Posted on Monday 13th June 2011
County Councillor Liz Staples
Parents, staff and pupils are being invited to have their say on an opportunity to improve secondary education in Rugeley.
The secondary schools were due to be re-vamped under the now stopped Building Schools for the Future programme.
Following talks with the Department for Education in December, the county council put forward an alternative proposal to the governing body for the schools to become Academies sponsored by a charitable organisation called the Creative Education Trust.
To this end, parents, staff and pupils are being invited to information drop-in evenings at the schools next week, where they can find out more about the proposals and how to have their say. There won’t be any formal presentations so people can drop in any time between the times outlined below:
• 13 June - between 6.30pm and 8.00pm at Hagley Park Sports College, Burnthill Lane, Rugeley WS15 2HZ
• 14 June – between 5.00pm and 6.15pm at The Aelfgar Rugeley College, Taylors Lane, Rugeley WS15 2AA
• 14 June – between 6.30pm and 8.00pm Fair Oak Business and Enterprise College, Penkridge Bank Road, Rugeley WS15 2UE
Staffordshire County Councillor Liz Staples, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: "There have been great improvements at the schools since the formation of the Rugeley Federation for Learning with Fair Oak and Hagley Park working more closely together and sharing a growing Sixth Form provision at Aelfgar.
"Given this, we strongly believe that bringing in outside expertise will sustain and build upon these improvements. The creation of two Academies, with a shared sixth form and Principal, will help open a new and exciting chapter for learning in Rugeley."
Andy Drake, Joint Chair of the Rugeley Federation for Learning said: "The proposal for the schools to become Academies has the backing of the governing body but now we need to know what staff, students, parents and the wider community think."
Keith Fletcher, Joint Chair of the Rugeley Federation for Learning added: "We have had positive feedback so far from staff at various meetings that have been held in school but this will be the first formal opportunity for people to lodge their views so I would urge everyone to take part."
Formal governing body consultation on the transformation into an academy began on June 6. The consultation is supported by the county council and the Creative Education Trust, details of the consultation can be found online at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/rugeley|