Abbeywood Community School became an Academy on 1st January 2013. Along with Bradley Stoke Community School (which already has Academy status since the start of 2012), Abbeywood will now be maintained by the Olympus Academy Trust and not by South Gloucestershire Council. This means that whilst the school is state funded and sponsored by the Olympus Academy Trust, it remains independent of the Local Authority and no longer accountable to it.
Dave Baker, the Executive Head Teacher of both Abbeywood and Bradley Stoke Community Schools, said that the day-to-day running of the school will not change, but the new Academy status will lead to a ‘shared leadership structure’ which will be decided after consulting with staff. Uniforms will also remain the same, but the school has received a grant for uniforms and intends to make policies clearer to students, ensuring that they conform to the dress code appropriately.
The new status also means that the school is no longer under special measures, because it has become a new organisation under new funding. Two recent Ofsted reports (made in May 2012 and November 2012) have acknowledged that the school has made ‘good progress in all areas’. Another monitoring visit from Ofsted will take place at some point before term ends in July.
The Olympus Academy Trust was chosen by governors, and the school is now preparing for a launch date to mark its official opening as an Academy. The official launch is planned to take place in March.
Related link: Schools in Stoke Gifford (The Journal)
