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Written question asked by Clive Lewis (Labour) on Monday, 22 June 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 June 2015. It was answered by Edward Timpson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 June 2015 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Hewett School

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons she exercised an academy order under section 4 of the Academies Act 2010 in appointing a sponsor for the Hewett School in Norwich.

Answer

An Academy Order was issued because the Hewett School is a failing school which Ofsted judged to require special measures in October 2014 and has had GCSE results consistently below local and national averages for the past five years. The Academy Order was issued on 25 March after consultation with the central Norwich Foundation Trust. The Government’s policy is to tackle swiftly failing schools wherever they are. We believe that the best way to secure rapid and long-term improvement at the Hewett School is for it to become an academy with the support of a strong sponsor. Inspiration Trust was the named sponsor due to its strong track record of school improvement.

The Department for Education and Norfolk County Council meet regularly. Recently the Council’s proposals for a ‘Learning Village’ on the Hewett site have formed part of these discussions. The department has had an initial meeting with the Inspiration Trust to seek their views about the future of the land. A meeting between all three parties is scheduled later this month.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
3507
Session
2015-16
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Governing bodies Sponsorship Academies Hewett Academy
Legislation
Academies Act 2010
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk