Minister gives the ‘green light’ for the opening of the two Woodard academies in 2009 with major capital investment

Schools Minister, Andrew Adonis, has given the go ahead for the Woodard West Sussex Academies to open at Lancing and Littlehampton in September 2009.

The new academies will open on the site of Boundstone Community College and Littlehampton Community School and are being sponsored by leading UK education provider, Woodard Schools and West Sussex County Council.

The Academy at Boundstone will serve the local communities of Lancing and Sompting, with places for 1,200 students plus 200 places for sixth form students. The Academy will build on the current school’s reputation for performing arts with a specialist status in this area as well as Mathematics. Subject to final agreement of plans being developed currently, the Academy at Boundstone will receive around £27 million, including £5 million for state-of-the-art Information Communication Technology.

Similarly, there are plans for Littlehampton Academy to receive around £31 million including £5 million for Information Communication Technology. It will have places for 1,650 students as well as a sixth form for 250 students. The Academy will continue the current school’s specialist status for Business and Enterprise as well as introducing a new specialism of English.

Both Academies will open in the current school buildings and will undergo a major rebuilding and modernisation programme that will be completed in the 2011/2012 academic year.

Commenting on the approval of the funding agreement, lead sponsor, Peter Rawlinson of Woodard Schools, said: “Following careful consultation we have concluded that it is feasible to deliver the improvements in education needed by these two communities”.

“We now therefore move into an ‘implementation’ year, at the end of which our plans become reality. We have been excited and impressed by the support we have received from the local communities and from the governors and staff of the two existing schools. West Sussex County Council has already confirmed that they will close the two schools at the end of August 2009. We stand ready to open the Academies on 1st September 2009 with the educational needs of generations of local students as top priority.”

Peter Griffiths, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, added: “The new schools will not only benefit from a major cash injection, which will result in new state-of-the-art buildings, but they will also be a real focus for the local communities.

“I am confident the Academies will enhance the educational opportunities available to young people in Littlehampton and Lancing and will also make a significant contribution to the whole community.”

Andrew Adonis, Schools Minister added: “I am delighted that the Littlehampton and Boundstone Academies will be opened by Woodard Schools, co-sponsored by West Sussex County Council. Woodard has an outstanding track record of successful schools, and these academies will raise standards and extend opportunity for young people in West Sussex.”


For further information on the Woodard West Sussex Academies, please click onto
www.woodardwestsussexacademies.co.uk

A Woodard Academy reflects the culture and vision of Woodard Schools. We believe that a good education should be a given but in addition each child should be treated as an individual, given opportunities where they can flourish and have the confidence and the tools needed to cope with the demands and responsibilities of adult life.

Educating 27,000 pupils a year and employing over 2,500 educational colleagues, we have an unrivalled breadth and knowledge in education across both the private and state sectors. We actively welcome students and staff from all faiths or no faith at all, adding to the diversity and rich culture of our school communities.

The Academy consultation booklet can be downloaded here

During the initial staff and public consultation at West Sussex, we were asked numerous questions. We have noted them and answered a number here . If you would like to register any additional questions on the Woodard West Sussex Academies, please e mail the Woodard West Sussex project manager, Sandie Reed at Sandie.reed@mouchel.com

At the recent consultation meeting we discussed the opportunity for you to get more involved in proposed Academy developments and the introduction of Academy Discussion Groups. These groups will form a crucial part of the consultation process where the project leaders and sponsors can both listen to and respond to concerns and obtain ideas and suggestions for the project and the way forward. There will be discussion groups for staff, parents and students of your school and for the parents of local primary school pupils, as well as the community, allowing everyone affected by the proposals to have their say and be part of the process.

We want you to take an active part in the discussions for the proposed Academies and tell us what currently works well and should remain, as well as the improvements that could be made. We want you to be ambitious in your thoughts and ideas, which could ultimately be central to the success of the proposed Academies.

Please click  here   for the Academy Discussion Group meeting details.  

Please click here to download the July issue of the Community Newsletter.

Admission Arrangements

Please click here if you would like to download admission arrangements for the Boundstone Academy and here for the Littlehampton Academy.

Prospectuses

Please click here  for the Boundstone Prospectus and click here for the Application Form for admission

Please click here for the Boundstone Year 7 entry Prospectus

Please click here for the Littlehampton Sixth Form  Prospectus