Grove, Hillcrest and Filsham Valley all face the axe
HASTINGS is reeling after yesterday's shock news that three secondary schools in the town are to shut.
Filsham Valley, The Grove and Hillcrest will shut in 2011 and be replaced by two academies, backed by a university, business and the local authority.
Its just a proposal at the moment but the county council will push the plan through.
They've had enough of these three schools underperfomring over a lengthy period.
The trio of underachieving schools was placed under the leadership of school improvement company Ninestiles Plus earlier this year in a bid to drive up performance in behaviour, attendance and attainment over the next three years.
The council has taken this new move because it is worried what would happen to the schools after the three years.
Brighton University is the main partner, along with BT, and the county council.
This is exciting news for Hastings - which already has a new college costing 93million opening next year.
Now a report from East Sussex County Council's director of children's services Matt Dunkley outlines a drastic move to close the schools at the end of this three-year period in 2011, and establish two academies in their place.
"It is important to emphasise that the two academies would be new schools and that all three existing schools would close: it is not a question of simply choosing one of the three to close," says his report, which is to be discussed at a Cabinet meeting next Tuesday (July 8).
"In addition, it is proposed that the local authority also acts as a co-sponsor," continued Mr Dunkley. "It is believed that this combination of a public, higher education sponsor combined with the business strengths of a major private sector company, combined with the educational expertise and democratic accountability of the local authority will offer powerful sponsorship for the proposed academies."
According to the council, staff at the schools could transfer to the new academies if they wished.
If the Cabinet approves Mr Dunkley's recommendation to further explore the academies plan, a detailed feasibility study will be carried out followed by public consultation next year.
The report concludes: "The recommendation is made because it provides the basis for considering a long-term strategy for sustainable improvement for the mixed sex schools in Hastings."
Less than 30 per cent of pupils at The Grove, Filsham Valley and Hillcrest currently achieve at least five good GCSEs, falling below Government minimum standards.
Three weeks ago, all three were included in a list of 638 failing schools in England by Education Secretary Ed Balls as he unveiled a 400 million National Challenge package.
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Weather for Hastings
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: -5 C to 1 C
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