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Principal Appointed for Cleethorpes Academy

The Principal of Cleethorpes Academy has been appointed today. Martin Brown, 40, currently an Associate Principal at Tollbar Business and Enterprise College, will take up his new position immediately in preparation for the opening of the academy in September.

Mr Brown's appointment followed a rigorous interview process, in which he was seen to be the best candidate to take the new academy forward. He has worked as a teacher at Tollbar BEC for 15 years, under the leadership of Principal David Hampson, who is now the Chief Executive of Tollbar Edge, the company sponsoring Cleethorpes Academy.

Mr Hampson who, along with Tollbar Edge Chairman Phil Bond, Director Jane Aukett, and John Steel from the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), was involved in the appointment of Mr Brown, said he was proud to have his Associate Principal at the helm of the new Academy.

"I have worked for many years with Martin, and he has been heavily involved in the leadership and management which has brought students at Tollbar Business and Enterprise College so much success in recent years."

"His appointment as Principal means that students at Cleethorpes Academy will have an experienced leader who knows what it takes to make a secondary school successful, and how to achieve the best for all of the students who attend there."

"Cleethorpes Academy will be a very demanding role. We are all starting from scratch and we have to turn things around in a very short space of time. The fact that we have all worked together before will give us a good start, and we are all looking forward to getting in there and making this work," he added.

Mr Brown, who lives in Lincoln and is married with 2 daughters said: "It is a great opportunity, there is lots of potential to make the Academy a top class educational establishment. I am really looking forward to working closely with the Chief Executive and the sponsors to realise their vision and lead the Academy to high levels of success."

Tollbar Edge Chairman Phil Bond added: "I am delighted to welcome Martin Brown as Principal Designate of Cleethorpes Academy. His wealth of experience at Tollbar will be invaluable to the establishment of the new academy."

Tollbar Edge has also appointed Project Management Consultancy Appleyards this week to take the academy through to fruition. Appleyards, which has a proven track record with similar projects, will be responsible for ensuring that the academy opens on time.

Ends

News Release - Thursday April 22nd 2010

Lindsey Pupils Look To A Brighter Future

Student representatives from The Lindsey School and Community Arts College met with the prospective sponsors of the proposed Cleethorpes Academy and declared: Give us a school to be proud of.

Sixteen members of the existing school council met David Hampson, the prospective Chief Executive of Tollbar Edge, the company hoping to transform Lindsey.

Year 9 student Jack Surfleet said he and his friends just wanted some consistency in teaching, fewer stand-in teachers, and the chance to do well if the academy gets the go-ahead in the next few weeks.

Aaron Hardy, also Year 9, said he felt the current school uniform was scruffy and did not make pupils proud to be at the school.

Year 8 student Charlotte Robinson, a keen high jumper, was looking forward to the prospect of new sports kits and, perhaps, even the chance to have a high-jump mat to practice on.

Mr Hampson, Principal of Tollbar BEC, was seeking the students' views on a proposed new uniform and other issues.

He assured the students, who represented Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 at Lindsey School, he would continue to ask for their opinions on a number of matters during a period of considerable change if the academy is given the go-ahead.

"There will be a lot of changes in a short period of time," said Mr Hampson.

"We need to turn this around fast and we need your help to do that. We want you to be

proud to wear the Cleethorpes Academy uniform and for others to see you and want to be part of it too," he said.

Mr Hampson said one idea proposed for the uniform was to use the symbol of two dolphins to represent the Academy.

"The dolphins are not only synonymous with Cleethorpes, but they also represent the idea of a school and community."

Mr Hampson hoped the academy would have a smart business-like uniform with black blazers bearing the distinct dolphin badge in blue and purple.

There would be subtle changes between the lower and upper school pupils' uniforms, including the option of a neck scarf for upper school girls.

He added parents need not worry about the cost, as the Department for Children, Schools and Families provides a uniform grant for every existing pupil at Lindsey if the academy goes ahead. This would cover the total cost of the new uniform, including most of the PE kit.

Charlotte Robinson found the proposed uniforms and colours very smart and was even more pleased to hear that each individual academy sports team would have its own personalised kit.

