CONSULTATION ON CONVERTING TO ACADEMY STATUS - JOINING VENTRUS MULTI ACADEMY TRUST

7th May 2024

 

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Members of the Community

 

Re: CONSULTATION ON CONVERTING TO ACADEMY STATUS - JOINING VENTRUS MULTI ACADEMY TRUST

Background
The governing body has been considering its options to continue to provide an excellent education for their pupils while protecting its role as a school at the heart of its community and retaining its unique qualities and strengths.

We have been thinking about the future of the school against the backdrop of a fast changing and increasingly challenging educational landscape. We have taken the decision to explore the option of becoming an academy and joining Ventrus Multi Academy Trust (Ventrus).
We believe pupils and staff would benefit from the greater opportunities that formal partnership, through Ventrus, would bring, which include:

• extending learning opportunities and activities for pupils
• enriching the curriculum through partnership working and shared resources
• enabling the sharing of excellent practice in teaching and learning
• enhancing the professional development of teaching and support staff
• securing cost and resource efficiencies through joint commissioning of services
• to support leadership development through quality assurance and networking

 

Consultation
We would like to formally consult with parents, carers, pupils, staff, and the wider community about joining the Trust. The consultation period will run between the 7th May 2024 and the 11th June 2024.

We would like to invite you to a consultation meeting with the school and a representative from Ventrus, which will be held on Tuesday 21st May at 5pm. Please let us know if you can attend the meeting by emailing admin@stmarysce.co.uk by 5pm on Monday 20th May.

If you have any feedback on the proposal that you would like to share with the governing body, either before or after the consultation meeting, please do so by emailing consultation-stmarys@ventrus.org.uk by 11th June 2024. The governing body will consider consultation feedback before making a final decision on whether to proceed with the proposal. If the governing body agree to proceed, the plan is for the school to convert on 1st September 2024.

 

Yours faithfully

Sian Jenkins - Chair of Governors

Stuart Boon - Acting Headteacher

Zoe Stevens - Headteacher from September 2024