Dear Parents/carers and the wider community
Having worked at Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy for over 20 years before I became Principal, I did not expect too much to take me by surprise. The one pleasant surprise has been the incredibly positive support the academy has received from Walsall Council. We are often described as the most inclusive school in Walsall and our determination to support the most vulnerable students in our community alongside ensuring we challenge the most able is what separates this school from others.
I am proud that our community supports us in our inclusive philosophy to education. With this in mind, I’m excited to tell you about the next phase of development for our academy. A phase that has been strongly supported by Walsall Council.
The academy plans to support Walsall Council with the rising number of students who will begin secondary school over the next 4 or 5 years. Allowing for extra numbers in year groups has been discussed with Walsall Council by most secondary schools in Walsall. There will be a separate admissions consultation around this in the new academic year.
From September, 2025, our academy will provide satellite provision for the Shepwell School. Shepwell School is an educational provision which supports children for reason of illness, ASD or SEMH needs. These are needs we would all recognise in our community and our plan is to provide classrooms for the school to expand their provision. The school will work independently from the academy creating its own routines and systems. As this provision becomes embedded we hope to share learning and professional development to the advantage of all students.
Obviously, supporting larger intakes of students along with giving up space for a satellite provision would leave the academy stretched. This has not gone unnoticed and an exciting solution has been agreed. It is proposed that in August, the academy (in collaboration with Walsall Council) will begin work on the construction of a Sixth Form centre. This will provide an extra 6/7 classrooms, alongside additional office space and administrative resources.
Simultaneously, the academy has committed finances to increase the dining capacity within the building. This extra space is proposed to be ready for September and we would expect work to begin in early April.
These are really exciting developments for the academy and cements our position as being the most inclusive academy in Walsall. Alongside this, the proposed extra facilities will ensure that all students continue to receive the best education in a really positive and nurturing environment.
We are committed to providing all our pupils with the very best opportunities, skills and experiences that they need in order to fulfil their potential. We believe that creating the best possible learning environment is essential in the achieving this. Every decision we make as a school is with your child’s and our communities’ best interests at heart.
We are now launching a formal consultation which will run for three weeks, beginning Wednesday 19th March 2025 and ending Wednesday 9th April 2025. Feedback from our parents, carers and wider community, alongside colleagues, is incredibly valuable to us and so we are very keen to hear from a wide range of voices throughout our school community.
Thank you for your time.
Kind Regards
Mr Michael Riley
Principal
This consultation opens Wednesday 19th March 2025 and ends midday Wednesday 9th April 2025. Please submit all comments, queries and feedback through the below link: