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Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School

Background

Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School serves the small town of Towcester in Northamptonshire, providing for 540 children aged three to eleven and is in the process of forming a Trust with a local secondary school, Sponne School Technology College. Towcester has a population of approximately 10,000 and has grown over the last 20 years, with planning for a further 3,500 homes already underway.

Both schools in the partnership are successful, with Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School graded outstanding at its last Ofsted inspection. Becoming a shared Trust is seen as a way of maintaining high educational standards in the town as it grows, whilst developing their own ethos and character. Trust status provided an opportunity to take control of their own destiny.

Both schools have strong arts and sport programmes, using specialist teachers to enhance the curriculum in areas such as music, visual arts, dance, drama and sport. For example a professional dance teacher not only teaches dance at both schools, but also runs classes outside of school hours providing opportunities for young people up to the age of 18. By becoming partners in a Trust, there is a much greater opportunity for sharing expertise between the two schools and for sharing joint facilities.

Vision

The Trust will address lifelong learning for the whole community, seeking to also address the gap in provision at both pre-school and post 16. Despite a strong tradition in certain areas, the schools are limited by restricted physical resources, facilities and space and so establishing a Trust is seen a way of overcoming this by placing the schools at the heart of the local community.

‘We would like to become a learning centre for the local community, open all hours!’ Richard Edwards, Headteacher, Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School.

External partners

Acquiring a Trust gives the school additional scope to develop through tapping into the experience, expertise and resources of external partners. At this early stage in the development of the Trust, due to launch in September 2008, there is considerable scope for drawing on the support of local businesses. Discussions are underway with the Formula One industry based around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit local to both schools to support innovation, employment, facilities and training. Also links are being forged with the local FE and HE institutions and local arts organisations. Partners have been identified to offer additional expertise and challenge to both schools.

The benefits of Trust status

• Even in the early stages, the process of setting up a Trust has drawn the two schools closer together at senior manager and governor level, improving, for example, the interface at key stages two and three. In the past there has been liaison between the schools, but very much on an informal basis - the new development gives the relationship a much more formal status. ‘We want a more tangible and formal partnership that will really make a difference’ Richard Edwards, Headteacher, Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School
• The prospect of becoming Trust schools has given both schools a real vibrancy, which is already noticeable amongst the teaching staff. Links and potential collaboration between the schools, in areas that have been untapped in the past, are now being explored and joint initiatives planned. For example, the schools have put on a joint dance festival at Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School and a calendar of activities has been planned for the future
• Governance has not been problematic at all for the school. The governors were unanimously behind the initiative from the start, as they could see the benefits that would accrue from working closely with the local secondary school. It is even envisaged that any new schools, stemming from growth of the town, could potentially become part of the Trust
• An opportunity to break down competition between schools and work in partnership for the benefit of all young people and the community
• An opportunity to learn from considerable untapped expertise available in the town and bring partners closer together

Challenges

• At this point, the biggest challenge facing Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School is coping with the uncertainty about where the school will be in, say, two years’ time with regard to facilities and buildings. This will be considered with partners and plans are underway to share curriculum provision with Sponne School
• It has been difficult to involve all schools in the town due to time scales envisaged, nevertheless working through the education board has helped keep everyone informed on progress and feel included

Top tips

• It is important to keep all stakeholders informed of planned developments, especially the governors, teaching staff and parental body. It helps prevent rumours and demonstrates that all the potential routes the school could take have been considered, and reassurance must be given that changes in the school’s status will only be beneficial
• It is recommended that both schools send out letters at the same time to ensure consistency of information
• Always be transparent, open and honest