1. Heritage High School Community Consultation Meeting on plans to convert to Academy status Wednesday 8th March 2017

2. What is an academy? Outwardly an academy is the same as a school
Schools
Schools are funded from the local authority (LA) by funds from central government
The LA are the employer
The LA hold schools to account for their performance
The LA support schools to improve teaching and learning

3. What is an academy? Academies
Academies change the legal status of the organisation, leave the control of the LA and join an academy trust (either a Single Academy Trust or a Multi Academy Trust)
Academies are funded directly from central government through the Trust
The Trust become the employer
The Trust hold the academy to account for their performance, with the Trustees ultimately accountable
The Trust supports academies to improve teaching and learning

4. Why seek to become an academy?
For Heritage High School:
Successive “Requires Improvement” judgements – Ofsted March 2013, March 2015
Improvements at Key Stage 4, but not at a fast enough pace
Difficulties in identifying effective, willing local partner schools within LA
Central Government announcement in April 2016 – “all schools to become academies”
Warning letter from the Regional Schools Commissioner – May 2016
Desire to form strong partnerships to develop teaching and learning
We know what we need to do to improve outcomes

5. How has the school prepared to become an academy?
Through the Headteacher and School Business Manager actively researched potential partners and informal meetings took place
Autumn 2016:
Full Governing Body (FGB) gave clear direction on the type of Trust they believed would benefit Heritage High School in our drive to improve
Meetings held with the LA who have actively supported our search
HT and SBM identified a small number of potential Trusts
Meetings held with DfE to discuss potential Trusts and methods of conversion
Contact was made with each, and information fed back to the FGB
Narrowed down to one Trust
Applied in December 2016 to join The Two Counties Trust as a sponsored academy

6. Why The Two Counties Trust?
Small, but a growing Trust
Currently:
Ashfield School, Nottinghamshire
Selston High School, Nottinghamshire
Swanwick Hall School, Derbyshire
The Manor Academy, Nottinghamshire
Local not national
Capacity to support Heritage High School
Formed from strong schools with track record of success
Already seeing benefit from school to school support with Ashfield School
Allows teachers to work collaboratively with best practitioners to improve further
More effective planning and strategic development

7. What won’t change because of academy status?
School uniform
School/academy name & logo
School rules
The school day
There will be changes over the forthcoming months, but these are due to already planned, school led management decisions. These changes are not because of academy status.

8. What will change because of academy status?
No longer LA officers working in school to support
Colleagues from academies within The Two Counties Trust will be seen in school to support teaching and learning
Teaching standards will improve

9. The Two Counties Trust Mr R Vasey
Headteacher at Ashfield School, Notts
Chief Executive Officer of The Two Counties Trust