Our academy status is the way forward, says head (From Echo)

Our academy status is the way forward, says head

1:30pm Friday 3rd September 2010 in Education

A HEADTEACHER at a newly-formed academy hopes the new status will bring improved education standards and links with the community.

Westcliff High School for Boys yesterday celebrated being one of the first schools in the country to become an academy after being rated as outstanding by Ofsted inspectors on four consecutive occasions.

The school was given the go-ahead in July and now has the power to set its own curriculum as well as taking control of its finances.

Headteacher Andrew Baker said: “We are extremely delighted to be one of the few schools in the country to open as an academy and we will be using our new status for the benefit of the school as well as being able to make a full contribution to the local community.

“Over the summer we have been making preparations by working closely with the department of education, as well as having internal meetings.

“We now have to consider many different aspects and lots of different questions as to what this new status will mean for the school.

“We have to ask whether we will be changing the curriculum at all, whether we will introduce more courses, and what we will do in relation to teachers’ pay and services.

“We will also be considering if we will have areas of expertise, all of which we will consider over the next few months.”

More than 2,000 schools expressed an interest in becoming an academy.

In south Essex, these included secondary schools Southend High School for Girls, Cornelius Vermuyden, in Canvey, and William de Ferrers, in South Woodham Ferrers. Primary schools included West Leigh Infants, Leigh, and Lee Chapel Primary School, Basildon.

Schools rated as outstanding by Ofsted were pre-approved for the change, meaning those under this category, that applied immediately, are the most likely to open as academies first.

A spokesman for Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “This is part of Mr Gove’s overall vision – that teachers and heads, not politicians and bureaucrats, should control schools.”