Consultation to become an Academy

Willen Primary is consulting to Join The Denbigh Alliance MAT

The Governing Body are seeking to consult with all key stakeholders of WILLEN PRIMARY SCHOOL regarding a proposal to convert from being a Local Authority Maintained School to an Academy. Becoming an Academy would see us join the highly successful Denbigh Alliance as part of a Multi-Academy Trust.

 

As with all key decisions, our Governors are committed to putting the best interests of our children, our staff and the wider community at the centre. We are therefore keen to involve you, as a valued partner, in the consultation process.

 

The consultation will run from Friday 15th December 2023 until 4pm on Friday 19th January 2024 (5 weeks).

 

Why Join a MAT?

Over several years, WPS Governors have been focused on finding ways to strengthen the future of our school. Over recent months, the Governors and senior leaders and completed significant work around understanding Multi-Academy Trusts and what joining a MAT could mean for our school, as well as investigating several local, existing Trusts to find one that is most aligned with the vision and values of the school. 

Becoming an Academy and being part of a Multi-Academy Trust is akin to being part of a wider, larger family. Not only does this bring potential financial benefits and economies of scale, it also presents incredible opportunity for school improvement through collaboration, shared resources and innovation. 

Willen staff and families were invited to take part in a short survey so that Governors could accurately identify the main priorities for staff and families of WPS. These were then used as the basis for all subsequent work in finding the perfect ‘match’ for WPS.

 

The main priorities identified by staff and WPS families to Strengthen the future of WPS were:

  1. Enhance the outcome of pupils by recruiting, retaining, and developing exceptional staff
  2. Foster strong and meaningful collaboration and innovation with local schools 
  3. Enhance the pathway for WPS pupils as they move into secondary education
  4. Position WPS as the ‘school of choice’ for MK families thus enhancing pupil numbers and consequently strengthening WPS’s financial leverage

 

In line with the above, and after evaluating several options, Governors are seeking to consult with all key stakeholders of WILLEN PRIMARY SCHOOL regarding a proposal to convert from being a Local Authority Maintained School to an Academy. Becoming an Academy would see us join the highly successful DENBIGH ALLIANCE as part of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).

 

As with all key decisions, our Governors are committed to putting the best interests of our children, our staff and the wider community at the centre. We are therefore keen to involve you, as a valued partner, in the consultation process.

 

The consultation will run from Friday 15th December 2023 until 4pm on Friday 19th  January 2024 (5 weeks).

 

Why Join a MAT?

Becoming an Academy and being part of a MAT is akin to being part of a wider, larger family. Not only does this bring potential financial benefits and economies of scale, it also presents incredible opportunities for enhancing learning and pupil outcomes, school improvement through collaboration, and both broadening and deepening the curriculum leveraging shared resources and innovation. 

 

Who are The Denbigh Alliance?

The Denbigh Alliance are an existing Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) of 3 schools across Milton Keynes:

  • Denbigh School
  • Watling Academy
  • Watling Primary School

2 further local primary schools will be joining the MAT over the coming weeks, taking the total MAT to 5 schools. 

 

On becoming part of The Denbigh Alliance, WPS Governors are confident that this partnership will address all the main priorities identified by staff and parents, in addition to others, notably:

  1. Enhanced opportunities for staff development, promotion, and retention
  2. A ‘family’ of schools to work and learn together thus enhancing outcomes for children in MK
  3. Opportunities for curriculum development and enrichment through shared expertise and resources
  4. Aligned core values:  combining WPS’s motto “a place where everyone flourishes” with Denbigh’s core values of Education, Care and Opportunity
  5. Longer term financial stability and opportunity
  6. Potentially enhanced opportunities for WPS children to progress to a Denbigh Alliance secondary school

 

Further information about the Trust can be found here:

https://thedenbighalliance.org.uk/



All stakeholders and invited to view our online presentation to find out more:

 

A document of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ can be found HERE and aims to answer common questions that people may have around the process. 

This will be updated as new questions come in and will be re-sent to families when updated. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-OLL6_B4MEZx_QACJmwzhVVCrTTRQxgo/view?usp=sharing

 

Should you wish to make a comment, share your view (either one of support or caution) or ask a direct question, please complete the following Google Form. We will aim to respond to all reasonable questions linked to this proposal in a timely manner:

https://forms.gle/kVPXPzd2E8xsLgXW6

The Governing Body wish to consult with our stakeholders, including:

  • Staff
  • Pupils
  • Parents/Carers
  • Local Schools and Pre-school settings
  • The Local Authority
  • Parish Council
  • Local neighbours

We look forward to hearing your views and are committed to responding to everyone individually where possible. 

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