"I think it looks really nice and much more professional," she said.

Mr Hampson was pleased with how honest the students had been, and assured Charlotte, if the Academy gets the go-ahead, one of his first jobs will be to order a high jump mat.

Article from The Cleethorpes Chronicle - February 25th 2010

'I promise children here will receive a quality education'

"An outstanding and successful academy that will serve the young people of Cleethorpes well into this millennium."

That was the vision for the future of Lindsey School set out to residents at a public meeting by David Hampson, chief executive of Tollbar Edge - the sponsors of the project to turn the failing school into an academy.

As reported, the Secretary of State has already given his approval to the plans, which were put forward after Ofsted inspectors put the school into special measures in November.

And last night it was revealed that as quickly as September 1, the site could look "completely different".

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Hampson, said: "I promise to do my damndest to ensure that the children here get a quality education."

"I can't give you total promises. All I can give you is my word that everyone involved will do everything we can to turn the situation around."

The proposals were largely met with approval by parents and local residents, though some raised concerns about the planned change of the school's name.

Catherine Boom, 38, of Claremont Road, said: "I am looking forward to it and I hope the academy goes ahead. I have been really impressed with what has been said tonight. I also believe a lot of parents will see the name Tollbar and want to send their children there."

Alan Woodward, chairman of governors at Middlethorpe Primary School, said: "The children in this area deserve a wider choice of secondary schools and they should be of good quality."

"Anyone who sits up there on the stage and says they can make improvements gets my vote."

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Tony McCabe, portfolio holder for children and family services, said: "I think it's going to be tremendous news for the area and the meeting was very positive."

"This used to be one of the best schools in the area and it will be a good school again."

The closing date for comments on the plans is Wednesday February 24 and they will be used to help decide whether or not the plan should go ahead.

If it is decided it should, there will be a further opportunity to comment during a six week representation period, following the publication of a public notice.

Article from The Grimsby Telegraph - Thursday February 11th 2010

New Academy's Sponsor Selected

The sponsor of the new Cleethorpes Academy has been announced.

Tollbar Edge - a partnership between Tollbar Business and Enterprise College and Edgehill University - has been chosen to drive the transformation of Lindsey School into Cleethorpes Academy after a "robust" selection process.

As reported, the decision to make the Grainsby Avenue school into an academy came after it was put into special measures by Ofsted.

Now, North East Lincolnshire Council - which was responsible for selecting the sponsor - is awaiting Government approval of its choice.

Tollbar Business and Enterprise College boss David Hampson will become chief executive of the academy, which he hopes will become a reality in September.

He plans to step aside as Tollbar's principal in that month, but will keep his chief executive role at the school.

"Parents of children at Tollbar will see no changes," he said. "I will still be strategically directing Tollbar as well as Cleethorpes Academy." This means I am responsible for financial controls, the appointment of staff, curriculum and ethos, and will be working with principals at the schools.

"The principal who will be appointed at Cleethorpes Academy, and two current associate principals at Tollbar who will take up responsibilities there, will be in charge of the day to day issues; from assemblies to discipline."

The council's recommendation will now have to be given the all-clear by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

Afterwards, there will be two public consultations - one for closing down Lindsey and the other for Cleethorpes Academy, including a question and answer session.

The announcement came the same day Tollbar was congratulated for being in the top 12 comprehensives in the country for GCSE grades and progress made with its pupils.

Vernon Coaker, the Minister for Schools and Learners sent a letter to Tollbar that said: "I am delighted to congratulate you and your school on the excellent performance you have demonstrated at Key Stage Four in the 2009 Achievement and Attainment Tables published today."

"The results for your school show you are among the top performing schools this year based on sustained improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving five plus A* to C GCSEs, including English and Mathematics, and also among the top performing schools based on the KS2-4 Contextual Value Added measure."

"This is an excellent achievement, with only 11 other schools performing this well in both measures. The long-term trend is one of sustained improvement and the continued improvement in results is testament to the dedication of teachers and the hard work of pupils."

Article from The Grimsby Telegraph - Thursday January 21st 2010