Highbridge’s King Alfred School has this week unveiled plans to apply for academy status.
The school’s Governing Body has submitted an application to the Department For Education to convert to academy status under the Academies Act 2010.
Converting to an academy would mean that the school becomes independent of the local authority and would receive its funding direct from central government.
The school is now in a consultation period with parents/carers, students, staff, governors, parents/carers of pupils in Years 5 and 6 of our partner primary schools and the wider community.
Headteacher Andy Owen told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Our recent Ofsted inspection described the school as ‘improving rapidly’ so little will change if we do become an Academy except in ways which we think will further improve the school.”
“For students, it is unlikely that they will see much, if any, change in their day to day school lives.”
“Academies do have the power to vary their curriculums and vary the length of their school day. However, we do not intend to take any such steps and would engage fully with parents/carers, staff and students if we did ever intend to make such changes in the future.”
“As a school we remain totally committed to working in partnership with our partner primary and junior schools to provide the very best education we can for all children and young people in Highbridge and Burnham-On-Sea.”
Interested members of the wider community can give their views to the Governing Body in writing to: Mr Andy Owen, Headteacher, The King Alfred School, Burnham Road, Highbridge TA93EE or by email to: sch.514@educ.somerset.gov.uk. The closing date for representations is 3rd June.
Following the consultation period the Governing Body will formally consider all representations and will only make the final decision to convert to academy status if it is in the very best interest of the students of King Alfred School.
