The change from Voluntary Aided to Academy Status (i.e. State funded Independent Grammar School) for St Ambrose College
At its meeting on 16th June 2010 the Governing Body, after full discussion, unanimously passed a resolution to make a formal application to the Secretary of State for approval for St Ambrose College to acquire academy status. In order not to complicate matters in connection with the negotiations for the new building, which were then at a delicate point we paused the conversion process for a while but recently decided to proceed. On 17 June 2011 the Secretary of State made an Academy Order to enable our school to be converted to an academy under the provisions of the Academy Act 2010 and we are now aiming to complete the conversion and become an academy early in the next academic year.
Why become an academy?
Academy status is intended to give school leaders greater freedom to decide how best to meet the needs of their pupils, parents and wider communities and to provide opportunities for educational innovation and progress. As an academy, the College will have greater autonomy and freedom to make its own decisions for the benefit of our pupils, staff, parents and indeed the whole local community. Becoming an academy will not affect the Catholic, Christian status or ethos of the College and in fact we believe that the additional freedoms we shall have will enable us to further our Christian mission. It will remain, as it is now, a Catholic selective Grammar school.
At St Ambrose we have the skill, experience and ability to use the additional freedoms that academy status will bring to raise our standards even higher and to take full advantage of the new facilities that will be available in our new building.
Our Governing Body is committed to exercising the increased autonomy associated with academies within the framework of fair funding and fair admissions. Our relationship and collaborative working with our partner primary schools and other partnerships will continue to operate as they do currently.
Consultation
The consultation process ends on 22nd July 2011 at 10.00am and all responses must be received by then. The next step will be a meeting of the Governing Body on Wednesday 14 September 2011 to consider any responses to this letter.
We welcome any comments you might wish to make in writing or by email: consultation@st-ambrosecollege.org.uk. If you would like to find out more about what it means to become an academy, the Chairman of Governors, the Head Master and other school representatives will be available to discuss this on Thursday 20th July between the times of 4.00 and 6.00 pm when any views you might want to make in person will be welcome. It would assist our organisation of this if you could inform the school by phone or email if you are proposing to attend so that we can give you an appointment time.
This and additional information will also be published on the school website.
Further Information
More information about academies can be found on the academies section of the Department for Education website. The address is: www.education.gov.uk/academies