Academisation

We are pleased to announce that our outstanding school is currently undergoing the academisation process. Following a rigorous evaluation, we have received an academy order to join Eastern Education Trust. This transition marks an exciting chapter in our journey towards academic excellence and holistic development. As we embrace this opportunity, we continue to be commited to providing exceptional education. We are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of teaching and learning, ensuring that every child reaches their full potential. Please check back here for updates as we embark on this transformative endeavour together.

Below you can find copies of letters sent to parents/carers, along with any frequently asked questions.

FAQs

When is the academisation going to take place?

The application for academisation has been agreed by the Regional Director and the local authority has received the Academy Order.  If all goes to plan, the date of academisation is hoped to be 1st September 2024. 

Which academy trust is the school joining?

The school is applying to join the Eastern Education Trust (EET), a local multi-academy trust with two large Outstanding sixth forms. By joining this trust, we are able to lead the development of the Primary education phase of the trust. 

Will the school holiday dates change?

At present, we are not planning to make any changes to the school holidays.

Are there any immediate changes to the leadership structure of the school?

There will not be any immediate changes to the leadership structure of our school. 

Why does conversion to an academy mean that you can offer better education?

Joining Eastern Education Trust (EET) will increase opportunities for our staff and help us to retain our highly valued and experienced staff. As part of the trust, staff will be able to access a wide variety of career and development opportunities and, as the first Primary School within the trust, staff will be able to develop the trust’s Primary curriculum to share Exning’s Outstanding innovative and inclusive learning with other primaries so that more children engage in and enjoy learning. Being part of EET will also improve the support offered to the school for such services as HR, Estates, Finance, IT services, Governance etc. and in time will allow us to offer additional SEN services such as access to Educational Psychologists, Counselling services, Speech and Language therapists etc. 

What are the pros and cons associated with academising? 

As a school that offers outstanding, high quality and inclusive educational practice, we want to expand our offer to more families across our region. As mentioned above, rather than establish our own multi-academy trust, we want to join an established local trust with the same core values and lead on the development of its primary phase. Eastern Education Trust (EET) has equally outstanding educational practice and shares our focus on high quality outcomes, targeted school improvement and improving/recruiting/growing our own workforce. EET offers us a wealth of expertise from its already well-established support team, from finance to estates, and a matching ethos that is ambitious for all stakeholders, ensuring all students achieve their full potential. EET is also a local provider working with the same communities as Exning and has a history of expanding in a sustainable way, which is what we intend to do within the primary phase. 

Have the pros and cons been considered in a balanced way and will you share all of these considerations with parents? 

The decision to academise has not been taken lightly by the Governing Body. We have been discussing this at many different meetings over the past 18 months and all governors had the opportunity to visit the EET team in Bury St Edmunds and ask any questions they had. Financial due diligence is in the process of being completed.