be undertaken in relation to the development of a detailed design brief which will enable the educational vision to be delivered effectively within the overall capital funding available for the Academy.
Q. How will the new build be funded?
A. From Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Many of you will be aware of the announcement made by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, about the future of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funding. While many schools across the country learned that they will definitely not receive their anticipated BSF funding, we are happy that the proposed St Peter's Academy's new facilities, which are to be delivered as part of Stoke-on-Trent's BSF programme, have not been affected and we are proceeding as planned.
Q. Will there be any consultation on the new build?
A. Yes there will be consultation on the new build. In particular with those people and groups that will use the new facilities but also through the planning process where those that might be affected by the new buildings are invited to respond to the design proposals.
Q. Whilst the new buildings are being built how is the Academy going to function across two sites?
We are very conscious of the need to carefully plan this transitional phase when the Academy operates on two sites. We are working closely with the leadership teams of Berry Hill and St Peter's about this transition, and have established a "transition working group" to work on the detail of this.
We are committed to minimising the disruption for the existing students. Therefore, those students who will be at Berry Hill/St Peter's immediately prior to the opening of the Academy in 2011 will spend the vast majority of their time at the site where they began their secondary education. However, we will be planning integrational activities, such as cultural and sporting events and educational projects where we will bring students on the two sites together, either on one site or the other, or off site (say for a residential activity). It is possible that students will spend some time at the other site, but that will be part of a strictly planned programme of joint activity, and we will of course have to provide the transport to achieve that.
Whichever site the students are on, from September 2011 they will be attending a different school, the St Peter's Academy, and their experience will be different from that of attending the current schools. A new management structure will be in place, so they may well have different teachers; there will be a common curriculum between the two sites; a common structure to the day; and a common entitlement to educational opportunities; and there will be joint activities in place.
For those students coming into the Academy as Year 7s in 2011 and 2012, we have yet to decide where these students will be placed. We need to do some more work in considering that. The options are for all Year 7s to be on one site, or to split them in some way. We need to consider the logistics of both options, before giving a definitive answer. The general principle, which we wish to apply, is that all students get equality of opportunity whether they are on the Berry Hill or Penkhull site, and that, as far as possible, they all have a broadly common experience and an entitlement to high quality teaching and learning.
Q. Will there be any investment in resources before the new build?
A. There is the potential to invest in some ICT provisions but this depends on if/ how the systems or hardware can be transferred into the new academy build - so not to waste funding.
There are also some modest budgets which allow for the refurbishment of buildings to help enhance the students learning experience whilst operating from the existing buildings.
Q. Will there be transport between sites?
A. Transport will need to be provided to enable the academy to operate during the period from when it opens to when it moves to its new site. The actual arrangements are being explored as part of a review of all the issues that need to be addressed to make opening the new academy possible.
Q. Is there an option to build the Academy on another site?
A. The citywide strategy approved by Government is based on the plan to build the Academy on the Fenton Manor site in order to serve the central part of the city and the St. Peter's and Berry Hill communities, and provide a strong link (through shared use of facilities and curriculum planning) to the University Quarter (partnerships between the Council, Staffordshire University and Sixth Form College).
Faith
Q. If this is a faith Academy will it be open to students from all religions and none?
A. All Academies' admissions arrangements are agreed with the Secretary of State as a condition of the Funding Agreement, following local consultation, and are consistent with the School Admissions Code of Practice.
The Academy, which will provide 240 places a year, will be bound by the Schools Admissions Code, and through its Admissions Policy will be an inclusive school that brings together families from all faith backgrounds and none, and makes an important contribution to community cohesion in Stoke-on-Trent. All Church of England schools are inclusive schools which serve the whole community in which they are located, and are committed to bringing people together from different cultural, religious and social backgrounds.
The configuration of the Admissions Policy as currently conceived would mean that from September 2011, the Academy would admit 240 students. 120 would come from practising Christian backgrounds, 25 would come from other faith backgrounds, and 95 would be admitted to 'Open' (or Community) places irrespective of faith background or commitment. Priority within the Open category would be given to students who might normally attend Berry Hill High School.
