The headteacher of the Deanes School is to step down after ten years this Easter. Jan Atkinson fought off Essex County Council’s attempts to close the Thundersley secondary school almost exactly a year ago and has secured funding from the council and the Government to refurbish its site in Daws Heath Road. The school has dropped its plan to become an academy with the Billericay School and is instead pursuing a “partnership” with Seevic College. Here she talks to DAVID TRAYNER

Why are you leaving the Deanes? How do you feel about leaving the school?

I am leaving the Deanes after ten years as headteacher, as I feel, having “saved” the school with the support of governors, staff, students, parents and the local community, it is now time for a fresh start for the school and for a new headteacher to take the school forward with a new vision.

How would you describe your time at the school?

Since the very difficult decision to resign, I have had time to reflect on all of the wonderful times I have had at the Deanes and will always feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to lead it. Ensuring sport remains outstanding has been very important to the school and the community and I am particularly proud of having the opportunity to broaden the specialism to include performing arts.

How would you describe the fight to keep the Deanes open? What was your experience? What was it like for the rest of the community?

Once myself and the governors had made the decision to fight to keep the Deanes open, there was no doubt that I had a duty, as the headteacher, to see the fight through to the end.

Essex County Council said that I would be expected, as headteacher, to fight it, which I did, but I could not have won the battle without the support of parents and the local community, which was overwhelming. Their support kept all of us going through some very emotional and challenging moments.

However, during this period of adversity there were some real highlights. The community all came together to express what they really valued about the Deanes. What has emerged from the process is the real need for a “small village school”.

Our specialism in sport and, more recently in performing arts, is highly valued within Thundersley village and beyond.

I think most people felt losing the Deanes would take the heart out of the community. I feel the school was successful in its fight as both the independent adjudicator and the independent scrutiny panel felt that no one had asked the community their views.

A more recent independent report, commissioned by the governing body really sums it up: “The learning village – the Deanes is in a unique position to offer Essex a range of options that would be hard to find elsewhere.

“The sports activity, including as it does extensive support for other schools and young people in a number of ways is well worth pursuing. I also think the concept the headteacher has of a multidimensional offer around the concept of a learning village, encompassing education from two to 19 with the nursery, sports school, special needs, alternative provision and post-16 provision provides a very clear vision for the future”.

This experience has taught me to always fight for what you truly believe in and never allow your guiding principles and core values to be compromised.

The Enchanted Wood Day Nursery started with seven children and nowhas 110 on roll and is over-subscribed. The nursery is very much part of the Deanes School, providing work experience placements for our students and helping to retain teachers, not only at the Deanes, but also at other local schools.

One of our strengths has always been the inclusive nature of our school. There was a lack of understanding of just how important this provision is.

The county council is very clear about how I feel about the way the whole proposed closure process was handled. It was not about the proposal, it was about the way it was done.

The independent adjudicator also understood and stated: “I have found no evidence these options were discussed with the school or given serious discussion in committee and the move from the funded programme to a school cloý End of an era – Jan Atkinson is to leave the Deanes at Easter sure proposal appeared as a fait accom-pli for the school. The council has not put a value on the community sports facility and nursery in its proposals, but simply asserted that a way will be found to enable these to continue.

Similarly, there has been no evidence the loss of the co-location with the special school has been taken into account in the overall decision making”.

Do you have any concerns that the campaign may have damaged the relationship with the authority in the long term? What state do you feel you are leaving the school?

I have no concerns that the campaign has damaged our relationship with the authority. I have been praised by the authority for my professionalism in the way I have handled the whole issue. The school hopes to move forward with a new relationship and improved open dialogue, which is already well underway with the council.

We are very pleased our numbers for September 2015 are looking very positive and that tours are taking place for those parents who are not happy with the choices they have been given. Any parent who is interested in having a tour of the school should contact us and make an appointment to see the school in action.

The Deanes is exploring the way forward and is in dialogue with several partners. The new vision will be for the governing body to decide. I feel there is a new confidence in the school. Finally, after ten years of promises, the county council has begun to re-model the building. The students, parents and staff at the school are already benefiting from the impact of the refurbishments. I now hope the promise of the science block through the priority schools building programme will make the school building even more attractive.

What would you like to do after leaving the Deanes? 

Who knows what the future holds?

The most important thing is to focus on the future of this school for now. It is very sad and frustrating, that based on our numbers today for the new Year 7 for September 2015, which continues to rise. If Essex County Council had just left us alone, we would now be oversubscribed.