‘Inadequate’ Ashfield primary school to become academy after Government confirms agreement

Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School, on Westbourne View in Sutton’s Carsic Estate, will join the Transform Trust from Saturday, October 1.

A funding package has been confirmed by the Department for Education, while Nottinghamshire Council has confirmed a new 125-year lease on the building for the trust.

In a delegated decision on the council’s website, which will come into effect on Friday, September 30, the new lease will hand control of the building’s maintenance at a ‘peppercorn rent’.

It will also hand the trust control over the former Sure Start Sutton Central Children’s Centre building, which is now being used by the school for childcare.

In a report, Neil Gamble, council group manager for property and asset management, said: “The trust is entitled to a 125-year full repairing and insuring lease at a peppercorn rent.

“This will include any council-owned land and buildings which form part of the principal operational school site.

“The conversion includes a former Sure Start children’s centre which forms part of the main building and is now used by the school for the provision of childcare.”

Some schools become academies, under control of a trust rather than council, in order to have more direct control over their curriculum and how they spend money.

Brierley Forest’s academy conversion had been due to take place at the start of the academic year, but was delayed.

In a notice to parents, Sarah Griffith, school headteacher, said: “The conversion to academy status has been delayed and is now planned for October 1.

“This does not mean that they discontinue the support, quite the opposite. Transform and school 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.”

Now, when children return to the schoo on Monday, October 3, it will be officially under the control of the trust, rather than the local authority.

Education Secretary Kit Malthouse, in a letter to Lee Anderson, Conservative MP for Ashfield, said: “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. I am delighted this school will benefit from academy status.”

Welcoming the news, Mr Anderson said: “Great news. Young people and education are a passion of mine. Levelling up starts with our children.”

The school was rated inadequate by inspectors at education watchdog Ofsted following an assessment in November last year.

Details of a monitoring visit in July have now been published by Ofsted.

In a letter to Miss Griffth, Ofsted said the school ‘continues to be inadequate’, but ‘leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures’ and ‘the school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose’.