Bryning with Warton St Paul's Parental Booklet

Bryning with Warton St Paul’s CE Primary School Conversion to Academy Information for Parents and Carers

Dear Parent/ Carer As Chief Execu ve of Cidari Mul Academy Trust I am extremely proud that we have been entrusted by the Department of Educa on as the Academy sponsor for Bryning with Warton St Paul’s CE Primary School.

Myself and the en re team look forward to welcoming parents, carers, pupils, staff, and governors into the Cidari family.

I have no doubt that the process of becoming an Academy will raise many ques ons and I hope that this document gives you the answers to allay any concerns.

Rest assured we want you to have all of the informa on you require and this document also gives informa on about how you can ask us ques ons directly.

Bryning with Warton St Paul’s was inspected in January 2020. As a result of that Ofsted judgement, the Secretary of State for Educa on compelled the school to become an Academy. As the Mul Academy Trust of the Diocese of Blackburn, Cidari was appointed as the sponsor in May and has since been working closely with Mrs Dean, Staff, Governors, Unions, Lancashire County Council and other stakeholders to plan the transi on with as li le impact or disrup on as possible.

Over the past 6 years Cidari has an excellent record suppor ng Academies as we welcomed them into our Trust. Since 2013, 9 Academies have joined the trust and realised the benefits of being part of family with shared values, purpose and ethos. Our trust prides itself on recognising the dis nc veness and individuality of each of our Academies and empowers our Headteachers with the support and resources they need to achieve the best outcomes for their pupils.

Mrs Dean, the Governors ,and I are already working closely to achieve our collec ve vision for the school and we are in agreement and excited about how we will accomplish it together. I have complete confidence in Mrs Dean and the team to build on the improvements and ini a ves of recent months with the added support and benefit that comes with being a member of Cidari. The Governors will con nue to provide vital support and challenge to the Headteacher and her team to improve standards, and we will con nue to work with exis ng partners whilst building new rela onships that benefit pupil’s, parents, carers, staff and the wider school community.

It is the inten on of the Headteacher, Governors, Department for Educa on and Lancashire County Council that the school will officially become an Academy and a member of the Cidari family on September 1st 2020. There is always the possibility that this date could be delayed due to issues in the legal process of transferring the school to the Trust. Mrs Dean will keep you updated throughout and you will be able to follow any updates by visi ng ###parental web address###.

Should you wish to ask any ques ons regarding the Trust or this process, you can these can also be submi ed through this website or by emailing them to wspparents@cidari.co.uk.

Yours faithfully Peter Ashworth CEO Cidari Mul Academy Trust

The meline for joining Cidari Mul Academy Trust

Ofsted Inspec on

Ofsted Report Published

January 2020

March 2020

Academy Order Signed

Cidari Appointed Sponsor

May 2020

Conversion Process Starts

Discussions with Headteacher & Governors

Mee ngs with school sta

June 2020

July 2020

Informa on shared with parents & carers Opportunity for Parents & Carers to ask ques ons End of sta TUPE consulta on

Final comple on of transfer

September 1st becomes an Academy

August 2020

September 2020

Our Secondary and Primary Academies work closely and collabora vely to ensure that we oer a strong caring ethos and clear moral purpose. Through strong collec ve leadership we encourage all of our academies to see themselves as part of a family with a shared vision, iden ty and purpose whilst maintaining their own dis nc veness.

Primary

Academies

Founded by the Diocese of Blackburn in 2013, Cidari Mul Academy Trust grown to a family of nine Academies across the Blackburn Diocese with sites in the local authority areas of Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire.

Secondary

+

Learners

Employees

Joined December 2018

Joined January 2015

oined March 2015

Joined April 2014

Blackpool

Joined July 2015

Joined May 2014

Joined May 2017

Joined October 2014

Joined October 2014

Blackburn Darwen

Newchurch Nelson -inPendle

Our Aims

Our Vision

Dis nc ve A together fo

Dis nc veness To recognise, encourage and promote the dis nc veness of our Academies, and empower them to thrive within the communi es they serve.

Achievement

Financial and Opera onal probity and compliance together with strong Governance underpins a trusted, resilient and sustainable organisa on.

To create a culture that fosters academic achievement, nurtures ini a ve and rewards success.

Chris an Ethos To prepare our pupils for world ci zenship both explicitly and implicitly through core Chris an values such as responsibility, acceptance, truth and jus ce, and for these to be reflected in all aspects of the curriculum oered.

