The Right Honourable Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has approved the exciting plans to transform Earlham High School with a vibrant new Academy.
City College Norwich has applied to be the lead sponsor of the new Academy, working closely with the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Norfolk County Council (as co-sponsors), with Norwich School acting as an additional education partner. This unique local education partnership would combine expertise to create a dynamic Academy whilst building upon the current school’s strengths.
A formal Expression of Interest (EOI) was submitted last year by City College Norwich and Norfolk County Council. This has now been approved by Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and other Ministers, allowing the project to move onto the Feasibility Stage of the process.
At the centre of this formal process is involving students, staff, governors, parents and the wider community at every stage. A Norfolk County Council consultation is currently underway allowing everyone to have their say on the proposed Academy.
City College Norwich Principal, Dick Palmer, said: “This is great news and another step towards making the Academy a reality. A new Academy will really inspire young people to make a success of their time at school as well as providing a real community asset for the wider Earlham community.”
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Media Contact
Jemma Thake, City College Norwich 01603 773074 / jemma.thake@ccn.ac.uk
Notes for editors
1. The proposed Academy will be a mixed school for up to 900 11-16 year olds and 200 16-19 year old students. The Academy will operate a free and fair admissions process in accordance with the national School Admissions Code. If places are oversubscribed the Academy will adopt the over-subscription criteria that apply to Norwich community schools.
2. The date for the proposed opening of the Academy in existing buildings is 2009 and the final date for build completion is planned to be 2012.
3. The name of the new Academy will be decided following local consultation.
4. All Academies are required to have at least one specialism. The proposed Academy will harness the expertise of UEA and City College Norwich to specialise in English and Digital Technology. The Academy will draw upon UEA’s internationally recognised excellence in literature and creative writing to promote creative writing throughout the curriculum. The focus on Digital Technology will be used to develop cutting edge approaches to bring learning to life. Working closely with local business and industry, the Academy will use digital technologies to help raise achievement in mathematics, science and technology. This may include novel ways of learning such as the use of social networking and virtual worlds (such as Second Life) where young people will be able to explore creative, new ways of experimenting with scientific and mathematical concepts.
5. The Academy will build on Earlham High School’s successes in sport, ensuring that all students have access to high quality physical activity. Sport studies will be a core activity across the Academy, making a key contribution by giving students a range of skills such as team working and communications whilst encouraging health and wellbeing.
6. As lead sponsor, City College Norwich will assist the Academy in developing an exciting range of 14-19 programmes that provide a wide range of personalised learning pathways, all of which challenge and stretch the young people of Earlham to exceed their expectations. This rich curriculum will be underpinned by high quality student support and guidance. The College will play a particular role in promoting the Academy’s use of new technologies and will enable the Academy to specialise in Digital Technology. City College Norwich will also support the Academy in developing strong links with local business and industry and in nurturing an enterprise culture.
7. UEA, as a co-sponsor, will ensure that the Academy’s specialism in English will be enriched by strong academic content and a diversity of teaching methods. The University hopes to promote the delivery of creative writing throughout the curriculum, including at A-level, and to develop a regional centre of expertise and resources for this expanding part of the English curriculum. UEA will use its educational expertise to help the Academy to develop as a learning organisation, supporting a high quality programme of professional development for its staff. The University will also offer a programme of mentoring and subject-specific coaching in support of the Academy's educational ethos.
8. Norfolk County Council has earned Beacon Status for youth involvement and has a national reputation for school improvement. The authority has a first-class Children’s Services team and will work with partners to provide an excellent range of integrated services for students of the Academy, their families and the wider community. In partnership with the other co-sponsors, the County Council will develop an in-house leadership training and development programme utilising the very best practice in education and business.
9. Norwich School is an additional educational partner to the Academy and brings a reputation for providing excellent opportunities for students’ personal development through extensive extra-curricular activities and outstanding pastoral care. Norwich School will use its expertise in delivering high quality education to support the Academy to develop its academic programme and an innovative approach to pastoral care. Norwich School will also support the Academy through its initiatives to encourage progression to the UK’s leading Universities, and will provide advice and guidance on raising aspirations and the development of music.
10. The Norfolk County Council consultation on the closure of the existing Earlham High School, as required by law, is now under way and runs until 13 February. The consultation will be sent to parents, staff and residents and is available at: www.norfolk.gov.uk/earlham
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