A Nottinghamshire school will join an academy after the Government confirmed its transfer. Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School, on the Carsic Estate in Sutton-in-Ashfield, will become part of the Transform Trust from Saturday, October 1.
The Department for Education confirmed a funding package for the school on Wednesday, September 28. In a letter addressed to Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, Education Secretary Kit Malthouse said: "I have agreed to enter into a funding agreement to allow Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School … to become a sponsored academy with Transform Trust.
"The date of conversion will be October 1, 2022, and I am writing to the local authority to cease maintaining the school from that date. As you know, academies form an integral part of the Government’s education policy to raise attainment for all children and to bring about sustained improvements to all schools.
Read more: Government could send in 'commissioner' if Nottingham's inadequate children's services don't improve
"I am delighted that this school will benefit from academy status.” Reacting to the letter, Mr Anderson said: "Great news... I am now pleased to announce that Brierley Forest School has a funding package in place to make it an academy school. Levelling up starts with our children."
The confirmation means on Monday, October 3 pupils will be officially returning to an academy. However Brierley Forest's conversion was supposed to take place at the start of the academic year, meaning the school was already part of the trust in "all but name".
"Unfortunately, the conversion to academy status has been delayed and it is now planned for 1st October 2022," head teacher Sarah Griffith said in a message to parents and carers.
"This does not mean that they discontinue the support, quite the opposite. Transform and BFPNS Leaders had already agreed the planned support for this term and this will continue regardless of the academy status. To all intents and purposes, we are part of Transform –just not in name."
Many schools choose to be run by academy trusts rather than councils in order to have more direct control over their curriculum and how they spend money. Brierley Forest will leave the control of Nottinghamshire County Council and join Transform Trust which has 19 member schools.
READ MORE:
