Flying High

‘New-kid-on-the-block’, the Flying High Multi-Academy Trust, suddenly looks like it is trying to rival local ‘trusts’ such as ‘George Spencer’, ‘Greenwood Dale’ and the burgeoning ‘Torch’. So, we  are going to take a closer look over the next couple of weeks, as the consultation at Edwalton Primary School continues and the process at Beeston Fields rolls on, with both schools set to join ‘Flying High’ by the start of the new school year.

Who are Flying High Trust, what do they believe in, what are they trying to achieve and how do they aim to go about it?

Already, their claims to emphasise close working with parents and the community look a bit hollow considering the less-than-transparent consultation processes at Edwalton and Beeston Fields. Concerns about this lack of transparency have been voiced elsewhere.

We will take a look at the publicly available information and try to make contact. Obviously, we’ll report back. If you are at Edwalton or Beeston Fields,  this will be of particular interest, but any staff or parents at any other primary school in the area that is not already an academy needs to pay attention as who knows where they’ll focus next?

[As ever, if you are involved with the Flying High Trust, or either Edwalton or Beeston Fields Primary Schools, we’d love to hear from you. Whatever your point of view, we will publish it (unless it is libellous or offends good taste!) as we want to encourage an open debate. If you wish to comment anonymously, use the ‘Contribute’ button on our home page – you will need to give your email address to show ‘good faith’ but we will not publish it or identify you if you don’t want us to.]

Edwalton Primary School – heading for academisation?

We have received the following from ‘EdwaltonParent’:

“Edwalton Primary School has just launched a consultation to convert to academy status with the Flying High Trust.

I’ve just come across [your] blog post about Beeston Fields Primary School and was stunned about how identical the situation is.

The governing body has done all they can to keep parents in the dark about this. They sent out a letter on Tuesday [19 May 2015] and started the consultation the exact same day. We have half term starting next week – so no time for school gate exchanges, and the consultation goes pretty much to the end of term, with academy status proposed for beginning of term in September.

The wording about staff consultation is identical:  “Staff have
been involved in the process to date and no objections have been raised by them in relation to this proposal and in fact they recognise the benefits.” I agree its probably the same sham.

There isn’t any intelligent material on why the school needs to convert and the pros and cons.

Does anyone know what happened at Beeston?
EdwaltonParent”

Letter regarding Edwalton Primary School proposed academy conversion

Footnote re Beeston Fields Primary academy conversion: no, we don’t officially know what has happened. This group sent a letter as part of the ‘consultation’ which was acknowledged. The ‘consultation’ is now over but we are unaware of a final decision having been taken or, if it has, we haven’t been informed.