St John’s School, Marlborough, has finally been granted academy status by the government , a move that will give it significant independence and a boost in the school’s annual budget of £8 million.
Headmaster Dr Patrick Hazlewood has told parents: “This represents a very important step for the school and secures a considerable higher level of funding that will directly benefit our students.”
Education Secretary Michael Gove has announced that St John’s will operate on this basis as from September 1 this year – and the internationally acclaimed school already it has changed the school’s logo to announce the fact.
The decision comes some 20 months after a school deputation headed by Dr Hazlewood met Lord Hill, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary for Education, in London, together with the school’s governors, who include local Tory MP Claire Perry.
It was then reported that academy status will give the school extra government funding of about £450,000 and allow St John’s to return to being an independent state school able to control its own curriculum for its 11—18 year old students.
A statement on the school’s website recalls that between 1993 and 1998 St John’s was a grant maintained school and during these years was directly funded by central government, making it independent of local authority control.
Since 1998 the school has had foundation school status, which gave it independence in most respects other than funding.
And it adds: “The academy status will allow St John’s to return to an independent state school status and will bring significant benefits. A letter from Dr Hazlewood has gone to parents to explain the new status.”