Dream learn do become Uplands Community College happy

Dream, learn, do, become. . . Uplands Community College happy, confident and successful

Welcome Debbie Coslett – Chair of Governors • Over 40 years' experience in education • Teacher of History • Headteacher and Executive Headteacher • ESCC Consultant Headteacher and External Adviser • Now retired (or trying to be!) and a governor of two ESCC schools and one Kent school

Introductions Anna Robinson – Headteacher, Beacon Academy Clare Collins – Chair of Trustees, Beacon Academy

Our Current Position • Teaching and outcomes are improving • Stable staffing with a team of able, well-motivated, committed people • Financial position is stable, but volatile – a year on year falling student roll has impacted negatively on funding • The school roll is beginning to increase (a 12% increase in Year 7 for September 2021) • Brand new, state of the art building and a budgeted capital improvement programme over the next three years • Confidence and support of parents evidenced through parental surveys and feedback

Things are going well – but even better if … • Improved teaching is validated in an external exam series and continues to improve, with a positive P 8 score • Numbers on roll continue to increase and we become the school of choice in Wadhurst and the surrounding area for Year 7 and Year 12 students • We are recognised as an outstanding school that puts our students at the heart of what we do • We have sufficient funding to be able to offer both breadth and depth in the curriculum

However … • What makes us attractive (small size, rural location, caring school) is also our Achilles heel • Living within our means is a challenge • The range of subjects on offer at GCSE and A Level has become more limited • As a result, the 6 th form is a less attractive option for Uplands students and so they go elsewhere • School transport is an issue • Unlike other areas, there are no major house building projects in the local area from where a greater student intake could be drawn • The ESCC School Organisation Plan indicates that birth rates and student numbers will not increase over the next few years

ESCC School Organisation Plan https: //www. eastsussex. gov. uk/media/16655/school-organisation-plan-2020. pdf

Securing and sustaining a successful future • Status quo is not an option • Securing a successful and sustainable solution is an option • Retaining all that is unique about Uplands and the reasons why parents choose the school for their children and staff choose to work (and stay) at the school • Attracting increased numbers of students • Promoting new opportunities and career progression for staff • Sustaining improved academic outcomes • Choosing our own destiny

The National Agenda "By 2025, we want to see far more schools residing in strong families than we do today, and we’re actively looking at how we can make that happen. " Gavin Williamson 1 st March 2021 “The government’s vision is for every school to be part of a family of schools in a strong multi academy trust. ” Gavin Williamson 28 th April 2021 “Our ambition is for more schools to benefit from being part of a strong family because multi-academy trusts are the best way to advance education for the public benefit and can deliver clear benefits for teaching and pupil outcomes. ” Gavin Williamson 28 th April 2021 We want to be in charge of our future

The National Agenda

Next steps • The Governing Board has been working proactively with the local authority and school leaders since September 2020 to consider strategies that will secure a successful and sustainable future for the school, including the possibility of a partnership arrangement with another school • A local solution allowing Uplands to retain its distinctive ethos is the preferred option • Beacon Academy has come forward as a potential partner • Like us, they are aware of the national agenda and want to control their destiny. They would like to work alongside a school in their local area with whom they already collaborate • They share our drive for continuous improvement and would like to explore the possibility of a partnership with us • Governors at both schools have agreed to explore working together on a formal basis, hence this consultation

Why Beacon? • Student progress and attainment are outstanding • Demonstrated success at a national level – National Teaching School, National Support School, Chartered College CTeach host school • Both schools: • Offer an inclusive co-educational experience to children of all abilities • Have strong relationships with each other and also local schools within the local secondary network • Share similar philosophies and a drive for continuous improvement • Beacon is a stand-alone academy but structured as a multi academy trust

What is in it for us? • Improved opportunities and outcomes for students • Improved opportunities and career progression for staff • Improved student recruitment – year 7 and year 12 • Staff development opportunities • Joint working and improved CPD and promotion opportunities • Financial security and a long-term success for our school • Opportunity to have a formal partnership whilst maintaining our unique identity

What next? • Sharing of information by both schools • A period of consultation with both school communities – staff and parents to consider UCC becoming part of Beacon Community College Academy Trust • Consultation May 17 th until June 23 rd 2021 • Due diligence undertaken • Final decision taken at Governing Board Meeting on 30 th June 2021 • Application to the Df. E for an Academy Order • A transparent and fair process to be followed and decisions made in the best interests of the students and staff at both schools • UCC to become part of the Beacon Community College Academy Trust by April 2022

Questions 1. Why does Uplands need to become an academy / Uplands is a successful, small, rural school, so why does it need to become an academy? If it is not broken, why try to fix it? 2. Are there plans to close Uplands 6 th form and move it all to Beacon? / What guarantees will be given that GCSE and A-Level options will increase and improve? How will the sharing of facilities and subjects work? / 16. Can you confirm that children will not have to travel to Beacon for lessons, sporting fixtures or after-school clubs? 3. Will staff views be taken into consideration? Students need happy, motivated staff 4. Can this process be stopped, or is this consultation just a formality? 5. Will Uplands be 'merging' with Beacon and having a split site school? I'm concerned that my child won't be able to get to Beacon from where we live. 6. Hopefully, Duke of Edinburgh award will be able to take place? My eldest child gained such a lot from the experience. 7. What are the potential downsides of an academy structure versus council supported schools? 8. How can the two schools have 'parity of esteem' when the trust only bears the name of one of the two schools? 9. This seems very 'out of the blue' an odd thing to be trying to do. Students have missed over six months of faceto-face education, so making up for that should be the priority. 10. The FAQs state no change in uniform, how would this work if the school's name changes therefore affecting blazers?

Questions 11. What has changed at Uplands to reduce the number of GCSE and A-Level options? 12. What is the impact if this doesn't go ahead? 13. What will the day-to-day changes and impact be on our children and their choices as they progress through the school? 14. If Beacon were able to become an academy on their own, why can't Uplands become an academy on its own? 15. The current College format has for years enjoyed academic success and teaching excellence - so why change a format that isn’t broken? 16. Also joining Beacon Academy which has over 1400 students compared to Uplands 800 students will mean Beacon will get the lion's share of budget and resources 17. There is also evidence that on average classroom teachers get paid less in academies and head teachers and governors are paid more which could potentially be detrimental to teaching performance.