The exact nature of the Admissions Policy will need to be determined during the Feasibility study in consultation with the current schools, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the DfE.
Statement from Canon Brendan Clover, Senior Provost for Woodard Schools: "Although we have a heritage rich in the Church of England, Woodard Schools welcomes students from all faiths or no faith at all. This inclusive approach means that we value and respect each individual with the focus very much on their education and the opportunities we can provide.
Working closely with Stoke City Council we hope that, if successful, the proposed Academy will reinforce the ethos of both the Diocese of Lichfield and Woodard Schools, where each individual, regardless of their faith background, is encouraged to give their very best and is valued for their contribution to their school and local community.
The Diocese of Lichfield is responsible for 205 schools and Woodard has 46 schools and Academies and both are known for their values driven educational work. We strongly believe that in the 21st century academic success should be a given, it is the range of opportunities a school provides that makes a young person into a confident adult."
Q. Will students have to pray?
A. The Academy welcomes students of all faiths and of none. In a Church of England school, recognising the diversity of the school community, students are invited to participate in prayer however they are not required to do so. Students can pray if they want to - or they can take advantage of the quiet spaces for thought and reflection. An Academy chaplain will always be available for pastoral support and care. Sponsors see Collective worship as an opportunity to bring the school community together in a way that emphasises the identity of St Peter's Academy as a values based community, in which every student can feel valued as an individual.
Q. What about all the students who come from a non-faith background at Berry Hill?
A. We recognise that students who will transfer from Berry Hill High School to St Peter's Academy will not have chosen a school with a religious character for their secondary education, and we will be respectful and sensitive to that. Such students will be able to withdraw from Collective Worship and RE, if their parents so desire, but we hope that these students will see the faith-basis of the Academy as enhancing the quality of their education.
It is worth noting that, in fact, all maintained schools are required by law to have a daily act of collective worship of a broadly Christian character, so it's not as if there are "faith schools" and "schools for atheists/agnostics". We're aware that Berry Hill is taking its legal responsibility seriously. Furthermore, it is important to note that Church of England schools are essentially community or neighbourhood schools with a Christian ethos. Some Church of England schools have entirely Muslim pupils (e.g. in parts of Manchester, Bradford & London). We are strongly committed to working with the Berry Hill community in an inclusive way.
Admissions
Q. If this is a faith Academy will it be open to students from all religions and none?
A. All Academies' admissions arrangements are agreed with the Secretary of State as a condition of the Funding Agreement, following local consultation, and are consistent with the School Admissions Code of Practice.
The Academy, which will provide 240 places a year, will be bound by the Schools Admissions Code, and through its Admissions Policy will be an inclusive school that brings together families from all faith backgrounds and none, and makes an important contribution to community cohesion in Stoke-on-Trent. All Church of England schools are inclusive schools which serve the whole community in which they are located, and are committed to bringing people together from different cultural, religious and social backgrounds.
The configuration of the Admissions Policy as currently conceived would mean that from September 2011, the Academy would admit 240 students. 120 would come from practising Christian backgrounds, 25 would come from other faith backgrounds, and 95 would be admitted to 'Open' (or Community) places irrespective of faith background or commitment. Priority within the Open category would be given to students who might normally attend Berry Hill High School.
To view the Academy's admissions policy click here.
Statement from Canon Brendan Clover, Senior Provost for Woodard Schools: "Although we have a heritage rich in the Church of England, Woodard Schools welcomes students from all faiths or no faith at all. This inclusive approach means that we value and respect each individual with the focus very much on their education and the opportunities we can provide.
Working closely with Stoke City Council we hope that, if successful, the proposed Academy will reinforce the ethos of both the Diocese of Lichfield and Woodard Schools, where each individual, regardless of their faith background, is encouraged to give their very best and is valued for their contribution to their school and local community.
