The Future Pattern of Secondary Education – Academies

Changes to educational provision at John Kitto and Tamarside Community Colleges

On 1 September 2010 Plymouth City Council proposes to replace John Kitto Community College with a Church of England sponsored academy and Tamarside Community College with a University of Plymouth sponsored academy on the existing sites of the two Community Colleges. The Council will be co-sponsors to both proposed academies.

In order for this change to take place formal consultations were undertaken between 18 June and 24 July 2009 to find out the views of all interested parties on the proposal to discontinue John Kitto Community College and Tamarside Community College in August 2010, subject to the Secretary of State making an agreement for two academies to be opened on the existing college sites in September 2010.

The National Academies programme

An academy is an all-ability, state-funded school established and managed by sponsors from a wide range of backgrounds, including high performing schools and colleges, universities, and the voluntary sector. All of them bring a record of success in other enterprises that they are able to apply to their academy in partnership with experienced school leaders. The involvement of business and other non-Government partners enables academies to develop and implement new approaches to governance, teaching and learning in order to raise standards. An academy is designed to transform cultures of low aspiration where these exist and enhance young people's learning, employability and life chances.

Academies are bound by the same School Admissions Code, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice and exclusions guidance as are all other state-funded schools. All new academies are also required to follow the National Curriculum programme of study in English, maths, science and ICT. All academies like the large majority of secondary schools have specialist school status, and have a specialism in one or more subjects.

Next steps

Having considered all the responses to the consultation we decided to publish formal proposals to discontinue John Kitto Community College and Tamarside Community College, ahead of them being transformed into academies. This proposal remains conditional on the Secretary of State's formal signing of the agreement for the two academies to be opened. The public notice was published on 16 September 2009. If the proposals are implemented, the two colleges would close their doors in August 2010 and two academies would open on the existing school sites in September 2010.

Anyone may comment on or object to the proposal set out in the Notice by writing to the Director of Services for Children and Young People (ref JEG), Plymouth City Council, Plymouth PL1 2AA by Wednesday 28 October 2009. We will then consider any responses or objections we receive and decide finally whether to implement the proposal.

The key documents can be downloaded from the document table below.

Documents

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	Consultation letter - letter to all interested parties on the consultation to close John Kitto and Tamarside Community Colleges. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 51.4KB
	Response form - consultation response form. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 24.4KB
	Human resources briefing note - human resources issues and information. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 20.9KB
	Prescribed information: John Kitto Community College - draft information required by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on the changes to John Kitto Community College. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 78.6KB
	Prescribed information: Tamarside Community College - draft information required by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on the changes to Tamarside Community College. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 78KB
	Consultees list - list of people and organisations consulted. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 25.2KB
	Public Notice - formal proposal to discontinue John Kitto and Tamarside Community Colleges. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 19.2KB