Principal Designate, Paul Mortimer, will present and outline the vision for secondary education in the Isle of Sheppey.
Minutes:
Dr Paul Mortimer (Principal Designate) of Sheppey Academy spoke of his vision for the development of education on the Isle of Sheppey.
Dr Mortimer had recently taken students from Minster College to London. This had included a meeting at Somerset House with architects who will take forward the proposed Sheppey Academy.
It is proposed to hold a meeting on 4 June at the Sheppey Healthy Living Centre. Students and the architects will further discuss the design and format for the proposed Academy.
This meeting will feed into a meeting on 7 July in London where a working document will be produced.
The students who become involved will look at the changing education trends across the world, and what can be achieved.
The OECD report on Teaching and Learning 2004 highlights three scenarios:-
1 Things will stay as they are, teacher meltdown, schools not fit for purpose.
2 De-schooling – system falls apart, home tuition 100,000 pupils being taught at home. No law requiring children to go to school. Growth of the virtual school – (notschool.com). Skills of students outstrip those of teachers therefore the power base shifts.
3 Re-schooling – emergence of private and other providers. “Navigating the networks” – consultation on where students should be at each stage.
Growth of Diplomas phased in over the next three years. Key drive to re-skill the workforce across England vocational diplomas. Three academic vocational diplomas.
The application of knowledge represents a different skill, and indicates a changing emphasis in teaching and learning.
At the proposed new Academy, students will have access to all of the 17 Diplomas. This will be achieved through both hard and soft federations of schools. This may require movement of students and flexible start and finish times.
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) will see £46 billion programme to change and equip schools and ensure students can compete on a world stage.
Councillor Harrison asked if there is an Academy how many places will there be, and will there be a place for every child on Sheppey?
Paul Mortimer replied, preference will be given to those students from the Island, over those from the mainland. There will be oversubscription criteria, and Sheppey residents will have priority. There will be one Academy, but on two sites. Fair banding will be used to select students, including top 10-12% of population, including special educational needs.
Sheppey College may come into the mix and enable 17 Diplomas and create a 6th site. They may offer a subject such as heavy engineering.
Any oversubscription might lead to an application to expand, but that up to 2015 there are falling school rolls.
Theresa Langworthy asked about the issue of admissions and oversubscription. Indicating that the Academy will be oversubscribed, and that this will be an issue for local Members.
Paul Mortimer replied, the admission number is tied to the admissions process, and is 390 students in Year 7.
Partnerships with schools determine that number. This means some young people who go off the Island will not get into the Academy. This is a KCC admission issue.
Cllr Jerry Lewin (Swale Borough Council) indicated that 600 pupils leave the Island, with 25% seeking a faith school, with the others going to Grammar or High schools. Has this been factored in?
Rob McMenamin indicated that Partnerships with Schools have taken the Grammar scenario into consideration. We have sought to get a PAN of as large as possible. Dulwich may seek to go back to the DfES to increase the PAN.
Theresa Langworthy indicated that parents feel the Academy is a “done deal”, and that the recent adverts in the press indicated that the Academy would be in place by 2009. That politicians need to ask questions about the admissions code and numbers.
The recent adverts for staff, and the so called “consultation” reinforce that the Academy is a done deal.
Paul Mortimer stated that his contract, originally until March ’08, had been extended to June. If the Academy did not materialise then he would not have a job. There are exciting times ahead, while the new school is being built there would be disruption, but the new schools would offer an enhanced teaching and learning environment. The current buildings are not fit for purpose.
The funding agreement for the Academy has not been signed due to the “unknowns” and “abnormals”, ie flood issues at the Chaney site.
Mouchel Parkman, as project managers, to be asked to note the concerns regarding adverts from the Swale Local Board.
Swale Members raised concerns over the general delivery of this project. Including the communication with Island residents, and the potentially misleading adverts in the papers.
Bill Ronan to write to the Cabinet Member and raise the concerns of the Swale Local Board to these matters.
Debate took place on the issue of faith re the Church of England sponsorship. The Academy will not be a faith school but will have a Christian ethos and values.
All participants were thanked by Cllr Crowther for their involvement in this debate.