Tuesday, 01 May 2018
Dear Parent
We are about to enter a period of significant change at Royton and Crompton School. Some of these changes have already started to happen, others are about to take place.
Peer Review
Following a recent peer review by Headteachers from good and outstanding schools supported by external assessors and local authority experts, we have been seen to have improved dramatically. The evidence and the data demonstrate this. We still have much work to do to become a good and outstanding school, and we are ready to take on the challenge. Well done to the team who have driven this progress and to the students who are improving both their general behaviour and their behaviour for learning.
Academy Order and EACT
Following the OFSTED inspection in May 2017 the Secretary of State for Education issued an academy order for our school, in line with national government policy. We welcome this move, as it will give us access to a wide range of support and resources to assist with our rapid improvement.
The multi academy trust who have been chosen for us and who have been working closely with us behind the scenes for a number of months is EACT. There are two other EACT schools locally, The Oldham Academy North (secondary) and Blackley Academy (primary). There are also many other excellent EACT academies nationally.
We are at the stage of “due diligence” with EACT, where they ensure that we are a viable school financially, and that all the legal aspects of the school including contracts, the site, and the buildings are fit for purpose. There will also need to be a TUPE (The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) consultation with staff.
The targeted date for transfer is 1st September 2018 should all the above work proceed in line with the current plan.
Visit from the EACT Executive
We are pleased to confirm that we are to receive a visit by senior executives at EACT. They will be visiting the school on 15th May 2018, and this visit will include a tour of the site, including the new build site, a meeting with the Interim Executive Board (IEB, our governors), meetings and a presentation in the Hall at 1500 for staff.
There will be a presentation in the afternoon from 1600-1800 where there will be an opportunity to learn more about EACT, their vision and the very high standards that they expect and support in all their schools.
We would encourage you to attend, to show your support for the school and also to find out more about the benefits of sending your child to an EACT academy.
Preparing for EACT
We wish to give you early notice that the first week of the new school year, 3rd September 2018 to 7th September 2018 inclusive is proposed to be kept for staff training only. The first school day for students will therefore be 10th September 2018. This is of course conditional on the transfer taking place, but is intended to give you advanced warning to allow you to plan for this. We will keep you informed as we proceed.
School Day Changes
We have led a very successful programme of Professional Development and training on Wednesday afternoons for the past year, which has translated into improved standards of safeguarding and also improved teaching and learning in the classroom.
We are proposing to return to a normal full day on Wednesdays in the new school year, with a structured tutor period at the start of the day. The EACT model for professional training involves full days and National events, along with local partnerships and does not require the extra time in the week.
This will mean that school starts and finishes at the same time each day.
New Build
The new build is developing at a fast pace and we were delighted to see the floors going into the frame. We are still on target for completion in May next year with the move in due in September 2019.
The demolition of the existing buildings is programmed for the summer holiday to avoid these works affecting the normal running of the school. We have published some photos and a video on the website to show the progress to date. You will be able to monitor the progress by logging in to the website and clicking on the new build tab at the top of the page.
Year 8 Choices
By increasing the teaching provision in History and Geography we are able to allow Year 8 to choose a major and a minor option, to allow them to focus on one or other of these subjects prior to focusing in Y9, 10 and 11 for external examinations. This will ensure the breadth of the curriculum is maintained whilst ensuring that choices are based on good solid experiences in the classroom.
Uniform Standards
We have made further progress with our development of the uniform. It has been agreed from September 2018 that all new blazers should bear the school badge on the pocket. Sew on badges will be available to update existing blazers. The school skirt is changing in design and colour. It will be blue to match the blazer, and will be the pleated style with the school badge on the hem, similar to many other local schools. The skirt will be available from Zutti, Yorkshire Street, Oldham and from other local uniform suppliers. This will help with standardising the appearance and presentation of the students. Trousers will remain tailored in style and black in colour.
Many thanks for your continuing support of the school.
Neil Hutchinson
Headteacher