Academy takes Wellingborough primary school under its wing
Two schools have teamed up to work together and improve the opportunities available to their pupils.
The new year has seen the start of a new era for Sir Christopher Hatton Academy in Wellingborough, which has formed a multi-academy trust (MAT).
As the Hatton Academies Trust, it will be working with Victoria Primary Academy, formerly Victoria Primary School in the town, which had been rated as inadequate following an inspection by Ofsted in May 2013.
The inspection said the school was inadequate in three out of the four assessment areas and it was placed in special measures, but it is hoped the new trust will help it become a high performing primary school.
Victoria Bishop, executive principal of the newly formed Hatton Academies Trust, said: “We are very proud that the consistent high performance and outstanding leadership capacity of Sir Christopher Hatton Academy has enabled us to be Wellingborough’s first multi-academy trust which is led by a school.
“Our primary focus is to build a family of schools in Wellingborough where each child’s educational needs are at the heart of all decisions.
“We are excited to be working with Victoria Primary Academy and will be supporting them fully to become a high performing primary.”
All academies in a MAT are governed by one trust and a single board of directors.
The board of directors is responsible for decisions relating to how each academy is run, from the curriculum to staffing.
The MAT is able to establish a local governing body for each of its academies, to which it can delegate some of its functions.
Mark Currell, the newly appointed headteacher of Victoria Primary Academy and primary educational lead for the MAT, said: “I’m really looking forward to working with Victoria Primary Academy and passionate about making a difference for our children.
“We know that the collaboration between Victoria and Sir Christopher Hatton will provide the children with some fabulous opportunities, both within the curriculum and with the extra-curricular sports and arts expertise.”
Mr Currell was headteacher of Abington Vale Primary School in Northampton until January, and has been a headteacher for 11 years.
In 2011, Abington Vale was rated outstanding by Ofsted.
The school has a diverse catchment area and a high level of pupils with English as an additional language.
In 2012 Mr Currell became a national leader of education, Abington Vale became a national support school and he jointly formed the first non-sponsored multi academy trust in Northamptonshire.
In 2013 Abington Vale opened a new school site, known as Stirling Campus, as an annex to the current site.
The project provided much needed school places in a non-traditional school building.
Mr Currell is passionate about creative development and the arts, and in his spare time he plays rugby, the guitar and runs long distances to raise money for the Children with Leukaemia charity.