A Brighton primary school has officially become an academy today (Monday 2 February), joining a trust that already runs two other primaries in Hove and Portslade.
Woodingdean Primary School has joined the Eko Trust which runs Hangleton Primary School, in Hove, and Benfield, in Portslade, and is itself merging with the Compass Partnership of Schools.
Woodingdean head teacher Gemma Chumnansin said that joining Eko Trust would allow the school, already rated good by Ofsted, “to become even better and allow us to go to the next level.”
She said that the school had already benefited by working informally with Eko over the past few months.
New interactive whiteboards have been installed in every classroom and Woodingdean teachers have visited Eko schools to share ideas on the teaching of oracy and to observe best practice.
Leaders at Woodingdean proposed joining Eko Trust after a two-year exercise evaluating and considering how they could help pupils, including disadvantaged children and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to achieve even better outcomes.
A subsequent consultation with parents, staff and the wider community last summer showed broad support for the plan.
The Department for Education approved the transfer late last year – and today Woodingdean Primary School officially joined Eko.
Eko Trust is now a primary and SEND trust of 13 schools, with Hangleton and Benfield having joined last year.
Woodingdean Primary School said: “It is a strong, successful and financially secure trust which has a long-standing history of successful collaborative working with its schools.
“The results of its pupils, including disadvantaged and SEND learners, are among the best in the country, while three of its schools are rated outstanding by Ofsted.”
Mrs Chumnansin said: “Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter in our school’s story.
“We are so proud of what has been achieved to date but are ambitious to reach the next level. We are clear that joining Eko Trust is the best route to achieve that ambition.
“This has been a thorough process over almost three years – and we are pleased we took the time, considered all the options and consulted so widely to ensure we got this right.
“This is about what is best for our pupils and families now and in the future and could not be rushed.
“We are already seeing the benefits of our partnership and are excited at all the opportunities that will follow for our children and staff.
“We will be able to access wider resources and expertise through Eko and will collaborate with its other schools including in Brighton and Hove.”
Mrs Chumnansin said that oracy was a “key priority for the school” because strong speaking and listening skills underpin pupils’ learning, confidence and inclusion.
By developing children’s ability to articulate ideas, listen respectfully and build on others’ thinking, it supports academic achievement and prepares children for life beyond the classroom.
Woodingdean Primary School’s co-chair of governors Darren Arbon said: “Eko is a great match for us and working with them will mean we can achieve even stronger outcomes for pupils including disadvantaged and SEND learners.
“But while we are clear that Woodingdean Primary School will get even better by joining Eko Trust, it will still retain its distinct character, traditions and culture, unique to the community we serve.
“We will still be a state school, with the same name and same uniform, and we will remain as invested in the Brighton and Hove education system as we are now.”
Eko Trust chief executive Rebekah Iiyambo said: “Woodingdean Primary School is such a wonderful school and we are delighted that it has chosen to join Eko Trust.
“We share their commitment to ensuring all children have the best chance to reach their full potential, including disadvantaged and SEND pupils, and look forward to seeing the benefits of our partnership being maximised.”
Privatisation
Putting kids outcomes before ideology
From my last count, 2 primary schools in Brighton have closed since the May 2023 local elections, another is likely to close (Middle Street), and this one has jumped to becoming an academy.
The academisation serves to show that its not just falling pupil numbers behind the problem, its a bigger school funding problem that the Labour government and Labour council have failed to fix and improve in any way shape or form. Any talk about Labour opposing academies locally is just noise when failing national policies around school funding leave many schools with no real alternative.