26 th February 2020 Proposal for Sedlescombe CEP School to join the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Parent Consultation Meeting 26th February 2020

Proposal for Sedlescombe CEP School to join the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust DCAT

October 2016 All governing bodies were required by Central Government to discuss the way forward for their schools. This was in response to the following concerns:

• level of cuts in the funding by Central Government to ESCC
• Reduction of school budgets impacting on education provision -

staffing, resources, extra curricular activities

• Higher costs in maintaining facilities e.g. buildings, grounds
• Reduction of extended services provided by ESCC e.g. School

Advisers, SEND provision, CPD for staff, IT support

• The Christian distinctiveness of the school being lost
• School’s rural location impacting on the school’s ability to network –

best practise i.e. sharing of knowledge, skills, support, moderation of

• utcomes of pupils, staff CPD

Governors decided to look at advantages of joining an Academy Trust i.e. DCAT.

Over the last 2 years the Governing Board have embarked on a series

• f detailed consultations including:
• Informal conversation with DCAT
• Head Teacher and governors talking to other schools that have gone

through process of joining DCAT and its impact

• Formal resolution passed by the governors to commence formal talks

with DCAT on what they could offer the school and what Sedlescombe could offer DCAT. Due Diligence undertaken by both parties.

• Sought permission from the Dioceses Education Board as

Sedlescombe is a Church of England school on the proposal to join DCAT

• Sought permission from the Department for Education to convert to

join an academy trust

• Talks with ESCC

Only when the above was agreed could the school start to consult stakeholders i.e. staff and parents

Advantages of joining DCAT

• DCAT is committed to school improvement and will challenge and

support the school on its continual journey to raise standards and

• utcomes for all pupils
• Being part of a wider ‘family’ of Christian schools
• Opportunities to strengthen the school’s ethos and Christian

distinctiveness

• Opportunities to learn from other schools, sharing resources and

facilities

• Opportunities for staff and governors to share good practice,

experience, skills and knowledge with other schools within the DCAT

• family. Peer to peer support for Headteachers.
• Access to extended service of professionals e.g. SEND, School

Improvement team, CPD

• Long term financial sustainability – economy of scale, sharing of services

and opportunities

• DCAT values the importance of relationships within its school and the

wider community

Summary Staff and governors at Sedlescombe Church of Engand Primary School are committed to providing excellent educational experiences and opportunities for all children regardless of gender, religious beliefs, disabilities or ethnicity and in partnership with DCAT and its family of schools, we feel we will be able to work together for the benefit of all children. It will allow the school to celebrate and share its successes and to learn from the support of DCAT’s School Improvement team on its continuous journey to raise standards and outcomes for all its pupils.