Bassingbourn Village College could become Academy

A VILLAGE college has taken a giant step towards gaining Academy status by opening a consultation process.

Bassingbourn Village College will seek the thoughts and ideas of its staff, students and parents after evaluating the possibility of becoming an Academy over the past few months.

A presentation outlining the merits of Academy status was made to staff on Tuesday, with letters sent out to parents yesterday (Wednesday).

A college spokesperson said: “The Governors feel that becoming an academy would be a positive opportunity that will build on recent successes for the college, and are keen to listen to the views of the stakeholders of the village college before reaching a decision.

“The governing body will then review all feedback from the consultation process, and based on this make the decision in early June whether or not to convert to become an academy.”

Schools and colleges with Academy status operate outside the control of the local authority, which in Bassingbourn’s case is Cambridgeshire County Council.

The spokesperson said: “Becoming an Academy would give Bassingbourn greater independence and the freedom to operate in ways which better meet its students’ needs.

“The ability to control how funding is best invested in teaching and learning is also seen as advantageous, particularly in the current financial climate.”

The consultation will run throughout May and there will be a dedicated ‘frequently asked questions’ section on the college’s website at www.bassingbournvillagecollege.com.

There will also be various meetings held up until the decision is made in early June.

The move follows the recently concluded consultation process by Meridian, Roysia and Greneway schools in Royston, who are looking into becoming a Federation of schools or an Academy.

A decision is expected in this very soon.