Consistency and stability of core systems and processes.

Providing support to Academies, unburdening our leaders and sta, enabling and empowering them to focus on delivering excellence in educa on.

Governance and Accountability To provide strong and robust Governance and systems to ensure compliance and reassurance around areas of risk.

Our People To become an employer of choice where all colleagues are supported and encouraged to achieve our mutual ambi ons in an environment of equality, accountability and reward.

Aspira onal To achieve excellence in all we do by working collabora vely to deliver world class systems and measures to achieve the aspira ons of our pupils, colleagues and leaders.

Safeguarding & Wellbeing To ensure that our Academies are a safe environment for all who use them with the wellbeing of our pupils and colleagues at the forefront of all we strive to achieve.

Facili es & Resources To invest in world class facili es by crea ng key partnerships with industry leaders to deliver end user benefits in buildings, ICT and resources.

Focus on sta and pupil wellbeing, tangible reduc on of workloads and implemen ng world class digital systems.

empowered to work excellence through shared Chris an values.

cademies

The only Trust in England to have poverty proofed all of its Academies and all pupils.

Strong collegiate culture backed by space and me for great leaders to lead and innovate, supported by an experienced central team and expert trusted partners.

What is an Academy?

Academies are publicly funded, independent schools, free from local authority control. Funding is received directly from the Department for Educa on, instead of the Local Authority, giving the Academy more control over its spending and decision making.

There are two routes to become an Academy.

Sponsored Academies ‐ these have sponsors such as businesses, universi es, other schools, faith groups or voluntary groups, who have majority control of the Academy Trust. Most, but not all, sponsored Academies were previously underperforming schools that became Academies in order to improve their performance. This is the route that applies to Bryning with Warton St Paul’s.

Converter Academies ‐ these don’t have sponsors, and are schools previously assessed as ‘performing well’ that have ‘converted’ to Academy status.

An Academy Trust is a charitable trust run by a board of trustees.

So, what is different?

Academy Trusts have addi onal responsibili es and freedoms that ‘maintained’ schools do not enjoy. These include:  Freedom from Local Authority control  Greater control over school budgets  Access to dedicated capital funding  Freedom from following the Na onal Curriculum  Ability to change length of term and school days

When would the school change to become an Academy?

As a sponsored Academy the mescale is set by the DfE and other key stakeholders. Pending due diligence and the legal dra ing and agreement of all documenta on, the school is expected to convert to an Academy with Cidari on September 1st 2020

How will it affect my child’s educa on?

The conversion to Academy status will not mean any changes to your child’s educa on, other than it will allow the Headteacher more flexibility around protec ng the curriculum and ensuring that we have high quality support services for all our children. Supported by the Trust the Academy will be free to deliver and/or commission its own support for children with addi onal and special educa onal needs.

Does it mean more money?

Academies are funded in a similar way to other schools, however, becoming an Academy can open up addi onal capital funding opportuni es to explore. Joining a MAT can achieve savings through the sharing of services and resources across the Academies within the MAT, along with economies of scale through the greater purchasing power.

Will the name of the school change?

Following discussions with Governors and staff, the school name will change from Bryning with Warton St Pauls to Warton St Paul’s. All Cidari Academies have the same naming conven on a er the school name meaning the full name will be Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary Academy.

Why is Bryning with Warton St Paul’s becoming an Academy?

Following an Ofsted inspec on in January 2020 and subsequent inadequate judgement, the school was directed to become an Academy and in May 2020 Cidari Mul Academy Trust were appointed as sponsors.

What changes will Academy status bring?  Some addi onal financial and legal responsibili es outlined in the Academies Financial Handbook, which mainly fall on the Academy Trust Board as the accountable body.

 Cidari Mul Academy Trust becomes the employer.  Cidari Mul Academy Trust will enter into a 125‐year lease for the land currently owned by the Local Authority and/or a Church Supplemental Agreement will be put in place for the land and buildings owned by the Diocese/ Trustees.

Will admissions arrangements change?

The Governors would remain responsible for se ng the admissions arrangements. The Local Authority would con nue to co‐ordinate admissions.

It should be stressed however, that the admissions criteria must have regard to the na onal Admissions Code of Prac ce.

What does it mean for staff?

All staff would transfer their employment under TUPE legisla on from their current employer, to Cidari Mul Academy Trust (Cidari Educa on Ltd). The consulta on is underway with staff and trade unions to seek their views.

