Marshland High School to become academy

A high school judged to ‘require improvement’ by Ofsted believes it will be able to raise standards further by becoming an academy.

Marshland High School has announced that it is set to become an academy with the West Norfolk Academies Trust (WNAT).

Governors said the school has made “excellent progress” since the Ofsted inspection last June, and revealed that the school expects to announce an “impressive improvement” in GCSE results this summer.

But they said the school has the potential to improve further after investigating the opportunity of becoming an academy.

Making the announcement about joining WNAT on Friday, chairman of governors, Mrs Jarvis-Lee, said: “As the Local Authority’s capacity to support schools is decreasing, schools need to find other sources of expertise to thrive and ensure they do not become isolated.

“We are convinced that becoming an Academy with the WNAT is the best way for Marshland to access that.”

Headteacher Elizabeth Dormor added: “I am very excited about the proposed academisation.

“It will be a great opportunity for all staff to work together with other professionals in the local area to discuss issues and share best practice.”

Marshland’s governors said they chose the trust after looking into a number of potential academy partners over the last year, as it would enable the school to maintain its “distinctive atmosphere”.

They said WNAT understands the educational needs of the area, and were “very impressed” with the way it ensures all partner schools share support and expertise, whilst allowing each school to maintain its own character.

Roger Livesey, chairmain of WNAT, said: “It is fantastic that Marshland High has chosen to join our local trust. I look forward to our schools working together to ensure the highest quality of education for all our students.”