Funding milestone for new Dartmouth Academy

EDUCATION Secretary Michael Gove has signed the funding agreement giving education sponsor E-ACT responsibility for the new Dartmouth Academy which opens for students on September 8.

The Dartmouth Academy is E-ACT ‘s first ‘all-through’ academy for students aged between 3 to 18 which replaces the former Dartmouth Community College and Dartmouth Primary and Nursery Schools. It is also the first ‘all-though’ academy in Devon.

When the academy opens its doors, students will have a new-look uniform and academy logo. Student numbers will increase to a maximum capacity of 936.

Dartmouth Academy will be an all-ability school specialising in mathematics and the visual arts. E-ACT is delighted to be working with three exceptional partners - South Devon College, Britannia Royal Naval College and the Consortium of All-Through Schooling – to provide a high-performing secondary provision in the town.

Nick Gibb, the Minister of State for Schools has written to Sir Bruce Liddington, Director General of E-ACT, to congratulate E-ACT on its plans and confirm the agreement.

In his letter, Mr Gibb said: “I am sure that the Dartmouth Academy will be successful and do much to improve the opportunities for the pupils and community it serves”

Interim academy Principal, Shelagh Potter, has been working closely with E-ACT’s education, project management teams and Devon County Council to prepare the school for transformation into a new academy. More than 100 staff will transfer to the academy together with students from the predecessor schools.

Ms Potter said: “We have worked really hard to prepare for the new academy and I’m delighted that the funding and other arrangements are now in place. This is an opportunity for us to provide an exceptional learning experience for all our students.”

Sir Bruce Liddington said: “Dartmouth Academy will join our other successful group of academies across England focusing on significantly improving education for all students and ensuring that they enjoy opportunities to enter further and higher education and employment in the future. We’re delivering educational excellence across England and as part of that we’re investing in new technology and new facilities which will be a boost for students, staff and the wider community. We have worked closely with Devon County Council who have been a great support in the successful development of  Dartmouth Academy and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them, local schools and the wider educational community in the area.”

Judith Johnson, Director for Learning and Schools in Devon said “We are delighted to have supported the development of Dartmouth Academy and we look forward to working with E-ACT and partners as the Academy develops.”

E-ACT academies that opened in 2009 have recorded record GCSE results after just one year. On average E-ACT academies have increased the number of students achieving at least 5 A*-C GCSEs with English and Maths by more than eight per cent, with one academy increasing the number of students achieving this goal by 23 per cent.