Sheffield secondary becomes part of multi-academy trust in bid to secure 'long-term future' of school
Bradfield School, in Worrall, had been in talks with Tapton School Academy Trust (TSAT) since last year after the school was issued with a ‘notice to improve’ by the Education and Skills Funding Agency after failing to submit audited statements which were due on December 31, 2018.
Now following a lengthy and challenging transfer process – which was delayed due to private finance initiative (PFI) issues – it has been confirmed that Bradfield joined TSAT on February 1.
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Hide AdIt is hoped the new structure will ensure the secondary school has access to strong support and guidance, effective governance, more professional opportunities for staff and will allow students to access sixth forms at Forge Valley and Tapton schools with additional transitional support.
Adrian May, former co-headteacher of Tapton School has now become permanent headteacher of Bradfield School.
He said: “Since joining the school as interim headteacher in June, I have enjoyed building relationships with students and parents, and getting to know the community. Becoming part of an established multi-academy trust is a positive and important step for Bradfield, and I now look forward to working with colleagues in TSAT to ensure that our students receive the opportunities that they deserve.”
Established in 2011, Tapton School Academy Trust now runs nine academies, comprising of five primary and four secondary schools, across Sheffield.
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Hide AdFollowing the transfer, a number of strategies have been put in place to secure the improvement detailed in a recent Ofsted inspection which found the school to be ‘inadequate’.
Leaders say it is their belief that Bradfield will be a ‘good’ school by the end of the year.
David Dennis, CEO of Tapton School Academy Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Bradfield staff into a trust in which collaborative ways of working are at its core. TSAT already has many areas of alignment with Bradfield and well-established links, and we look forward to working with the school to take it forward in its improvement journey.”