Winsford academy achieves funding agreement

EDUCATION Secretary Michael Gove has signed the funding agreement giving education sponsor E-ACT responsibility for the new Winsford Academy, Cheshire, which opens for students on September 6.

The Winsford E-ACT Academy replaces the former Verdin High School and Woodford Lodge School.

E-ACT is a successful multi-academy sponsor and social enterprise, sponsoring academies across England. Winsford E-ACT Academy will provide 1,500 places for students aged 11 to 16, and 200 places for post-16 students. The academy will be an all-ability school specialising in mathematics and music. When it opens its doors, students will have a new-look uniform and academy logo.

E-ACT has been working closely with partners at Cheshire West and Chester Council, the University of Chester, as well as the Department for Education, to develop what will be 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 Winsford E-ACT Academy will be successful and do much to improve the opportunities for the pupils and community it serves.”

Interim academy Principal, Andy Kilpatrick, has been working closely with E-ACT’s education, project management teams and the local authority to prepare the predecessor schools for transformation into a new academy. More than 110 staff will transfer to the academy together with students from the predecessor schools.

Mr Kilpatrick 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. We are going to provide an exceptional learning experience for all our students so that they can enjoy the opportunities they deserve in higher education and employment.”

Sir Bruce Liddington said: “This 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 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 Cheshire West and Chester Council who have been a great support in the successful development of  the Winsford E-ACT Academy and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them, local schools and the wider educational community in the area.”

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.