Improved school is now an academy (From Worcester News)

Improved school is now an academy

12:30pm Thursday 17th January 2013 in News By Sarah Davies

A ONCE struggling school in Worcester that turned around its fortunes is among the latest to become an academy.

Perry Wood Primary School and Nursery gained academy status on December 1 and was transferred to the Griffin Schools Trust. The St Alban’s Close school had been threatened with being forced into becoming an academy after it was deemed inadequate and made subject to special measures in November 2010.

Last summer, Ofsted inspectors found the school to be offering a satisfactory education to its pupils.

In September, it approached the trust about making an application for academy status.

The Griffin Schools Trust is one of the new wave of organisations beginning to sponsor schools. It includes a small group of proven and widely experienced education professionals and was officially constituted in December 2011.

Angry parents had previously set up a group called Hands off Perry Wood in opposition to the school being forced into becoming an academy over fears it would become selective.

However, Liz Lewis, chief executive of the trust, said it would play a supportive role in Perry Wood’s future and was keen to continue to strengthen ties with the community.

“The school approached us and we were happy to work with them.

“It’s very well led by Ange Beddow (headteacher) and Kay Butler (deputy headteacher). What we do is to work with the school to achieve its aims. We’re very much in the background.

“It’s just like having an expanded team on board. We have seven schools (part of the trust), five in the West Midlands.

“The heads in the trust can talk to one another and share good ideas and solutions they find.

“Perry Wood is a lovely school. The students are really on their way up and we’re really happy to be working with the school. The head is the head. We obviously support and discuss visions and strengths but the head and the leadership team are firmly in control.”

No one at the school was available for comment.