Exciting times for Campion
Campion to Join United Learning Multi Academy Trust
Creating Brilliant Futures
Parents’ meeting
Tuesday 25th April 2023 6pm
Campion School Hall
I am pleased to write to you today to inform you of Campion Trustees’ decision to join United Learning Multi Academy Trust. This is an important decision for Campion both now and for the future.
Trustees carried out extensive investigations, interviews, and research into which multi academy trust (MAT) would best suit Campion’s ethos. We finally approached United Learning as an organisation that shares our vision, values, drive, and ambition. We are delighted to confirm that Campion is on track to join United Learning in autumn 2023.
There will not be any noticeable change to your child’s day to day experiences (same uniform, timetable, lunches, teachers etc). Decisions will be made, as now, by the Head Ms Hammond, senior team and school governing body.
In the longer-term students will benefit, amongst other things, from the staff development programme, improved facilities such as IT, the opportunities to meet and work with a wider range of students and to take part in the United Learning Pupil Charter.
You may have read of schools being taken over by multi academy trusts, usually because they were failing. It is important to say that this development and decision is driven by Campion. Our Ofsted Good judgement has given us the freedom to choose to become part of a Multi Academy Trust and select which trust we want to join, because we know this opens an even brighter future for Campion’s students, staff and community.
We look forward, under Ms Hammond’s leadership, and with the support of United Learning, to Creating Brilliant Futures for our students and staff now, and in the future.
We will keep you up to date with progress through our web site. Should you wish to find out more, or have questions you would like to ask, please join us for a presentation on Tuesday 25th April at 6pm in the school hall, where there will also be representatives from United Learning present. To enable us to plan well for this meeting please use the link below to book a place.
Please see the accompanying introductory letter and FAQs from United Learning.
Next steps:
Tuesday 18th April Assemblies for all students on this initiative
Tuesday 25th April 6pm School Hall Parents meeting – please book if you wish to attend
Ongoing – weekly update on the school website
Signed
P. Hutchison
Chair of Trustees
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/parent-meeting-tickets-604692269857
https://unitedlearning.org.uk/about-us/our-ethos-and-values
Background information
History of Campion:
To many people Campion is a special place and has been since it was set up by Mr Roberts in 1969 as the secondary school to serve our local villages, attracting students from outside of its official catchment area as Northampton grew and developed.
Since it opened Campion has stayed true to its comprehensive roots, seeking to provide the best education for every student and attracting some of the best staff from across the country. It has always moved forward, responding to the changing educational landscape in ways that were appropriate to Campion. For example, becoming a Language College under Mr Bartlett in 1997 and an academy, independent of the local authority in 2012.
Campion has faced some significant challenges, twice being judged to require improvement by Ofsted inspectors in 2016 and 2018.
Under Ms Hammond’s leadership Campion was assessed by Ofsted as a Good school in November 2021.
Why join a Multi Academy Trust:
Following the Ofsted judgement in November 2021, Trustees and senior staff were determined that Campion should continue to improve, meeting the needs of every student present and future.
We wanted to keep all the benefits of being a rural school while ensuring our students have experiences that will equip them for a rapidly changing local, national and international world.
Since Campion became a Single Academy Trust in 2012 the educational landscape has changed. Trustees and senior staff have recognised that Campion can be more ambitious for its students and achieve so much more as part of a Multi Academy Trust than it can on its own.
What is a Multi Academy Trust?
Many schools work together to improve educational standards and provide opportunities for students and staff. Multi academy trusts are groups of schools that come together to form a single organisation.
A group of schools working together can do lots of things that are more difficult for stand-alone schools to achieve:
- Teachers work and learn collaboratively within the organisation to improve the way they teach
- Schools share good practices
- Teachers and leaders work together on the things that they are expert in like curriculum and assessment
- There are efficiency savings by being part of larger organisation
- Students have opportunities that are wider than their own school or community.
The Process we have followed:
Building on the palpable progress made since Ms Hammond became Head and our aspirations that Campion is an exciting and inspiring place to learn and work, we explored potential partners to work with us to drive forward our ambition.
Following a process that included the assessment of the type of MAT that would suit the Campion ethos, a number of Trusts were shortlisted and potential partners interviewed. Schools within those Trusts were visited by Trustees and Senior Leaders, and finally we approached United Learning as a trust that shares our vision, values and ambition.
Why United Learning:
- Vision and values are very much aligned to ours sharing our vision to do the best for every child
- Great track record in a wide range of schools, without imposing a single way of working or seeking to change the culture of schools
- Local and national – 2 schools in Northants and 90 schools nationally
- The opportunities and professional support offered to staff will ensure we attract and retain the very best staff
- Efficient backroom support – eg HR, finance
- Local, national and international opportunities for students.
| Parent Information for Download |
|---|
| Campion to Join Untited Learning Multi Academy Trust |
| 170423 Parent-Carer Letter - Introduction to United Learning |
| ULT-Campion FAQs - Parents Carers Final |
