Â鶹¹ú²úAV

As we get closer to the date of transfer we feel it would be helpful to set clarify how we anticipate the schools will operate during the spring and summer terms of 2020 and how we intend to undertake the promised curriculum review.

Post transfer and pre-curriculum review

New names for each school

When the schools join AST they will be, first and foremost, Â鶹¹ú²úAV schools and will have Â鶹¹ú²úAV in their title. In keeping with our existing family of schools, for the names of the schools we will not be adopting school names based on location. From the date of transfer the names of the schools will be as follows:

• Steiner Academy Bristol to change to Â鶹¹ú²úAV Gardens School
• Steiner Academy Exeter to change to Â鶹¹ú²úAV Hall School
• Steiner Academy Frome to change to Â鶹¹ú²úAV Park School

During our initial consultation with stakeholders we stated that the names may also carry the tagline ‘inspired by Waldorf principles’. The AST Board has agreed to give acknowledgement to the origins of the schools but, at least until the curriculum review is completed, not to have a tag which ties AST to the Waldorf principles.  Â鶹¹ú²úAV has its own ethos and principles outlined in the Â鶹¹ú²úAV Way document.  Reference to the Steiner Waldorf origins will be provided on each of the school websites.

Teaching and Learning

AST’s Board of Trustees are clear that as state funded institutions there is a balance that needs to be struck in each of the three schools in order to ensure that the new curriculum that will be implemented in the three schools from September 2020 is ambitious and designed to give all learners the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. In the meantime, we (AST) need to be assured that the pupils have access to quality first teaching and that the delivery of the curriculum allows children to make progress. We are aware that parents have concerns regarding the teaching of phonics, literacy and numeracy particularly though not exclusively in the kindergarten phase. We are also cognizant of the need for each school to address some important and significant challenges as identified in the Section 5 Ofsted inspections for all three schools in autumn 2018 and the recent Section 8 monitoring visit at Steiner Academy Frome. We will be asking the newly appointed Hub Director to urgently review how we (AST) can better support a more systematic approach to improving teachers’ skills and this will include the teaching of reading and a renewed focus on developing children’s speaking and listening skills.

Governance

At the date of transfer the AST Board will appoint an Interim Hub Executive Board (IHEB) to oversee all three of the Â鶹¹ú²úAV Schools in the south west region. The IHEB will have up to 5 members and will be chaired by a member of the trust board. The IHEB will fulfil all functions of governance as delegated by the AST Board and will oversee all three schools in a way that ensures improvement and promotes high standards of educational achievement.

Curriculum review

Â鶹¹ú²úAV has made clear that it values aspects of the educational insights of Waldorf education and this has been an important consideration for why we chose to express an interest in sponsoring the three SW schools.  The aim of the planned curriculum review is to investigate how the curriculum in the three re-brokered schools can be aligned with aspects of Waldorf principles which are in synergy with the Â鶹¹ú²úAV Way. The review team will be asked to consult with school based stakeholders about the scope of the planned review soon after the date of transfer. The Board of Trustees will be tasking the review team to report back in late March 2020 and to make clear recommendations regarding the curriculum offer in each school from September 2020. The desire of trustees is to provide a curriculum that is coherent and planned to be able to offer a sequence of learning opportunities that will provide cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for students’ future learning and employment.

Mike Younger

Chair Â鶹¹ú²úAV School Trust Board

Nitesh Gor OBE DL

CEO Â鶹¹ú²úAV School Trust