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• Attenborough Learning Trust and Bridge frequently asked question

  Mon 29 Jan 2024

  Frequently Asked Questions
  January 2024
  This paper sets out a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about academy status
  and being part of a multi-academy trust. Any additional questions received during the
  transfer period will be added to the FAQ paper, which will be available on the school’s
  website.
  What is an academy?
  Academies are classed as independent state-funded schools, which have the freedom to determine
  their own policies on such things as the curriculum, school hours, term dates and staff pay. They aim
  to provide a free, first-class education for pupils of all abilities through a fresh approach to school
  leadership, teaching and learning. They offer a full, broad and balanced curriculum. This is enabled
  by the Academies Act 2010. Primary, infant, junior, secondary and special schools are all able to
  apply to convert into an academy and are then accountable to the Secretary of State rather than the
  Local Authority.
  All academies are managed by their own academy trust (a charitable company limited by guarantee)
  and are not the responsibility of the Local Authority. Academy trusts are given directly the money
  which would have been given to the Local Authority, so academies can choose how best to spend
  that money on the provision of education.
  What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)?
  A multi-academy trust is a single trust which runs more than one school and is the statutory
  governing body of each of the schools that it runs. The multi-academy trust is a charitable company
  limited by guarantee, which means it may not make any profit, and because it is publicly funded it is
  subject to judicial review and to the Freedom of Information Act like any other public
  body/organisation. The multi-academy trust has a formal agreement (like a contract), with the
  Department for Education (DfE) which sets out the parameters in which it must operate. It must also
  abide by charity law, public law (being publicly funded) as well as general company law.
  By entering into the Trust, Bridge Junior School would retain its individual identity and a local
  governing board. The local governing board will have delegated authority over most school business
  from the trust board. In practical terms there will be very little visible change in the way that the
  school operates. Our values and ethos will also be maintained and our goal will remain to provide
  the very best education possible for our children. Once Bridge is an academy and a member of the
  trust, it cannot go back to being a local authority school.
  What is Attenborough Learning Trust and why become an academy in the trust?
  Attenborough Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust formed in 2019 from four local schools with a
  passion for working in partnership in a spirit of collaboration, openness and trust to achieve the
  highest standards of academic progress and personal achievement. These are Green Lane Infant
  School, Highfields Primary School, Sparkenhoe Primary School and Uplands Infant School.
  Charnwood Primary School joined the trust on 1st April 2023 and Inglehurst Infants joined on 1st July
  2023. The Trust’s ethos, culture and memorandum of understanding was drawn up collaboratively,
  with our local schools, including Bridge. The Trust will grow in time, be we are clear that we want to
  ALT and Bridge FAQ’s Spring 2024 Page 2 of 4
  remain local to Leicester, able to help other schools and be a manageable size. Shenton Primary
  School and Buswell’s Lodge Primary School are also on track to join the trust.
  There are clear positive reasons for closer co-operation through:
  ▪ improving the education resources and facilities that we offer our children and their families;
  ▪ having open and honest challenge to each other that focuses on improving children’s
  outcomes;
  ▪ being able to work more effectively and efficiently and buying resources and services more
  cost effectively;
  ▪ sharing responsibility and bringing together our wider skills;
  ▪ having the scope to create new career opportunities for our staff where this will enhance
  teaching and learning in our schools
  ▪ working together to better help and support our communities which in turn enhances the
  educational experience of pupils.
  Being an academy gives a school greater freedom over their curriculum, budget and staffing. The
  multi-academy trust structure also gives us the opportunity to:
  ▪ continue and further develop their programme of school improvement.
  ▪ build upon and share their successes as schools to help more children.
  ▪ further strengthen and improve links with our communities and other local schools.
  ▪ use the increased flexibility to benefit all the children and the wider community of Leicester.
  ▪ improving the education resources and facilities that they offer our children and their
  families.
  ▪ Maintain strong leadership and governance through collaboration and a high level of
  delegated authority.
  ▪ You can find out more about the Attenborough Learning Trust by visiting their website at
  www.attenboroughlearningtrust.org.uk
  How will the Multi-Academy Trust be governed and managed?
  The Multi-Academy Trust has a group of Members and a Board of Trustees.
  The “Members” are like shareholders in a commercial company, they appoint the Trustees to run
  the MAT, and are the only people able to amend the Articles of Association of the Company (and for
  this they require consent from the Secretary of State).
  The “Trustees” are those people who actually run, determine policy, and make decisions for the
  MAT. They are the statutory governing body of each academy within the MAT. They do this by
  appointing the right individuals to be the executive leaders for the trust, e.g.; the Chief Executive and
  Chief Finance Officer for the MAT and delegating the responsibility for the day to day running of the
  MAT to them.
  What are the main responsibilities of the Multi-Academy Trust?
  Typical activities include: -
  ▪ Setting a strategic direction for improvement of educational progress and attainment.
  ALT and Bridge FAQ’s Spring 2024 Page 3 of 4
  ▪ Ensuring that the right infrastructure (people & resources, leadership & management) is in
  place to deliver the necessary changes to support the educational improvement.
  ▪ Challenging progress in all areas of the trust and its academies’ operations whilst providing
  support and guidance aimed at promoting success.
  ▪ Responsibility for the performance of the academies, including monitoring and where
  necessary establishing a plan of action to improve performance.
  ▪ Setting up committees with a specific focus to monitor aspects of trust and academy life.
  ▪ Leading involvement with parents and the wider community, to promote the MAT and
  support community engagement.
  ▪ Ensuring value for money and good use of public funds and leveraging other finance and
  resources when needed.
  ▪ Championing the MAT in the wider community in order to bring new resources to the schools
  and the trust.
  What does the conversion process involve?
  The conversion process for schools to become academies has been made as simple as possible for all
  schools. The key areas of work are related to any legal transfers of land, buildings and assets and
  establishing appropriate leases, a financial review and budget setting, staff TUPE transfer (whereby
  all staff transfer in their current roles, automatically with continuity of service, retaining their
  existing terms and conditions), transferring and establishing contracts for services, and establishing
  new policies and procedures at the MAT level.
  In addition, activities to transition the governance structure from a single school governing body to a
  multi-academy trust model is also undertaken.
  When might the transfer to Attenborough Learning Trust happen?
  On average, the conversion process takes approximately six months to complete.
  Will the school be changing its name and uniform?
  No. The Trust values the individual uniqueness of each school as well as our shared vision and
  objectives.
  What will change after we join ALT?
  For pupils, parents and carers, staff and governors day to day, the operation of the school, its
  leadership and governance will not feel different. When a school becomes an academy, all of the
  pupils on roll transfer automatically to the academy and so do any applications for places. Parents
  and carers do not need to do anything differently. Sometimes more opportunities will be on offer, for
  example schools coming together to organise special activities like residentials and holiday
  programmes.
  Do the schools break all ties with Leicester City Council?
  No, the council is still responsible for all sorts of areas of school life, including safeguarding (concerns
  must still be reported to the local authority), the allocation of school places in the first-year intake for
  ALT and Bridge FAQ’s Spring 2024 Page 4 of 4
  each school and funding for high level special educational needs and disability. More generally, the
  council is responsible for ensuring that there are enough school places for all of the children in
  Leicester so, for example, none of our schools could reduce their capacity (the number of pupils they
  take) unless the council agreed.
  The council provides some services to schools, and many of those services are still purchased by ALT
  where they are the best option.
  8. Your questions and views
  We want to know your views, and in particular any questions you might have. Please either
  e-mail info@attenboroughlearningtrust.org.uk, contact us via our website contact page
  http://www.attenboroughlearningtrust.org.uk/contact-us/, drop a note into reception at the
  school, or ask your question at one of the consultation events. If you would like to ask a
  question or submit your views but are not able to e-mail, access the website, post at reception
  or attend an event, please let us know by contacting the school.

