An academy is a new kind of school that is independent of the council and is set up under an agreement between the government and an academy sponsor. Schools becoming academies benefit from significant investment in school buildings and ICT, provide the most up to date facilities and specialise in subjects such as languages, science, business and enterprise. Carefully selected sponsors can be from the private, voluntary or public sectors and, as well as providing funding for school buildings, they can help to raise standards by developing new approaches to leadership, management, teaching and learning.
Since the national academies programme was introduced improvements have been made and the government now recognises the strengths in local councils and the importance of working with them and their schools when developing a new academy. Based on this partnership, we believe that academies can work well within the community and will remain local schools for local children.
Bolton’s proposed academies would:
- offer places to children, regardless of faith or ability
- follow the council’s policies and processes for children with special needs, behaviour management and for other vulnerable children
- work closely with other schools in the Bolton family
The academy programme can guarantee new buildings and improvements for some of Bolton’s schools and councils can access the programme at any time. Academies are an important part of our plans to combine all the national funding available to eventually improve all of our schools.
Update on Bolton’s currently proposed academies
Hayward, Withins and Top o'th' Brow Schools
The decision was made by the Executive in December to go ahead with the closure of Hayward School, Withins School and Top o' th' Brow Primary School so they can reopen as academies.
Hayward closed at the end of December and reopened as Essa Academy for the new term in January 2009. Withins and Top o' th' Brow will both close in August 2009, to open as an all-through academy in September 2009 for young people aged three to 19.
The decision has been reached following the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) process of consultation and representation, in which the public were able to comment on the proposed school closures.
Councillor Cliff Morris, Leader of Bolton Council, said: “We believe that the academies will make a valuable contribution to raising standards for Bolton's young people and giving them the best possible opportunities for the future."
George Tomlinson School
School earmarked as Bolton’s third academy
Governors of George Tomlinson Secondary School in Kearsley have been in discussions with Bolton Council about the possibility of becoming an academy. Today the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) confirmed their approval to further develop these plans.
Chair of Governors at the school, Mrs Debra Barlow, said; “We are excited about the prospect of becoming an academy and looking forward to developing plans further with the sponsors and the council. It’s really important to all of us that our pupils, parents, staff and the community play a big part in shaping the future of our school.”
The proposed sponsors are Bolton University, Bolton Council and one of the UK’s leading educational improvement organisations, Northern Education. Initial plans are for the academy to be as inclusive as possible and offer some additional opportunities for pupils up to the age of nineteen but full proposals will be developed over the coming months.
The council will consult fully with everyone concerned in the autumn term on the proposal to close the school in August next year so it can reopen as an academy in September 2010. Plans for the academy will also be subjected to a rigorous consultation exercise led by the sponsors. In the meantime there are no changes proposed at the school and it will continue to operate as normal.
An academy is a new kind of school set up between the government and a sponsor or sponsors, with the vision to deliver a state-of-the-art school building, new facilities, specialist subjects and ultimately to raise standards of attainment and the life chances of young people.
Executive Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Ebrahim Adia, said: “We are committed to transforming education in Bolton and academies are an important part of our plans for the town. The governing body is supporting plans for this academy with the knowledge that the sponsors would bring a wealth of expertise in education to give children at the school the very best opportunities for the future.”
See links on the right to view documents on proposed closures of Withins, Hayward and Top o' th' Brow schools