IEB Update to Parents

IEB Update

8 th April 2022.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Further to our communication of 5th April and the brief update in the newsletter we would like to give more details of our progress so far this week. Leadership in the summer term Our arrangements with Priestley Trust are coming to an end and I am sure many parents will join us in expressing thanks for the work Mathew, Holly and James have done in our schools. Matthew and Holly will return to their roles in Priestley schools, but James will continue to offer curriculum development in our Federation. You may see him working in our schools each Wednesday during the summer term. The executive leadership of the Federation will be shared by Victoria Kirkman and Chris Whitehead. Both are senior leaders in local schools and have expertise that will support the Federation in the next part of our journey. Details of their availability and division of roles and responsibilities will be sent to you after Easter. Academy orders update Following the IEB’s first two meetings with parents on 14th February (Ripley) and 14th March (Beckwithshaw) when we talked to parents about the academy orders, I am pleased to share with you that Elevate Multi Academy Trust has been undertaking due diligence on the schools in our Federation. The early conversations are positive, and the Trust are keen to proceed with sponsorship of the schools. They will be working with the DfE over the coming months to formalise their application for approval. At the same time the IEB also has to make a decision about the future of Kettlesing school and we are looking to open a consultation with parents and staff after Easter to seek your views and to support our decision making about Kettlesing converting into the Elevate Trust alongside Ripley and Beckwithshaw. As the IEB is responsible for all three Federation schools, it is our aim to ensure that all three schools continue be happy and safe places for the children and for school NYCC Dyslexia Quality Mark leaders and staff to work as a Federation team, to develop a strong and effective curriculum which contributes to a high-quality education for your children. We believe that the best way for this to happen is for the schools to continue to work closely together in a supportive, ambitious, and sustainable way. More details about this - and the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting - will be sent to parents early next term. Again, we would like to apologise for any distress and concern the mistiming of communications last week may have caused. We have investigated the reasons behind this and have put additional measures in place to attempt to ensure this does not happen again.

Kind regards

IEB Beckwithshaw, Kettlesing and Ripley endowed.