After years in the planning, the Isle of Sheppey Academy has finally opened its door. In the first of a two-part special report, Emma Grove finds out about the academy and its plans for the future.

The Isle of Sheppey Academy has opened on two sites – east site (the former Minster College in Minster Road, Minster) and west site (the former Cheyne Middle School at Jefferson Road, Sheerness).

By 2011, new buildings will be constructed to transform the sites to fit the vision and needs of the academy.

The building work is due to start in the half-term holiday in October.

Work will take place on both sites simultaneously and because it will be on a separate piece of land, pupils will not be disrupted.

Academy principal Dr Paul Mortimer, said the design of the new buildings represents a whole new concept.

He said: “It’s a unique design by some of the biggest architects in the country.
“We have been working with a team of seven architects and seven designers since January this year.

“The inside of the buildings will maximise the teaching opportunities and there will be facilities for the children to learn in, which they have not had in these buildings.

“The designs are ground-breaking and they are looking at awards for design and architecture, but more importantly for the way they have transformed teaching and learning in a manner that hasn’t been done before.”

A presentation was due to take place earlier this year for 60 children who worked with the architects on the designs, but it was postponed after the heating duct collapsed in the sports hall at Minster College in May.

It is hoped the artists’ drawings will be ready to show at an open evening which is due to take place on October 8.

Another major focus of the academy will be to increase the number of the Island’s pupils going on to further education.

According to Dr Mortimer, over the past five years, the average number of students going on to university is around two per cent from Minster College’s sixth form.

Dr Mortimer’s aim is to get 12 per cent going to university by 2011. More vocational courses will also be on offer when the facilities are available for those students who don’t choose university.

The academy has been in discussions with Sheppey College, about working in partnership with the college to offer more training and apprenticeships.

Island employers have also been involved in discussions so they know local students can be trained for their needs.

Dr Mortimer said: “We are hoping the new academy will mean many more over-16 students stay on the Island instead of going off it.

“If we can get 20 per cent to university by the end of 2014 and 50 per cent into vocational courses – that would be seen as a mark of success.

“We are hoping to offer Open University courses to some students too and we are working with Sheppey College to start sharing our expertise and resources.”

There are also plans for student exchanges with Dulwich College for pupils who are looking at Oxbridge, and Dr Mortimer said they are hopeful that the skills and experience they have at Dulwich will mark the start of more students going to university.

Involving the community

ANOTHER major change in how the academy will function is the inclusion of the whole Sheppey community.

Dr Mortimer said: “In 10 years I would expect the Isle of Sheppey Academy to be so well established that it is open all year round for 12-hour days.

“It will be a school and a community resource.”

Dr Mortimer said the academy will eventually have a theatre and sports facilities available to everyone on the Island.

He said he hoped to work with Sheppey Little Theatre and share resources.

Dr Mortimer expects that people on the Island would want to make use of the latest IT equipment on site.

Local people will be welcome to use the libraries at the academy, and adult education will be offered.

The academy can be a meeting place for clubs, groups and community organisations.

Dr Mortimer said: “The buildings have been designed with this whole purpose in mind.”

He added: “Because we are split sites we are a bigger entity so more can be offered.”

Facts and figures

The maximum number of students the £54m academy can take is 2,500 – 500 in each of the five family units.

There will be about 2,000 11 – 16-year-olds and no more than 500 16-plus students.

There will be about 500 staff – 200 teachers, plus security cookery, cleaning and maintenance staff.

For more on the inside story of The Isle of Sheppey Academy, see next week’s Sheerness Times Guardian