6th February 2019

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

We would like to update you on the proposal to reform the White Hills Park Trust.

 

The Trust, which includes Alderman White School and Bramcote College, invited Round Hill Primary to consider joining them as they re-form their Multi Academy Trust.  The vision put forward by White Hills Park Trust is to deliver education for 3 – 18 year-olds under the leadership of one organisation.

 

The idea was first proposed in the summer term and communicated to Round Hill parents in July through the Bulletin, (which can be found on the school website), and through Parents’ Forums.

 

At that time, our Governing Body chose to enter into a process of exploration with White Hills Park Trust to discover what membership of the reformed body might mean. As a result, a group of Round Hill governors was tasked with gaining a better understanding of the implications in terms of finance; curriculum; vision, values and ethos; teaching and learning, and staff development.

 

Having attended a number of meetings with members of White Hills Park Trust which concluded in January, those governors will report back to a special meeting of the Round Hill Governing Body next week, on Tuesday February 12th. At this meeting governors will consider the issue again in light of the information gathered.

 

Governors will be asked to decide whether to decline the invitation to join a reformed White Hills Park Trust, or, if they believe there are sufficient potential benefits, whether to submit a registration of interest form to the DfE. As a governing body we have not yet taken any steps towards converting to an academy. If the governors decide to register interest with the DfE, the first steps we would want to take would be to engage all stakeholders, including parents, staff and representatives of the wider community in meaningful dialogue. That would include face to face meetings and opportunities for all parents to engage fully in understanding the process and bring feedback and opinions to governors. Our desire is to have meaningful and effective conversation.

 

Dependent upon the outcome of that conversation the governors would need a second vote - either to pass a resolution to convert, subject to due diligence and formal consultation – or to decline the invite. If the governors decided at that point to apply to convert, there would be further, more detailed work needed on the precise implications of the proposal. This due diligence would be commissioned from an external organisation. It is only at this point that extra funds are released to facilitate due diligence and formal consultation.

 

If the governors decide to decline the invitation, there will be no further consultation with parents or detailed exploration of the implications, White Hills Park Trust will reform without Round Hill. 

 

Since the turn of the year, we have provided updates on this matter through staff and Parents’ Forums. However, following a Parents’ Forum last week, it became apparent that some people felt we have not kept stakeholders adequately informed.

 

We are sincerely sorry that this is the case, which is why we are writing to you all today to ensure everybody is aware of the proposal we have to consider, the process we are following in considering it, the work we have undertaken to date, and the potential next steps.

 

As the Chair of Governors and the Head Teacher we, along with the governing body and the school’s senior leadership team, are completely committed to acting in a transparent way. We recognise that this is a major decision for the school community and we will ensure that you are kept informed.

 

Furthermore, if you have any questions, now or in the future, or if you feel the flow of information is not sufficient, please do not hesitate to speak to us or any member of the governing body and we will be happy to address your concerns.

 

We will, of course, write to you again next week to update you on the outcome of the governors’ meeting.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Adrian Nash                                       Joy Miller

 

Adrian Nash                                                                       Joy Miller

Head Teacher                                                    Chair of Governors