"Two [consultation] meetings will take place on Tuesday 12th January, one at 2:00pm at New Town Primary School and one at 7:00pm at St John’s Primary School. Both meetings will be the same and they will consist of informal discussion, a formal presentation and the start of the formal consultation process.
We wrote to you on 10th December to tell you about the governors’ plans to form a new multi academy trust with St John’s Primary School and New Town Primary School. I would now like to share some further information with you, answer some of the questions you have asked and invite you to a meeting to hear more about these plans.
The Academies programme is a central feature of government
policy, and also of previous governments. The purpose of the Academies
programme is to give every school the opportunity to decide if it wants to continue
under the umbrella of the local authority or to become an independent
autonomous body.
Over recent years there have been on-going financial
constraints and cuts faced by local government and many services traditionally
provided to schools by the Local Authority have been either reduced or
completely phased out.
Both New Town and St John’s have had to consider whether or
not to convert to an academy. In considering the various possibilities open to each
school, the staff and governors have at all times kept the following two
matters at the forefront of their thinking:
1. What is in the
best interests of the children of St John’s Primary School and New Town Primary
School, both now and looking ahead to those who will attend either school in
the years to come?
2. How can we best
preserve the distinctive ethos in each school and continue to adhere to our
vision statements?
What is an Academy?
An academy is a government funded school that is independent
of the Local Authority. Whilst academy status gives schools additional
responsibilities, and greater freedoms, in terms of the day to day functioning,
an academy school will not be noticeably different to a Local Authority
maintained school.
Responsibility for funding an academy school, monitoring
performance and any capital projects will fall to central government rather
than to local government.
If the decision is made to transfer to become an academy,
the school and governing body will join an academy trust, which is a charitable
company. In this way, no one can make
any money from the company. The company is limited by guarantee. It does not
pay dividends and makes no profit but is a legal entity.
Schools have the option to stay as they are, to convert as
stand-alone academies, or to convert as part of a Multi-Academy Trust. The governors of both schools have looked in
detail at the options available and have agreed that becoming academies, as
part of the Royal Berkshire Schools Trust (RBST), should be explored in detail
in order to establish whether or not this would be the best way to safeguard
the distinctive education offered by each school. Sustaining the character and ethos of each
school was central to every discussion that took place.
Being part of the RBST will enable school leaders and
governors to take control of the future of both schools and lead forward with
clear vision, as well as enable school staff to concentrate on continuing to
deliver the highest standards of teaching and care to all pupils. This support is given through central
services which are funded through a 5% top slice from the academies’
income. RBST academies will
automatically be provided with a Service Level Agreement that includes support
with the curriculum, school improvement, HR advice, finance software, training
and advice, governance, premises and admissions appeals.
Why are we
exploring conversion as part of RBST?
At the heart of the RBST vision is the commitment to
educational excellence. The RBST has at
its core a calling to serve pupils, staff, parents and the local community by
providing academies with the highest levels of academic rigour and pastoral
care. Academies are places where
children and young people develop and thrive intellectually, socially,
culturally and spiritually.
Both schools in the RBST will teach a broad and balanced
curriculum within national guidelines.
Focusing on core skills, this is designed to ensure that all pupils reach
their academic potential and seeks to enrich their experience along the
way. Pupils are enabled to succeed in an
atmosphere of high expectation, aspiring to educational excellence with a firm
commitment to Christian values.
RBST is committed to sustaining St John’s as an outstanding
school, as well as supporting New Town which is in need of specific
improvement. The Trust will set out to
recruit and retain staff of the highest quality and to offer them the working
conditions they need to give of their best as they serve the pupils in their
care. It will work in partnership with
families so that children can be engaged and effective learners.
RBST will seek to embody the Christian experience of
community, where gifts are shared without counting the cost, where the emphasis
is on what can be contributed, rather than on what might be received, and where
each is given according to need.