The Diocese of Lichfield is responsible for 205 schools and Woodard has 46 schools and Academies and both are known for their values driven educational work. We strongly believe that in the 21st century academic success should be a given, it is the range of opportunities a school provides that makes a young person into a confident adult."
Q. Will the Academy admit students with a statement of educational needs?
A. Yes, the Academy will be inclusive and the model funding agreement sets out how they are required to follow admission law to cater for children of all abilities. They cannot cherry pick their intake. The Academy must have regard to the SEN Code of Practice and statutory guidance on inclusion.
An Academy's independent status does not affect parents' rights to appeal to the SEN and Disability Tribunal. Academies on average admit more students with SEN (both with and without Statements) than other schools in England. Academies also, on average, admit more students who have SEN (both with and without Statements) than their predecessor schools.
Q. Will the Academy have a Sixth-form provision?
A. The Post 16 delivery will vary from year to year as needs change. Commissioning decisions will be based upon city wide data analysis and trends and will need to fit in with the 14 - 19 planning and local area statement of need.
Q. In the event of someone applying for and not getting a place at the Academy, what is the appeals process?
A. The process will be exactly the same as for current schools. For more information and advice, please refer to the Stoke-on-Trent Secondary Admissions Brochure or contact the Admissions Team on helpline no 01782 236885/236867.
Q. As my child will be starting school in 2011, is there any point coming to look at either St Peter's or Berry Hill?
A. Absolutely yes, the Academy will participate in the open events to be run at the two schools so that those visiting will be able to meet representatives from the Academy and also see the accommodation that will be used during the first two years after the academy opens.
Q. How will sponsors ensure pupils that would otherwise come to Berryhill get a place at the new Academy?
A. The Admissions arrangement to be agreed with the Minister will ensure that there are a number of places at the academy, that exceeds the demand for places at Berry Hill School (assessed over the last 3 years), specifically available for students that would otherwise have gone to Berry Hill School.
Curriculum and Extra-curricular activities
Q. Do students attending an Academy follow the national curriculum?
A. As part of gaining Funding Agreement, Academies must agree to follow National Curriculum requirements. However, the National Curriculum itself has become more flexible. Students attending an Academy follow a broad and balanced curriculum, with a specialism in one or more areas - this is a requirement of each Academy's funding agreement.
Q. Will there be more trips and extra-curricular activities for students?
A. Yes, there will be extra-curricular activities and trips to enrich the curriculum. Furthermore, the Academy will also benefit from being part of both the Diocese of Lichfield and the Woodard family of schools who undertake a range of activities in partnership with each other. For example, in 2009 all Woodard Schools, and there are over 40 of them, were involved in a musical extravaganza at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Academy Specialisms
Q. Why has the specialism of Communication been chosen? What will it offer students?
A. We have chosen Communication as the Academy specialism for two reasons. Firstly, we think that it will meet the needs of the students in the two school communities by supporting the development of mature young adults who can hold their heads high in the world and communicate/ express themselves, in a clear, confident and cogent manner - in this community of Stoke-on-Trent; in the wider community of the UK; and internationally. Secondly, Academies are intended to be a resource for a wider community and sponsors felt that Stoke-on-Trent would benefit from a school that had Communication as its main focus.
By "Communication", we are talking about giving all students a very sound basis in the basic skills of reading and writing and oral communication skills. In addition to this, we want to build on the languages specialism of St Peter's so that all students have the opportunity to learn a modern foreign language, or perhaps a community language.
The Academy is committed to developing confident young people, who have excellent skills in dealing with other people. We will want all our students to have first rate IT skills, so that they are equipped to live and work in the 21st Century, and make the best use of modern communication media. We want them to develop good presentation skills, so that they will be able to go into interviews, or debates, or other scenarios where they will be required to perform, with quiet self-confidence. We will want all our students to be recognised as ambassadors of St Peter's Academy - and Stoke-on-Trent. We will want them to have learnt about other faiths and cultures so that they can speak about them from a position of knowledge rather than ignorance or prejudice. If I can sum up, we are looking at developing strong leadership skills and capacities in all our students.
