by Hayley Robinson

A consultation has begun on plans to transform a sixth town
school into an academy.

A questionnaire and documents about
the proposal to change the status of Sittingbourne Community
College (SCC) were sent home to parents at the beginning of the
week.

Copies were also given to students,
staff and governors.

If given the go ahead by Education
Secretary Michael Gove, SCC would convert in January and become an
academy at the start of the spring term.

The move will see the Swanstree
Avenue-based college working in partnership with The Westlands
School as part of a new Swale Academies’ Trust.

It replaces The Westlands
Academies’ Trust, which includes Westlands Primary and Regis Manor,
and it’s hoped it will offer partnership opportunities to other
primaries in Swale.

It’s proposed both secondary
schools will retain their identities while sharing resources and
skills to improve standards.

The names of the schools will stay
the same and pupils will continue to wear their current school
uniforms.

The partnership between the four
schools will see an estimated £1.3 million injected into the
education of children in Sittingbourne.

Since becoming an academy in
September last year, The Westlands has received an extra £562,000
while the Westlands Primary and Regis Manor have received £145,000
each.

An estimated £500,000 is expected
to be released once SCC becomes a new-style academy.

Head teacher Alan Barham said: "We
have had a long and very productive partnership with the Westlands
Academies’

Trust and changing the college’s
status to an academy would give us both the opportunity to deepen
that relationship.

"It will help move ahead with
improvements to the college and offer a more flexible approach to
teaching and learning, which we could really tailor to our local
population."

Fulston Manor and Highsted Grammar
School became academies last October.

A drop-in meeting will be held on
Thursday, November 3, between 6pm and 7.30pm in Bourne Hall at the
college.

It will be attended by Mr Barham
and the head of The Westlands School, Jon Whitcombe.

To complete the online questionnaire, visit http://www.proposedsittingbourneacademy.co.uk or email comments to info@proposedsittingbourneacademy.co.uk or call the message line on 020 7924 5109.