As a limited company operating within the family of the
Diocese of Oxford, the Trust is motivated by Christian values to serve local
communities, but it will not impose those values. RBST welcomes those of all faiths and none,
and is proud of the ethnic diversity within its schools.
Being part of RBST will change some things behind the scenes
but otherwise you and your children will see very little difference when we
make this change. We will continue to
work closely with our school community, other local primary and secondary
schools. The names of the schools will
not change, the uniforms will not change and we will not change term dates or
the school’s admissions policies. The
differing religious characteristics of each school will remain unaffected.
Being part of the Trust allows both schools to maintain
their unique ethos and character, allows for the partnership to develop further
with the same management and leadership currently in place and most importantly
allows us to take control of our future and make decisions based on what is
right for the children of each school.
The Board of Trustees will be leaders and governors who are currently
leading both schools.
RBST is being established with just two schools initially
which allows for strength to remain in
the individual schools in the East Reading community as well as united strength
together. Other Multi- Academy Trusts
set up by the Oxford Diocese have been able to maintain the individual ethos of
each school, whether community schools or voluntary aided. The Oxford Diocese therefore
knows and understands what it means to preserve the ethos of a school and is
totally committed to sustaining the character and ethos of each Primary
School. RBST will not make any central
curriculum decisions though it will help schools to respond to new developments
and enable a collaborative approach to finding suitable solutions.
In every discussion that has been had and every decision
that has been made, we want to assure you that our focus remains wholly on your
children’s learning, and ensuring each school retains its community identity,
distinctiveness, autonomy and drive to improve. We are committed to providing
the best possible education, both now and in the future; any decision to
convert to an academy will have these values at its core.
Next steps for St
John’s Primary School and New Town Primary School
There will be several opportunities for you to receive more
information in the New Year as well as share your views formally and
informally. Two meetings will take place
on Tuesday 12th January, one at 2:00pm at New Town Primary School
and one at 7:00pm at St John’s Primary School. Both meetings will be the same
and they will consist of informal discussion, a formal presentation and the
start of the formal consultation process.
At the consultation meetings on 12th January, the governors
and school leaders will be present, as well as Anne Davey, Director of Schools
for the Oxford Diocese and Mark Jones, HR Adviser, who will provide an
opportunity for you to find out what academy status would mean for our schools
and to ask questions, as it is important that we receive your views before a
final decision is taken.
The Governing Bodies of each school make the decision on
whether or not each school becomes part of the Multi-Academy Trust; however, the
consultation process seeks the views of parents and other stakeholders to
inform that decision.
We hope that you can attend one of the meetings next term
and that you continue to give the governors and the staff your support in
driving our schools forward.
If you have any questions, please email the Clerk to the
governing body of St John’s on clerk.gov@stjohns.reading.sch.uk
clearly stating who your question or comment is for. A full list of governors at each school is
overleaf.
GOVERNORS 2015-16
St John’s CE (Aided) Primary School
Ex Officio Foundation Governor
Rev V Gardner (Vicar of St John’s & St
Stephen’s Church)
Foundation Governor appointed by the
Diocese of Oxford
Mr D Langshaw (Chair of the Governing Body)
Mr G Buick
Foundation
Governors appointed by the Parochial Church Council of St John’s & St
Stephen’s Church
Mrs M. Harwood
Mr S Hodgson (Vice Chairman of the Governing Body)
Mrs N Stevenson
Dr R Penny
Dr L Methven
Mrs A Reilly
Governors
appointed by the Local Education Authority (Reading Borough Council)
Vacancy
Parent Governors
Mrs C Burges
Mr N Hooley
Mr L Pullen
Headteacher
Mrs A Brackstone
Staff Governors
Mrs M Pett (School Business Manager)
Co-opted Governor
Mrs J Kitching (Year One Teacher)
Associate Governor
Mr D Bickford
New Town Primary
School
Mr Michael Lambden (Chair of the
IEB)
Dr Asif Butt
Ms Siobhan Egan
Mrs Angie Kay
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