Q. The Academy's specialism will be Communication, what will happen to all the good work that has been done in the current schools' specialisms of the International Languages and Sports Specialisms?
A. Sponsors are committed to continuing and building upon the good practice in the current schools. The new Academy will have an underlying theme Health & Wellbeing which will build upon the Berry Hill's Sports Specialism and on the sporting expertise and prowess of both schools. We want all our students to be healthy and we see sport as a great opportunity to develop team work and healthy competition. The Fenton site will offer new opportunities for linking into facilities at Fenton Manor and the University Quarter. The Languages expertise at St Peter's High will be built upon and enhanced through the Communications specialism of the new Academy (see below for more details on the Academy specialism).
Q. What exactly are the underpinning themes of Health and Well Being and Community Cohesion going to offer to students?
A. Health and wellbeing embraces sport, a healthy lifestyle and a broad concept of students' mental and spiritual health. We want our students to be physically fit and healthy, and also to be happy and well-balanced young people. We also want to replicate (on the Fenton site) the restaurant at St Peter's High School, and the opportunities for students to learn about good nutrition. We won't be serving junk food in the canteen!
By community cohesion, we mean the opportunity for students from all kinds of backgrounds to come together and learn from one another. The proposed St Peter's Academy will be unique in that it will serve the whole of Stoke-on-Trent, drawing in students from a very wide catchment area as well as from the Berry Hill area. We will therefore be serving all the communities within Stoke on Trent, including the religious communities. We think this makes a very powerful statement of how a school should actually promote mutual respect and understanding.
So the health and wellbeing and Community Cohesion themes will help our students to become mature, healthy young people who will be able to make a real contribution to promoting the common good and the wellbeing of our society.
Students
Q. What would the school closure mean for students?
A. All those students attending, or who have been offered a place at either Berry Hill or St Peter's High Schools, prior to the opening of the Academy, would have an automatic right to transfer to the Academy in September 2011. The transition to the new Academy would be carefully planned to ensure that all students continued to receive the highest quality of education without disruption. Parents of children wishing to move schools (not attend the Academy) should contact the Stoke City Council Admissions Team for further advice on helpline no 01782 236885/236867.
Q. The Academy will bring together student communities from different backgrounds, how is this going to be managed with minimum disruption to the students learning?
A. Sponsors believe that bringing young people together from different backgrounds will enhance their own intellectual, social and spiritual development and be a really positive and distinctive element of their experience at the Academy. Clearly, this needs to be handled carefully and sensitively, and we are conscious of the fact that St Peter's Academy will be bringing together two different communities - the gathered (faith) community of St Peter's High School and the localised catchment at Berry Hill. We want to give students from the different communities the opportunities to come together and learn from one another; but we are also in the business of providing education, and our principal focus will be on supporting every single student so that they can achieve their full potential.
The Academy will not be a fully formed community from day one. We are all going to be part of an evolutionary process. In fact those who transfer from St Peter's and Berry Hill High Schools, and the new Year 7s, will be pioneers. We will be looking to the students to help us, as we seek to bring different communities together, and certainly we see the leadership given by the students themselves as fundamentally important to the success of the Academy.
Q. What transport provision will be provided to get students to the Academy?
A. All applications for free home to school transport will be considered in line with the City Council's approved policy. The City Council is aware from the consultation meetings that specific circumstances relating to this Academy may need to be addressed in its policy.
Q. What happens to pupils who would have traditionally gone to Berry Hill or St Peter's School but they do not get a place in the Academy?
A. In the event that the Academy is oversubscribed, the published criteria will be applied to allocate places. Where a child is not allocated a place at the Academy, other stated preferences for places at other schools will be considered.
Q. What options are available to current students who chose not to go to a faith school and are now transferred to a faith Academy?
