Principal Designate appointed for proposed Thetford Academy – and consultation underway again

The community of Thetford is being encouraged to have their say on plans for a new Academy now that the cooling off period from the election has officially ended and the consultation can begin again.

A series of consultation meetings and less formal ‘drop-in’ events gets underway in June to look at the proposal to bring Charles Burrell Humanities School and Rosemary Musker High School together to form a single Academy for 11-19 year olds, due to open this September.  

A new Principal Designate, Christine Carey, has also been appointed to head up the Academy if it gets the go ahead from the Department for Education this summer.  Christine is currently headteacher of John Spendluffe Foundation Technology College in Lincolnshire, where she has a successful track record of delivering outstanding results for the school and providing inspirational leadership.

Melvyn Roffe, Principal of Wymondham College and lead sponsor of the proposed Thetford Academy, said:

“I am thrilled that we have secured the services of a very experienced educational leader to take the proposed Academy forward. There was fierce competition for this role and the calibre of candidates from across the UK is testament to this exciting initiative.

“Christine Carey clearly demonstrated to us that she shares our vision for the Academy. She has the expertise and determination to deliver an Academy which will build a reputation for high quality, innovative teaching and learning and, will also be at the heart of the Thetford education and business communities.”

Christine Carey said: “I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity of working with the students, staff, parents and wider community of Thetford. I am also excited at the prospect of being able to work with such a unique set of sponsors. As a partnership we can work together to ensure our young people are equipped with the skills and confidence they need to be successful members of the global community”.

Public consultations about the Academy are being held at the following venues throughout Thetford and everyone is encouraged to attend, meet the sponsors and have their say. The ‘drop-in’ events will provide a chance to come along and ask any questions you have, while the other two meetings will also have a presentation for attendees as well as a question and answer session.

A brochure about the Academy proposals, together with a consultation questionnaire have been sent to students, parents and carers, staff, school governors and a variety of local community venues. The sponsors are keen to hear your views and work with you to ensure that the proposed Academy in Thetford really is something we can all be proud of.

The brochure and questionnaire are also available to read and fill in online by visiting www.thetfordacademy.com. Any general comments can also be sent to the sponsors by emailing consultation@thetfordacademy.com. The consultation period ends on Friday 18 June.

Notes for editors:

Further / background information:

All pupils currently at the two schools would automatically transfer to the new Academy which would open initially in the existing Charles Burrell and Rosemary Musker school buildings. The Academy would provide new or refurbished buildings on the sites of the two existing high schools and a brand new building in the centre of town (The Forum) by 2013.

The Academy’s sponsors are Wymondham College (lead sponsor), Easton College, West Suffolk College, and Norfolk County Council. Thetford Grammar School, Breckland District Council and Thetford Town Council are partners.

The sponsors are committed to using their skills and experience to establish an outstanding Academy that would benefit the whole town of Thetford for generations to come. They want to build on the work the staff of the existing schools have already done to improve education in the town and work with students and their families, local businesses and community groups to ensure Thetford becomes known as a ‘town for learning’.

The proposal is supported by the Moving Thetford Forward partnership. Moving Thetford Forward is a partnership to support the growth and development of Thetford and consists of Breckland District Council, Norfolk County Council, Thetford Town Council and a wide range of other local organisations.

Timeline:

The current consultation is part of the feasibility study stage of the Academy proposal.

Contacts:

For information about the proposed Academy, contact:

Melvyn Roffe, Principal of Wymondham College, 01953 609001

Moana Pledger, Communications Consultant, Place Group, 07970 703077

Marion Forsyth, Communications Officer of Norfolk County Council, 01603 224277.

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