HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE FUTURE AT THOMAS CLARKSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

People in Fenland are being given a voice on the future of educational provision at Wisbech’s Thomas Clarkson Community College.

A public consultation exercise has been launched on proposals for the school to become a Foundation School with Trust status and to extend the age range of pupils from 11-16 to 11-18 – ie to create a sixth form at the school.

Earlier this year, Cambridgeshire County Council applied to the government on the school’s behalf, for Thomas Clarkson Community College to become an Early Adopter and so proceed to acquire Trust status – the application was successful. The identified aims for the proposed Trust are:
· Raise aspirations
· Improve educational and social outcomes
· Improve school-community liaison
· Ensure effective and transparent accountability for school performance
· Improve partnership working

Organisations who have expressed interest in helping to make these aims a reality by becoming Trust Partners include the College of West Anglia, Anglia Ruskin University, Fenland District Council and the local Learning and Skills Council.

In addition, the local authority has identified the potential to establish a sixth form at the school as part of its work on the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Now the public are being asked for their opinion on the plans for the school’s future. To help with this, a consultation document has been produced and is being distributed to a widely, including to parents, carers, primary schools and other education providers, staff, governors, and partner organisations.

In addition, an open meeting will be held at Thomas Clarkson Community College between 6.00-7.30pm on October 30, with the Headteacher, school governors and representatives of the local authority and relevant partner agencies on hand to answer questions.

The public have until November 8 to have their say. The school and the County Council will welcome all feedback on the proposals.

The governing body will take the final decision as to whether to acquire Trust status. Cambridgeshire County Council has responsibility for taking the decision on whether the school should have a sixth form. Both decisions will be taken early in the spring term of 2008.

County Council Head of Schools Infrastructure, Hazel Belchamber, said: “Trust schools are a new development in school provision. They have a governing body supported by a charitable Trust and are part of the local authority system. A Trust has responsibility for leading the school’s development and ensuring it meets its educational objectives, by working with a range of partners.

“Thomas Clarkson Community College already works in partnership with the College of West Anglia to provide its students with a range of post-16 learning opportunity – but if we can secure agreement to the school becoming an 11-18 school, it would bring real benefits to the pupils and the local community from the additional government funding which would be available via the Buildings Schools for the Future programme. So we hope as many people as possible will take part in this very important consultation on the future structure of the school.”

To obtain a copy of the questionnaire (which must be returned by November 8), contact Hazel Belchamber on (01223) 717394.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For further information contact: Hazel Bedchamber on (01223 717394 or Glenn Thwaites in the Press and Public Relations Office on (01223) 717115.

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