6 July 2015
Dear Parent or Carer,
The Meadows School has worked hard in recent years to provide an engaging, challenging
and highly relevant curriculum, where young people achieve appropriate qualifications and
have all their sensory and care needs met. We strive to be at the forefront of developments
for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, our aim to improve the
prospects and opportunities for employment and independence for young adults with learning
difficulties in the Staffordshire Moorlands and beyond.
The Governing Body of The Meadows School has been investigating how we can build upon
our strengths and develop in other areas, how we can improve transitions for our students
and ultimately plan for their futures, so that all students can maximise their opportunities in
terms of their development, whether that it their sensory experience, independence or
employability.
The future for all schools as part of the Local Authority has been a matter for concern and
debate over a number of years. The role of the Local Authority has changed greatly in recent
years, taking on a commissioning role and greatly reducing the services and support it
provides directly to schools. Many mainstream schools have already made the decision to
convert to becoming an Academy so that they can enjoy greater freedoms in curriculum and
greater control over their budgets, separating themselves from the Local Authority. These
factors have not been as great a concern for Special Schools as we already enjoyed some of
these freedoms. However, we believe the time is now right for The Meadows to convert to
Academy status and take control of our destiny as a school rather than wait until a time when
there may be limited options.
During these discussions we have been talking to the Governing Body of Springfield Special
School. They too, feel now is the right moment to convert to Academy status, further we
believe it would be of great benefit to the pupils, students, families and staff to form a
Partnership. The Partnership would create one Academy Council for the two schools, with a
joint leadership team, an Executive Headteacher, and a Head of School for both The
Meadows and Springfield. The schools would remain separate legal entities and keep their
own identities but be able to share their resources more effectively and plan for the journeys
and transitions of all the young people in our care and those generations to come.
We have considered conversion as a stand-alone Academy, however following much
investigation and research throughout the last six months, the Governing Body has agreed
that we can best secure the future aims for our school by converting to Academy Status as
part of a Multi-Academy Trust, with the Shaw Education Trust. The Governing Body of
Springfield have made a similar decision and we would plan to create the Partnership when
both schools have joined the Multi-Academy Trust.
The Shaw Education Trust is relatively new, but builds upon the long and substantial history
of success of the Shaw Trust, a national charitable organisation that has been successfully
supporting young people with disabilities and their families for thirty years.
It is clear to the leadership and Governors of The Meadows, and the representatives of the
Shaw Education Trust that there are many parallels between the ethos and ambitions of the
Shaw Trust and those of the School. The Shaw Education Trust understands the needs of
our students and families, and has the appropriate resources and experience at national level
to support the future developments, particularly with regards to employment and
opportunities for independence.
The Shaw Education Trust already has three Staffordshire Special Schools as members of
the Multi-Academy Trust. The Meadows would aim to join this trust, with other schools also
joining over the course of the next year. School places will continue to be commissioned by
the Local Authority, although core funding would come directly from the DfE to the Shaw
Education Trust and delegated down to the School. SEN funding would continue to come
from the LA to the school through the Trust.
There are no plans to change how the school functions on a day-to-day basis, and there are
no plans to change the school day or the pattern of holidays. Our provision and ethos will
remain the same.
Admissions will continue to be co-ordinated by Staffordshire Local Authority, and the Trust
will continue to act in accordance with the Government’s Code of Practice for Admissions.
Our working relationship with health and social care providers will not change, and the
nursing, physiotherapy and speech and language services will continue as normal.
All staff currently employed by The Meadows School would become employees of the Shaw
Education Trust. The school Governing Body and the trustees of the Shaw Education Trust
promote and value strong working relationships with staff. The employment rights of all
members of staff would be protected by TUPE, Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of
Employment) regulations 2006 as amended by The Collective Redundancies and Transfer of
Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014. This means that
these employment rights would transfer to the Trust under the same terms and conditions of
employment. Pension rights and continuity of service record would be preserved.
The Governing Body would be reconstituted as an Academy Council, and retain all existing
earned autonomy to be accountable for the school and its running.
As the Shaw Education Trust develops there will be opportunities to benefit from the stronger
buying power of the Trust, and economies of scale. This means we should be able achieve
better value when buying goods and services, and direct more funds into buying more
resources for the classrooms.
As a member of the Shaw Education Trust, we can continue to build on the innovation we
have developed to date, with the support of an organisation that understands our mission.
We hope to develop new opportunities that build better support for our families, and provide a
much better transition into adult life after leaving school.
https://www.gov.uk/become-an-academy-information-for-schools
http://www.shaweducationtrust.org.uk/
Yours sincerely
Christopher Best
Headteacher
s.cb\Letters\AcademyConversionParentsSummer2015
Clive Lilley
Chair of Governing Body