There will be no change of leadership at the school as a result of the transfer.

What will happen to the uniform?

The uniform will change slightly in the future to reflect the new name of the Academy but this will be done in a gradual manner and in consulta on with parents and carers.

Legal protec ons of a unique school character Cidari is fully commi ed to ensuring each Academies own unique ethos and character is protected, i.e. that community schools cannot be turned into church schools and vice versa. The Department for Educa on template funding agreement (which sets out how funds are paid to the MAT) offers protec on in that it states that the MAT must maintain the religious character of a church school. To do otherwise would breach the funding agreements and hence risk losing the MAT’s funding from the Secretary of State. The Academy Trust company documents also make it clear that the MAT Board of Trustees must protect the individual ethos of any Academy within the MAT and this is the legal responsibility of all Trustees.

Are Academies s ll accountable for their performance and are targets set?

Like all schools, Academies are in the first instance accountable to the learners they serve and their respec ve parents / carers.

Academies s ll have to meet government performance targets concerning progress of all children across all key stages, and are s ll inspected by Ofsted. Although Academies can innovate and change the curriculum, they s ll must ensure students leave having achieved their full poten al across a broad and balanced range of subjects.

Will the mes of the school day and holidays change?

What services would remain under the control of the Local Authority?

There are no plans to change the mes of the school day or the term dates. Any future changes would be subject to extensive consulta on with parents and carers.

The Local Authority will s ll have responsibility for a number of services including:

What about working with other schools?

Cidari ac vely promotes the sharing of ideas and best prac ce between its Academies and encourages the con nua on established valued partnerships already in place. Collabora on provides be er opportuni es for learners and saving money by benefi ng from economies of scale.

 Home to school transport  Assessing learners’ needs (SEN)  Coordina ng school admissions  Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)

The Academy may con nue to buy into other services provided by the Local Authority if they offer value for money and excellent service.

What are the benefits of being a member of Cidari?

At the heart of our ethos is the desire to work in collabora on with each other whilst allowing each Academy to keep its own dis nc ve ethos.

We believe strongly that all children have the right to a high‐quality, s mula ng educa on, and it is our moral duty to provide this, recognising that children, parents and the Trust all have their own role to play.

Effec ve collabora on can benefit everyone. Through the sharing of excellent prac ce, shared resources and training opportuni es and future economies of scale we can further improve the provision of educa on.

Through working together, we use our resources wisely to put more money into teaching and learning. We have developed a highly‐ skilled workforce, and we recognise the importance of a rewarding, s mula ng and suppor ve workplace for our staff as much as for our learners.

The main benefits are:

 A MAT model which provides for a more formalised approach for its Academies, with the opportunity to secure more tangible benefits as a result of being a single employer etc.

 A Mul Academy Trust grounded in a Chris an Ethos, closely partnered with the Diocese of Blackburn to ensure the local dis nc veness, iden ty and values of its Academies is preserved.

 World class systems to support all areas of the Trust including finance, opera ons and school improvement.  A team of professionals and trusted partners suppor ng all areas of our Academies.  Access to a collabora ve Google ecosystem, reducing workload, providing collabora on opportuni es and more ICT devices across Academies.

   

Bespoke school improvement and CPD support benefi ng all learners and staff.

Ability to access capital funding via the Academy Condi on Improvement Fund, which is only available to Academies.

Removal of the requirement to pay a 10% contribu on for capital projects.

Be er resilience and ability to respond to the budget pressures all schools are facing and will con nue to face due to cost pressures exceeding levels of income, by securing economies of scale.

 The opportunity to offer more formalised support to other schools will provide professional development opportuni es for staff, which will assist with the reten on of high quality staff and succession planning.

 The ability to be er respond to reduc ons in LA services by developing capacity to meet the needs of our learners, or commission specialist support services e.g. to support learners with Special Educa onal Needs and Disability (SEND).

How will the Governance Model for the MAT and the Academy operate?

Cidari has a highly skilled Board of Trustees, approved by the Department for Educa on. The Board of Trustees delegate decision making for certain func ons to a Local Governing Commi ee for each Academy. In Cidari each Academy has a Local Governing Commi ee (LGC). The LGC will con nue to ensure that the needs of the Academy are monitored closely.

The structure of Cidari allows for more formalised, collabora ve working whilst allowing the individual characteris cs, dis nc veness and ethos of each academy to con nue.

