Academy Conversion

Formal consultation on the option of becoming an academy and joining Seaview Trust.

(Updated 12^th June 2023)

In January we made you aware that there was a significant ambition from Government to have all schools across the UK join academy trusts in the future. As a result of this, our Governing Body and senior leaders spent a considerable amount of time exploring the opportunities for our school to become an academy and join an established Multi Academy Trust (MAT).

As a school which wants to decide its own future, we felt it was important we were approaching the academisation agenda proactively. Therefore, we considered many options and investigated a range of possibilities.

The Governing Body of the school and the leadership team put high importance on the relationships with our staff, our families and community. Governors want Woodlands School to be the best it can be, both now and for the foreseeable future. Its students and staff deserve the very best.

Following significant discussions governors decided to apply to enter a consultation period regarding joining a MAT. This consultation offered staff and families the opportunity to evaluate the decision to join the selected MAT and to have their views taken into account.

This gave the Governing Body time and information to support its decision-making process.   We have been in a period of due-diligence with Seaview since January and are now entering a formal period of consultation.

It is our proposal that the School should join Seaview Trust

We believe this would bring the following five, significant, advantages:

1. Working in collaboration with other strong schools to secure better education opportunities and outcomes for all students.
2. Working in collaboration with other strong schools to recruit, retain, train and develop the very best teaching and non-teaching staff.
3. Working in collaboration with other strong schools to find efficiencies, economies of scale and savings in operational costs so that more money can be invested in children’s well being and education.
4. Working in collaboration with other strong schools to provide leadership, security and direction during difficult times and periods of change.
5. Working in collaboration with other strong schools to ensure the highest levels of safeguarding of children’s physical and mental health.
   
   

This process of due-diligence and formal consultation has, and will operate to the following timeline:

On 12^th January the school began a process of due diligence with Seaview:

• A presentation to, and open meeting with, all staff: 9th March 15:30 p.m
• A letter to parents and carers:  12th January 2023
• A meeting with parents and carers - 9th March 12:45 p.m
• Regular meetings between Woodlands Senior Leaders and The Trust Leads
  
  

On the 12^th June 2023 the school wrote a letter to  all trade unions and professional bodies represented in the school workforce: 

On the 12^th June 2023 the  Governors of the School published a formal consultation on the proposal to convert to Academy status and join Seaview, by:

• Creating this consultation webpage
• Sending  a letter to all parents and carers: Letter to Parents June 2023
• Sending a letter to all staff: Letter to Staff
• Sending a letter to the LA:
• Sending a letter to all other stakeholders: Stakeholder Letter
  
  

We encourage stakeholders to take part by:

• Completing a form with any questions they may have: Parent Carer Consultation Form
• Emailing the Headteacher, Karen Haworth, if they wish to meet representatives from Seaview or School Leaders to discuss the matter in more detail.
  
  

The consultation period ends on Wednesday 12th July 2023.