Consultation starts on Whitton and Hampton Community College [HCC] Academies

9.33.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th May 2009

• [May 08]: Cllr Jerry Elloy writes: 'CONSULTATION meetings have now begun on transforming HCC and Whitton School into Academies … …

. . 150 people attended a meeting this week at Whitton School and 190 were at Hampton Community College in late April. The meetings, at which Councillor Malcolm Eady, Cabinet Member for Children and Education was present, were mostly attended by parents and teachers, and were very successful. They considered 5 topics - Curriculum; Parental involvement; Post 16 provision; Schools' specialisms, and Building design and community use.

The input from the meetings has been productive and the results will help formulate the plans for the new schools.These will be published in the summer, ahead of the final stage of public consultation. It is our intention to create two outstanding schools; the proposals we are putting forward combine the highly successful system of personalised learning, which Kunskapsskolan, the Swedish Sponsor, has developed over the last 9 years, with what is best in the current schools.

It will not be a big bang approach, but a measured transition which will safeguard the education of existing pupils. It will bring about a new school for Whitton and £25m worth of capital investment into HCC.

The Academy consultation process, formulated by the Government, is in three stages. The first was to determine the level of support for the vision of the Council and the Sponsor for the two schools. This showed strong support for the programme. The current stage seeks the input of parents on the form and arrangements for the proposed Academies. Following this a prospectus for the two schools will be produced as part of the final stage, which is the statutory consultation on the closure of the two schools, and the opening of the Academies to replace them.

Related Links:

• The Borough's Academies Programme

• Official UK website of the proposed Richmond Academies sponsored by Kunskapsskolan & Richmond Council

• Kunskapsskolan Academies Brochure