Cidari has a very small group of Members who are named for legal purposes. Members hold the trust board to account for the effec ve governance of the trust, the members themselves have a minimal role in the actual running of the trust. It is the trust board, not the members, who are the organisa on’s key strategic decision makers. The MAT Board of Trustees has overall responsibility and accountability in law for the performance, site and overall running of the Trust and each of the Academies.

Cidari Mul Academy Trust Members Ven. Mark Ireland Archdeacon of Blackburn

Rt. Rev. Philip North Rt. Rev. Julian Henderson Bishop Bishop of of Burnley Blackburn

Rt. Rev. Dr Jill Duff Bishop of Lancaster

Ven. David Picken Archdeacon of Lancaster

What do the Members do?

The standard company structure for Mul Academy Trusts is five members who are similar to shareholders in a company (but in this volunteers without any financial benefit rather than investors), there is then also a Board of Trustees who are responsible for the strategic running of the trust. The Members sign the company documents for the company (which set out its core purpose, i.e. provision of educa on etc.), they also have the power to appoint the Trustees and amend the company documents. The Members a end one annual general mee ng each year.

Role and basis for appointment of Trustees The core governance func ons of the Mul Academy Trust, (i.e. se ng the direc on of the Trust, holding the CEO and Headteachers to account and ensuring sound use of finances) are carried out by the mul academy trust Board of Trustees.

Within Cidari, Trustees have been appointed on the basis of the skills they can bring to the trust board. It is essen al that this is made up of skilled individuals to ensure the success, both academically and financially, of the trust and the best outcomes for the learners within our Academies. Some of the Trustees are representa ves of the Diocese of (From le to right) Further informa on about our Trustees including details of Blackburn Board Graham Warnock any pecuniary interests of Educa on and Laurence Upton available on the Cidari Board of Finance.

Jo Venn website.

Nick McKee Michaela Underwood Chair of Trustees Stephen Whi aker Graeme Pollard Dr Sam Johnson Angus MacLeod Local Governing Commi ees (LGC)

Board of Trustees Peter Ashworth Chief Execu ve

Central Team

Lead by the CEO, Cidari has a strong team of central staff readily able to support and assist our Academies at every level, including educa on, data analysis, curriculum development and innova on. A Chief Opera ng Officer oversees Payroll, HR, Facili es & Compliance, ICT, Health & Safety, Marke ng and Capital, suppor ng the CEO in the organisa onal administra on of the Trust.

Our Chief Finance Officer oversees all financial ma ers including produc on of accounts, budget se ng and guidance, financial compliance and audit. Together with the CEO, the COO and CFO make up the Trust Execu ve and are supported by their respec ve teams.

The local governing commi ees, set up for each of the Academies within the MAT, maintain their exis ng representa on (unless serious Governance concerns have been evidenced) and are tasked with protec ng the individual ethos of the Academy. Parents are elected to these local governing commi ees and so maintain an input into the governance of their Academy. However, as men oned above it is also responsibility of the MAT Board of Trustees to ensure it protects the individual ethos of each Academy within the MAT (whether church or community) in accordance with the company documents.

MAT Central Services Through our central team we provide our Academies with a full range of support, including school improvement support.

We also provide strategic and opera onal and business support services in the following areas:

   

Finance & Audit Governance Human Resources Recruitment

   

Payroll Insurance Health & Safety Facili es Management

   

Academy Development Strategic Planning Capital Projects & Funding Marke ng & Public Rela ons

So what happens next?

As a sponsored academy with a direc ve academy order from the Secretary of State for Educa on there is no requirement to hold formal consulta on with parents & carers or the wider community. However, Cidari prides itself in the connec ons between Academies and our pupils, parents, staff, governors and wider communi es. We would normally hold town hall style events at the school where you can meet our team and ask any ques ons in person, however in the current situa on rela ng to coronavirus and social distancing we are unable to do so.

Instead we have produced this document to give you as much informa on as possible. You can also submit any ques ons by visi ng www.##### and comple ng the short online form.

As outlined earlier in this document, following the legal consulta on required with staff regarding transfer of employment, the expecta on is that Bryning with Warton St Pauls will convert to an Academy on 1st September and become the newest member of our Cidari family.

Dis nc ve Academies empowered to work together for excellence through shared Chris an values.

Cidari Mul Academy Trust Clayton House Walker Park Blackburn BB1 2QE

T: 01254 958888 E: enquiries@cidari.co.uk W: www.cidarieduca on.co.uk