Another change to the structure at the Isle of Sheppey Academy has been announced.

Principal David Day says from September, the school’s sixth form will be primarily based on the west site in Jefferson Road, Sheerness.

It comes three months after a petition was launched against a major shake-up of staff.

There are currently five “mini-schools” which make up the academy, Sheerness and Brabazon at the west site and Harty, Abbey and Shurland on the east site in Minster.

When the change is implemented, Sheerness school will become Sheerness Sixth and the 11 to 16-year-olds now in it will go to Brabazon.

The reason for the move is to do with timetable arrangements, because there is “slightly less classroom space” in the new builds and as the Sheerness site is a better use of the facilities.

Mr Day said it also makes sense due to the site’s close proximity with Sheppey College, which some 16-plus students have links with.

The academy expects to have about 300 sixth form students in the next academic year when the majority of sixth form classes will be based in Jefferson Road.

For some pupils doing vocational courses where the equipment is only available at the Minster Road site, a minibus will be provided for transport.

Some parents have raised concerns the change means children at Sheerness will have to move to Minster, but Mr Day said that is not the case.

“We are tying to make more economical use of the sites and making sure we can equitably distribute all the teaching around the academy,” he said.

“It will not have an impact whatsoever on Abbey, Harty or Shurland schools.

“Brabazon will be a slightly larger school than it is at the moment but both Brabazon and Sheerness were much smaller schools so we are bringing Brabazon up to the size of the others.”

He said the only reason students would be at the east site is if their vocational courses require east site facilities.

Parents are being written to, he said, and the heads of the mini schools will discuss the change with pupils in the next few weeks.

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Mr Day has defended the school’s decision to use a rewards scheme after it came under fire in the national press.

Pupils at the academy can earn “Vivo Miles” which are worth 1p each and can be saved up to buy items from high street retailers.

Points are awarded at the discretion of individual teachers and can be given for things such as a attendance, hard work and good home work.

The scheme was launched in 2007 and the academy signed up to it in 2010.

Vivo Miles has recently been criticised by an education campaign group which said it was bribing children to work hard and that the result will be that they will always expect to be rewarded for everything.

However Mr Day believes it is an effective way to acknowledge good behaviour.

“I don’t accept that it’s bribery,” he said.

“It’s part of a variety of reward strategies we use at the academy and it’s popular.

“Each point is only worth 1p so it’s a lot of collecting.

“Every school has a rewards budget and we are using this scheme to make sure pupils get something they value.”