Academy sponsors

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Academy sponsors

Academy Sponsors

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust supports the government's academies programme, adding capacity to the work of academies themselves and engaging with sponsors via networking opportunities, events and response to individual queries. This website for sponsors is a key strand in this engagement.

Please use the links on this page to find out more, or to visit the DCSF and SSAT webpages where you can access further information and documentation for academy sponsors.

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Head of Programmes: Academy networks

As The Head of Programmes for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust’s Academy networks, I look forward to having the opportunity to meet you in the near future. The academies team, based in Millbank Tower, shares a determined conviction of the moral purpose of the academies programme and a desire to celebrate the successes and achievements of academies and their students.

The Academy Networks team and I will work to arrange for you bespoke individual and group visits to academies, seminars and networking opportunities, both on-line and in person.

It is also my intention to ensure that you receive copies of all the relevant Academy Networks publications, information circulars and invitations and, to this end, I will be seeking to ensure that we have your correct contact details and requirements.

If you have any suggestions or needs, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Finally, I am very happy to answer any questions you might have about the academies programme, or to pass them on to colleagues, whether here at the SSAT, or at the DCSF, as and when appropriate.

Bill Watkin
DDL: 020 7802 0710
Mobile: 07834 367746
Email: bill.watkin@ssatrust.org.uk

Events

Academies Conference: 10 & 11 July 2008.

The Academy Networks team at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust are pleased to announce that their first residential annual Academies conference will be held in July this year at the Riverbank Park Plaza in London.

Academies: Opportunities for Colleges: The SSAT and the AoC will be hosting a joint conference at Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough on Wednesday 30 April. This conference is for leaders and governors of the country’s FE colleges, who may be considering, or who are already, sponsoring an academy. Click here for details.

Engaging with Academies and Trusts: Benefits and Challenges for HEIs: The SSAT will be contributing to the UUK conference in London on Thursday 1 May. This conference is for leaders and council members of the country’s universities, who may be considering, or who are already, sponsoring an academy. Click here for details.

Visits to Academies: The Academy Networks team can arrange visits to academies on request. Please contact Freda Jackson on 020 7802 0965 or freda.jackson@ssatrust.org.uk

News

Collaborative relationships with the independent sector: Following the recent responses from academy principals to our survey, please see a list of those academies which are engaged, or interested, in some form of collaborative relationship with schools in the independent sector.
Case studies of some of those mentioned will be published shortly.

Academies and diplomas: Following the recent responses from academy principals to our survey, please see a list of those academies which are engaged, or interested, in the planning for the diplomas and links to further information about what is entailed in delivering each of the 17 diploma lines.
Case studies of some of those mentioned will be published shortly.

Californian Leadership Study Tour: The 9 May 2008 edition of the TES featured a piece by David Wootton, Executive Principal, Grace Academies (Solihull and Coventry) on the lessons he learned from the recent study tour to visit charter schools in California. This was organised as part of SSAT’s leadership development programme. For more details on the programme click here. The full TES article can be found here.

The Prime Minister’s reception for academy sponsors: A reception, hosted by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street was held was held on 7 February 2008. The reception provided sponsors, principals and chairs of governors of academies with the opportunity to meet and celebrate the success of the programme. Click here to download some photos of the reception.

Celebrating Success

Every year the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust celebrates the achievements of schools and academies under 3 key criteria. Click here to see the academies whose successes have been recognised this year.

Current academy listings

This spreadsheet provides useful information about current academies, which can be used to sort and locate academies which share common characteristics; such as specialism, location or student numbers. Click here to download.

Map showing the locations of the current academies