A. Other schools with places available. Parents of children wishing to move schools should contact the local Admissions Team for further advice on helpline no 01782 236885/236867.
Staff
Q. What will happen to staff at the schools replaced by an Academy?
A. When an academy replaces an existing school, most if not all of the staff employed at that school will have the right to transfer to the academy on their existing terms and conditions of employment. This is because the transfer of their employment is protected by the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). Eligible staff at Berry Hill and St Peter's CE Schools will therefore transfer to the new academy on their existing terms and conditions of employment when those schools close.
Q. What is TUPE?
A. TUPE stands for the Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment and is a law that protects employees when transfers to a new employer. Broadly speaking, TUPE preserves the continuity of employment and terms and conditions of those employees who are transferred to the new employer. This means that eligible employees employed by the previous employer at the date of transfer automatically become employees of the new employer on the same terms and conditions of employment.
Q. How is the Academy going to be run in the first year?
A. Once the Principal Designate has been appointed he or she will work closely with the Sponsors to determine how the Academy will be structured and what changes may be required. Detailed information will be issued as appropriate to the Recognised Trade Unions and all staff during the TUPE consultation period and staff will have an opportunity to comment directly or through their union representatives
Q. Will staff be involved in shaping the curriculum?
A. We are already working with the Senior Leadership Teams in the current schools on developing the Education Brief. We want to consult the staff, because they know what will and will not work and we want to ensure that the two schools feel that they are involved in shaping proposals, so that we can build on existing good practice, and offer a curriculum and educational programme that will work and meet the needs of the various communities whom we shall serve.
Q. Will the term dates and hours change?
A. The Academy will be part of the wider network of schools in Stoke-on-Trent which means that means that the Academy will have to have the same term times as the other schools, in particular, during the 14-19 phase.
Staff will transfer under TUPE on existing terms and conditions. Inevitably with any new venture, new ways of working will be required, and Sponsors' vision for the Academy will require staff to have a commitment to the enterprise. So it may be that we shall ask staff to agree to certain changes to the way they have customarily worked, but that will involve consultation with staff both individually and with their Unions.
Q. What are the freedoms that Academy will have in order to vary the pay and conditions of teachers?
A. Staff will transfer under their existing terms and conditions. We believe that these are broadly co-terminous between staff at Berry Hill (where the LA is the employer) and at St Peter's (where the Governing Body is the employer). The Academy will be free to develop its own pay structure so new appointees to the Academy may be appointed on different terms and conditions of service from those transferring. Should it become necessary due to economic, technical or organisational reasons to vary terms and conditions of transferred staff there must be clear justification and any such changes would be consulted upon separately with staff and Unions. Our long term aspiration is to improve the terms and conditions of service, but clearly that will take time to achieve and Sponsors cannot give a guarantee of that at this stage. However, the Sponsors are Church organisations and it is their intention to deal with all staff fairly and honourably.
Q. Will Unions be recognised?
A. Yes.
Q. Will there be any voluntary redundancy opportunities?
A. It is not anticipated that any voluntary redundancy opportunities will arise at the point of transfer to the academy.
The Academy Uniform
Q. Is the Academy going to have a new uniform and if so what will it be?
A. The Academy will have a new uniform which will be practical and inexpensive. There will be a Government grant for a portion of the new uniform for all students in Years 8-11 and Sponsors will get input from parents, students and staff on the new uniform.
Q. What will the uniform policy be?
A. Students attending the Academy will be expected to look tidy and smart and wear their uniforms properly at all times.
The Diocese of Lichfield and Woodard Schools place great importance on the uniform, while being mindful of the cost for parents. Throughout all of their schools the students wear their uniform so that they look smart and tidy at all times. Students are proud of their uniform and the school they belong to. As students are prepared for the demands of adult life they are taught the importance of 'creating a first impression' and how they will be expected to dress and behave in the working world.
© The Proposed St Peter's Academy 2010