The Education Federation to be Launched by Three Mid Devon Schools

A PIONEERING scheme to improve and maintain the high standards of education is being launched in three Mid Devon Schools.

Wilcombe, Sampford Peverall CofE, and Hemyock Primaries say they will work closely together to form the educational federation.

They have now launched a wide-ranging consultation exercise with parents and their local communities.

The schools say the federation will ensure the continuity of strategic leadership for all three schools whilst maintaining high standards in teaching and learning.

If approved, Gary Chown from Wilcombe Primary School in Tiverton would become Executive Head of all three schools from September with new heads of teaching and learning appointed at each school.

Mr Chown took over at Wilcombe in 2004 and oversaw significant improvements in academic standards as well as introducing a number of innovative developments. He has also been chairman of the 320-strong Devon Association of Primary Heads.

The new federation would have a single governing body to oversee the work of the three primaries with representatives from all three schools. But each school's unique individual ethos and values would be maintained under the federation.

Mr Chown and the chairs of governors of Wilcombe, Alison Rice, Sampford Peverell, Jim Pope, and Hemyock, Hugh Whittaker, say federation will have a range of benefits for the schools and all the pupils including:

• Improving outcomes for every pupil and providing wider opportunities for them to take part in joint projects

• Securing and developing successful leadership for the future

• Providing more staff development opportunities which will enable the schools to keep and develop valued staff and make better use of individual staff expertise

• Enabling pupils to meet and work as a part of a larger group, for example Year 6 groups from the three schools can work together prior to transition to secondary school

• Shared opportunities to provide extended services across the Federation such as wrap around childcare provision;

The consultation process began this week and will last six weeks. Mr Chown and governors from each school are holding meetings for interested parties on:

Monday, February 1 at 2pm at Wilcombe Primary School

Monday, February 1 at 7pm at Hemyock Primary School

Tuesday, February 2 at 5pm at Sampford Peverell C of E Primary School

There will also be ‘drop in’ sessions led by Mr Chown in each school for questions on an individual basis on Wednesday, February 10 at the following times:

9.00am -10.30am Wilcombe Primary School

11.00am -1.00pm Sampford Peverell C of E Primary School

2.00pm – 4.00pm Hemyock Primary School

Written responses should be addressed to ‘The Chair of Governors’ of each school and must be received by 3.30pm on Monday, March 15.

The governors will make the final decision and the governing body from each school considering federation takes its own decision. As with any governing body decision, this is a simple majority taken at a meeting.