Why I support this academy

THE Swindon Cabinet decision on whether Headlands school, together with Pinehurst Junior and Pinehurst Infant school should become an academy is expected soon.

I am, along with Honda, a financial supporter of the academy.

I live near Newbury and my background is in business.

I am currently deputy chairman of BT and chairman of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Previously I was chairman of Diageo, the company formed from the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan. Before that I was the chairman and chief executive of Guinness.

Throughout my business career I have seen the problems caused by our young people leaving school without the skills and qualifications necessary for a successful and fulfilling life and unable to develop their talents to the full.

My interest in the academy is to help try and change that for young people in Swindon.

They deserve the same chance as others around the country and I am willing to join with Honda to provide financial backing to make it happen.

The proposal is a radical one; students from the age of 0 to 19 on one learning campus.

This does not mean little ones would be sharing the same classrooms or playgrounds as older teenagers but rather that we bring together excellent, state-of-the-art facilities on one site so that each and every child has access to a first class learning environment.

Imagine four-year-olds being able to dance and sing in a real theatre or 17-year-olds having access to an industry-standard broadcasting suite after school.

The involvement of Honda will provide exciting opportunities for work-related learning with a world-class company.

The arguments for an all-through academy are strong ones.

Raising educational standards needs to begin at the earliest stages of learning, when effective and fun strategies can help to put the building blocks for learning in place.

If our children are going to get good GCSE results and develop further beyond that we need to start to tackle this at an early age.

Another benefit would be the continuity of care that an all-through academy could provide.

Parents know that a strong, positive relationship between the child, school and home is key to success.

Children will know academy teachers, teaching assistants and learning mentors throughout their educational life. This is particularly beneficial for vulnerable children and their families or those with special educational needs.

Because they are independent, academies have the freedom to be innovative with their curriculum. This means that as well as offering the traditional subjects you find in the national curriculum like English, maths and science, the academy has the flexibility to tailor the curriculum to the specific needs of the children.

The United Learning Trust, the sponsor of the proposed academy, has a long track record in education. Its aim is to bring out the best in everyone.

This means finding the talents and skills in each child and helping them flourish. The academy's proposed specialism of science will offer a rich seam of ideas and inspiring new areas for students of all ages to explore.

The proposed academy should become a beacon for regeneration in Swindon. The academy will be a real community school, reflecting the needs, wishes and aspirations of the people who live in Pinehurst, Penhill, Seven Fields and Gorse Hill. The governing body will have representation from parents and the community, helping to make sure that the academy is in touch with their views. The academy will play its part with other local schools, helping and sharing expertise and facilities.

I am committed to education as the route to enable people to realise their full potential in whatever field they choose, and to be able to take advantage of the excitement and opportunity that can be available in the world of the 21st century. To make this possible for children in Swindon, I want to support the academy in any way I can.

It is an exciting proposal which will bring major investment into Swindon - a new multimillion pound campus with modern facilities and equipment that the whole community can use. I hope that we are given the chance to make it happen in Swindon.

Radical plan

IN January the Advertiser revealed plans for Headlands to leave Swindon Council control to become an academy.

It came after Headlands was named the worst school in the country following poor GCSE results in 2005.

In 2004 the school had been shut down and re-opened under the Fresh Start Initiative.

The United Learning Trust stepped forward as the academy's main sponsor but the charity needed financial backing of about £200,000 a year from two more sources.

Car giant Honda and businessman Sir Anthony Greener have pledged to provide the cash.

Under the plans, ULT could take over the school as early as next September.

By 2008 the school would move from Headlands Grove to a site on land currently occupied by Pinehurst People's Centre.

The school would provide wrap-around' education, meaning it would cater for babies right through to 19-year-olds.

There would be room for 26 nursery children, 420 primary school children, 900 11 to 16-year-olds and 300 16 to 19-year-olds.

A public consultation began this summer to find out what residents and parents think about the project.

On Wednesday the council's cabinet members will vote on whether to push ahead with the plans.

If they are in favour of an academy a decision will be referred to the school's organisation committee for the final approval.

This process can take up to three months but the council wants all plans to be agreed, including financial arrangements by January.

ULT is the biggest sponsor of academies in the country. Its schools are located across the country in places such as Northampton, Lambeth in south London, Barnsley, and Moss Side in Manchester.