• School Immunisation - Seasonal Flu Vaccine

  Mon 11 Dec 2023
  

• OFSTED INSPECTION - Bridge Junior School

  Tue 29 Nov 2022

  School inspections

  A guide for parents

  This document applies to all maintained schools, including special schools and pupil referral units. It also covers academies, city technology colleges, city colleges for the technology of the arts and some non-maintained special schools in England.

   

  School Inspections: A guide for parents

• Amended School Opening and Closing time

  Tue 30 Aug 2022

  Please note our new school times:

  8.15am - Gates open

  8.25am - Whistle blows

  8.30am - Children go into class

  8.35am - Registration

  15.05pm - School finishes

• Household Support Fund

  Tue 23 Nov 2021

  Scheme to support vulnerable households.  More details in Covid 19 section

• OFSTED INSPECTION - Bridge Junior

  Tue 09 Nov 2021

  School inspections

  A guide for parents

  This document applies to all maintained schools, including special schools and pupil referral units. It also covers academies, city technology colleges, city colleges for the technology of the arts and some non-maintained special schools in England.

   

  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspections-a-guide-for-parents/school-inspections-a-guide-for-parents

   

• Half-Term May 2021

  Fri 28 May 2021

  School is closed for one week between Monday 31st May and Friday 4th June 2021.

• May Day Bank Holiday

  Fri 30 Apr 2021

  May Day Bank Holiday:

   

  We are closed on Monday 3rd May 2021.

   

  School re-opens as normal on Tuesday 4th May 2021.

• 8th March School Re-opening to All Pupils

  Thu 04 Mar 2021

  Reminder: School will re-open to ALL pupils on Monday 8th March 2021.

   

  We're changing the staggered start/end times slightly. They will be as follows:

   

  Yr 3/4SK: 8:30-3:00pm

   

  Yr 5/4SR: 8:40-3:10pm

   

  Yr 6/4RB: 8:50-3:20pm.

   

  You can drop your child off at School using either gate. It is important that you arrive at the correct time. Only one parent/carer may collect the child(ren) from each family in order to minimise the amount of people around our gates. You must follow social distancing and please wear a face mask whilst waiting in close proximity to others.

   

  As before, please can we remind you about clothing, PE kits and things children can bring to School:

  • Children need to change their clothes daily. Your child should wear their PE kit to School on the day that they have PE.

   

  Children need to only bring essentials:

  · coat

  · packed lunch box (if not hot dinners)

  · own labelled water bottle

  · School book bag

   

  PENCIL CASES, STATIONERY, BALLS/TOYS, JEWELLERY & BACKPACKS ARE NOT ALLOWED.

   

  We look forward to welcoming all children back.

   

  Please view more 'Back To School' Information on Leicester City Council's webpage here

• Tues 9th Feb - School is OPEN

  Tue 09 Feb 2021

  Tuesday 9th February 2021.

   

  School is OPEN today - please take care when coming in.