Sue Demont's Blog

In the brave new world of academy planning, one finishes earlier some Fridays (it’s only 5 o’clock and yes, by headteacher standards, this is early – especially given that I’m now back home). So rather than sit with my feet up and feel guilty in the knowledge that at least one member of my leadership team is still likely to be toiling away at HCC, I’m travelling there in spirit to write about what’s going on.

There’s no getting away from the fact that a large part of what’s going on is the planning for our new academy. More and more staff and students are getting involved in different aspects of the planning and it’s beginning to feel very real to us at last. Firstly, I am delighted to report that we have now appointed the Academy Leadership Team for September. Niall Smith, Greg Hayes, Alison Hollands, Dafydd Humphreys and David Collins are all taking up roles in the new structure, which will be published shortly. On Monday we interview for the remaining ALT post and again it is gratifying to report that we have a strong internal field from which to make that appointment. A depressing number of academies seem to start by axing some or all of their leadership teams, whilst we are in the happy position of being able to expand ours from within the college.

The appointments process continues apace over the next few weeks and we hope to have our entire teaching workforce secured by the Easter break. The appointment of support staff will begin immediately afterwards.

Uniform Consultation

However, it’s the students who are really beginning to take a lead in sorting things out for September. The Uniform Design Group, comprising years 7-10, has been working with a Dutch designer, Marloes tem Bhomer, as well as HCC art teachers, to work up some distinctive but practical uniform ideas which they exhibited in Art 2 this lunchtime. The designs should be ready to present to parents by the end of term.

Kunskapsskolan Nykoping

Then on 24^th March six HCC students with Mr. Collins fly out to Sweden for two days at Kunskapsskolan Nykoping, where Skolchef (headteacher) Marcus Brunberg has arranged a full programme of activities which should build up some really good links between our two sets of students. The students will be filming and recording their visit to share with their peers back at HCC the following week.

Away from the Academy, at the top end of the school we have another very important group of young people – our year 11 students, who as I write have just 27 days of compulsory full time education left before their GCSE written exams begin. Parents would be intrigued to see our staffroom cupboard doors – once the showcase for interesting photos of Mr. Crossan and colleagues enjoying the staff Christmas party, but now a sea of ‘amber’ photos of our potentially high achieving students who are getting ever closer to achieving their goal of at least five top grade GCSE passes including English and Maths. In today’s staff briefing Mr. Scruby and Ms. Rodgers were hopping around excitedly in front of these photos having just added a load of ticks next to students’ names, indicating those who have already achieved a top grade pass in English and/or Maths. What a great accolade for those students who have now achieved a grade C or above in both of these crucial subjects, ahead of most of their peers nationally.

All the above augurs very well for this summer’s Year 11 exam results – but well before then Year 10 have the chance to show us what they’re made of, when they sit their first pre-GCSE assessments in the next two weeks. We are looking to this year group to break some key academic barriers – their target is for more than half the year group to achieve the ‘magic 5’ WITH English and Maths. Ms. Taylor assures us that they can do it!

Roald Dahl

As with my last two blogs, I end with more than a nod to our specialist arts college status: a record of my appreciation of the magical production of ‘Charlie & the Chocolate Factory’ which students for years 7, 8 and 9 performed for our local primary schools and for all key stage 3 year groups at HCC. Tristan van Rhyn’s Willie Wonka was mature and professional and will live long in the memory, as will the singing and dancing of the ‘Umpa Lumpas’ and the brilliant individuality of the rest of the cast. Big congratulations to Ms. Arthur for her first full scale production – we look forward to more!

It’s still Friday, I was still writing, but it’s now after 6pm, and in the words of Cathy MacGowan – the weekend starts here! Here’s to it, hope it’s a good one for you, and we all come up smiling on Monday morning.

Sue Demont

Once again, a blog interval has occurred – apologies. I am now writing a weekly Academies Bulletin for staff as well as this blog and haven’t quite found the way to synchronise my literary output. I’ve also managed a quick trip to Madrid, hence this week’s title (though Marathon Woman would better describe my eight hour tour of the Prado. Worth it though!) I’m pleased to report however that it certainly isn’t through a lack of news over the past fortnight, as the quickest glance at our website homepage will reveal.

Legal Matter

I start with the Academy, as today we received confirmation from the DCSF that the final documents and legal agreements have been signed. We are now, officially, in the ‘Implementation’ phase – the last stage before Hampton Academy opens in September 2010. Although this has felt like a formality for the last few months it has nonetheless required a relentless flow of activity behind the scenes to ensure that everything is legally watertight and binding. The transfer of both staff and premises from local authority to independent trust is not to be undertaken lightly and I appreciate the countless hours put in by the MD of Kunskapsskolan UK, Steve Bolingbroke, in order to safeguard all our futures by doing things properly.

The transfer of staff over to the new academy can now begin, and as has been stated previously, I am delighted that the overwhelming majority of my colleagues have actively signalled their interest in being part of the next stage of educational development for the young people of Hampton. It’s going to be a really exciting journey. In some cases, the academies programme has been used quite explicitly to remove ‘unwanted’ staff from a predecessor school. I am happy to report that the situation at HCC, where we welcome the fact that so many staff want to stay, is quite the opposite.

Take a Chance on Me!

Mr. Collins and I were also very impressed by the response to our offer of a visit to Sweden for four lucky students. With an extremely tight deadline of less than 48 hours, no fewer than 43 students managed to submit a letter of application. Most of these were of extremely high quality and showed great flair, originality, and in best ‘Masterchef’ style, passion. One Year 7 student had customised his letter using the Kunskapsskolan logo, whilst another urged us, in the words of Abba, to ‘take a chance on me!’ Some of the other highlights will be published shortly on this website. And although we can only take a small number of students on this occasion, I have written to all the applicants to assure them that they will be considered as priority applicants for any future visits or events relating to the Academy.

Their Generation

Meanwhile back in Twickenham the half term ended with some actual rock’n’roll; our very own production of ‘Arthur’s Experiment’, scripted by Mrs. McCormack, Director of Specialism, at the Live Room at the RFU. Our students, arts mentors and our Actor in Residence Alan Mitchell, sang, danced and acted superbly in front of a large audience comprising local dignitaries as well as large numbers of the public who had applied for tickets. Appearing on stage alongside professionals and adults could have been a daunting occasion for our students, but it certainly didn’t show; they did themselves and their school real credit. The re-creation of the Eel Pie Island scene in the early 1960s, venue for the Rolling Stones, The Who and many more, was remarkably convincing (Alex DeBoeck of Year 11 was clearly born in the wrong decade) and the proceedings culminated in a short set by original Eel Pie rockers the Downliners’ Sect, whose energy gave all of us 50-somethings hope for the future and had the audience as well as the cast on their feet by the end of the show.

It was another of those evenings (see last week’s blog ‘Dance Stance’) when I just loved being Principal of a Performing Arts College – especially at a time when a lot of my day job is one step removed from the school. Next week it’s ‘Charlie & the Chocolate Factory’, acted by our Key Stage 3 students for the children of our local primary schools – but if any adults are allowed in, then I know of at least one who can’t wait to sneak in and watch too.

Sue Demont