Q&A with lead sponsor part 2
23/08/09
What would you like to say to those who have concerns about the proposed Academy?
I don't blame anyone for being concerned about change, it is a natural human instinct to question change and why shouldn't people, I know I would! It is important to allow people to have their say so that their anxieties can be answered and reassured. This is why we have run a number of workshops, drop in sessions and consultations where parents' questions could be answered and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to parents and teachers about the future plans.
I am not going to enforce my beliefs and wishes on the school. Whether it is the school uniform, the curriculum, new buildings or even the catering, everything is being decided through appropriate consultation and in the best interests of the Maltby Community.
Some people appear to pick up on only the negative stories relating to Academies nationally instead of focusing on the incredible success which is being achieved via the Academies Programme. I was fortunate enough to visit the Manchester Academy located in the notorious Moss Side area of the city back in July. This Academy has seen a significant change in its attainment and school improvement and recently received an outstanding Ofsted report. Therefore I urge people who may be concerned about the plans to consider this when they think about the Maltby Academy.
Dave Sutton is a fantastic headteacher and has an excellent senior leadership team whom I am proud to be working with. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with a number of the teaching staff who are outstanding and committed to driving the standards and quality of teaching and learning at Maltby. I know that we have a strong leadership team in place that people want to work for and I will work with the team to make this school an outstanding Academy that the community of Maltby can be proud of. I would also like to say that if anyone at any time has any concerns, they can always contact myself or Dave and we will happily meet with you to discuss them.
How will the proposed Maltby Academy benefit the local community?
Maltby will have a 21st Century learning campus which will be fit for purpose in everyway. The people of Maltby will be proud to see their Academy topping the league tables and becoming one of the most desirable schools in the area. However this is a school for Maltby children and always will be.
It is important to remember that whilst the Academy will benefit Maltby's young people, it will also have a clear vision and objective to support adult learning within the community. Our ethos is one of enabling young people to gain the necessary qualifications and to develop those valuable employability skills which will enable them to confidently enter the world of work. This ethos also applies to our community at large. In these times of economic uncertainty and a changing job market it is critical that adults in Maltby have the opportunity to gain new skills and be presented with new opportunities. Therefore Maltby Academy will be a centre of excellence for employability offering access to a range of activities and courses through our extended school provision.
What is the 'vision' for the proposed Maltby Academy?
The vision is simple. Every young person will leave Maltby Academy 'qualified' in the broadest sense to confidently enter the world of work or further education with the necessary qualifications and skills to succeed.
They will experience a personalised learning journey which will enable each and every young person to play to their strengths and improve on their weaknesses. Learning at Maltby Academy will be engaging, relevant and purposeful.
What's in it for U-Explore?
At U-Explore we work with 30 different local authorities and hundreds of schools to support the delivery of work-related learning, careers information, advice and guidance and employer engagement.
The work we are doing supports schools by testing new ways of working and introducing technology as an enabling force in education. To achieve this it is essential that we have the opportunity to work in partnership with a fantastic senior leadership team to embed our thinking and solutions right at the heart of the vision and ethos of the school.
We will be able to showcase Maltby Academy as a success story, as a beacon for transformational teaching and learning. This will be a win win situation, putting both Maltby Academy and U-Explore on the educational map.
I don't blame anyone for being concerned about change, it is a natural human instinct to question change and why shouldn't people, I know I would! It is important to allow people to have their say so that their anxieties can be answered and reassured. This is why we have run a number of workshops, drop in sessions and consultations where parents' questions could be answered and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to parents and teachers about the future plans.
I am not going to enforce my beliefs and wishes on the school. Whether it is the school uniform, the curriculum, new buildings or even the catering, everything is being decided through appropriate consultation and in the best interests of the Maltby Community.
Some people appear to pick up on only the negative stories relating to Academies nationally instead of focusing on the incredible success which is being achieved via the Academies Programme. I was fortunate enough to visit the Manchester Academy located in the notorious Moss Side area of the city back in July. This Academy has seen a significant change in its attainment and school improvement and recently received an outstanding Ofsted report. Therefore I urge people who may be concerned about the plans to consider this when they think about the Maltby Academy.
Dave Sutton is a fantastic headteacher and has an excellent senior leadership team whom I am proud to be working with. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with a number of the teaching staff who are outstanding and committed to driving the standards and quality of teaching and learning at Maltby. I know that we have a strong leadership team in place that people want to work for and I will work with the team to make this school an outstanding Academy that the community of Maltby can be proud of. I would also like to say that if anyone at any time has any concerns, they can always contact myself or Dave and we will happily meet with you to discuss them.
How will the proposed Maltby Academy benefit the local community?
Maltby will have a 21st Century learning campus which will be fit for purpose in everyway. The people of Maltby will be proud to see their Academy topping the league tables and becoming one of the most desirable schools in the area. However this is a school for Maltby children and always will be.
It is important to remember that whilst the Academy will benefit Maltby's young people, it will also have a clear vision and objective to support adult learning within the community. Our ethos is one of enabling young people to gain the necessary qualifications and to develop those valuable employability skills which will enable them to confidently enter the world of work. This ethos also applies to our community at large. In these times of economic uncertainty and a changing job market it is critical that adults in Maltby have the opportunity to gain new skills and be presented with new opportunities. Therefore Maltby Academy will be a centre of excellence for employability offering access to a range of activities and courses through our extended school provision.
What is the 'vision' for the proposed Maltby Academy?
The vision is simple. Every young person will leave Maltby Academy 'qualified' in the broadest sense to confidently enter the world of work or further education with the necessary qualifications and skills to succeed.
They will experience a personalised learning journey which will enable each and every young person to play to their strengths and improve on their weaknesses. Learning at Maltby Academy will be engaging, relevant and purposeful.
What's in it for U-Explore?
At U-Explore we work with 30 different local authorities and hundreds of schools to support the delivery of work-related learning, careers information, advice and guidance and employer engagement.
The work we are doing supports schools by testing new ways of working and introducing technology as an enabling force in education. To achieve this it is essential that we have the opportunity to work in partnership with a fantastic senior leadership team to embed our thinking and solutions right at the heart of the vision and ethos of the school.
We will be able to showcase Maltby Academy as a success story, as a beacon for transformational teaching and learning. This will be a win win situation, putting both Maltby Academy and U-Explore on the educational map.
