The Governors of Bentworth Primary School have begun a public consultation on the school becoming an academy in September 2012.
The new academy would be operated by ARK Schools who have a track record of success in the area.The education charity operates 11 schools across London, Portsmouth and Birmingham, including the hugely popular Burlington Danes Academy in the north of the borough. It has recently opened a primary free school in White City, the ARK Conway Primary Academy.
Chairman of Governors, Eugenie White says:
“We have been considering various options to raise the levels of academic achievement at the school and to establish a leadership and financial structure that is effective in the long term. We think this is best done through being part of an academy group and we have chosen ARK Schools because of its substantial and successful local presence.”
Academy status would give the school freedom to manage itself outside local authority control and greater curriculum freedom to develop learning really tailored to maximising pupils’ success. All staff would transfer automatically under their current terms of employment.
Other academies in the borough include Burlington Danes and the brand-new Hammersmith Academy, both of which have proved very popular with parents applying for school places next year.
The school is hosting a series of information meetings for parents at 9am each Friday and for staff on Tuesdays after school each week of this half term. There will be a public meeting at 6pm on Tuesday 7 February at the school.
The consultation runs until 20 February. Local people are being sent survey forms, or you can submit your views online at www.lbhf.gov.uk/bentworth or email ci@lbhf.gov.uk.
The governing body will meet on 22 February to consider responses and make a decision.
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