Strengthening civic partnerships at East Sussex Academy
East Sussex Academy has welcomed local councillors and trustees to its new Hailsham site, for a special ‘tea and tour’ event.
Guests were introduced to both the school and to London South East Academies Trust (LSEAT), which is the Multi Academy Trust that East Sussex Academy (ESA) became part of in September this year.
The school, previously called College Central, transferred into LSEAT following an academy order from the DfE. It is now on a rapid journey of improvement, to ensure that pupils who need alternative provision have access to high quality and appropriate education locally.
The councillors attending, from several Hailsham wards, included: Anne Blake-Coggins; Gavin Blake-Coggins; Anne Marie Ricketts; Glynn White and Steve Murphy.
They were joined by Head of Education Participation and Planning at East Sussex County Council, Jessica Stubbings; the Chair of LSEAT, Rama Venchard, LSEAT Trustee, Charles Yates and the Chair of ESA’s academy board, Sara Fletcher.
Deputy CEO of LSEAT, Neil Miller, welcomed the visitors and spoke to them about the Trust and its wider group – Elevare Civic Education Group.
Headteacher of ESA, Guy Walsh, spoke about the school’s journey so far, highlighting the challenges that are being addressed and the positive progress being made.
Manager of the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce in East Sussex, Beth Liston, then gave an overview of the work being done by both the outreach team and APST. This includes supporting mainstream schools across the region to identify pupils with SEND and providing staff training to help reduce exclusions.
Guests were then given a guided tour of the school, with the opportunity to meet with staff and ask questions.
Speaking about the visit, Neil Miller, Deputy CEO at LSEAT said:
“We would like to thank councillors and Trustees for visiting East Sussex Academy today. The afternoon provided us with a valuable opportunity to continue building positive relationships with our civic partners, who are helping to shape local policy and positive community outcomes.
“As ESA continues its journey of improvement, collaboration with our stakeholders is crucial. We look forward to further strengthening these links, to ensure we can continue to improve opportunities for young people across East Sussex.”
Cllr Anne Blake-Coggins (Hailsham South) said: “The atmosphere in this school is really welcoming, creating a calm environment for children who may struggle in mainstream settings. I’ve very much enjoyed my visit and can now talk with confidence to people within my local community about the school and the work it is doing.”
Cllr Steve Murphy (Hailsham Market Ward) added: “The frontline staff here are clearly extremely dedicated to the children and their interests. The school itself offers great facilities and good opportunities for the pupils who come here, which is very encouraging to see.”
