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Haileybury Turnford is a Haileybury-sponsored academy

Haileybury is the sole sponsor of Haileybury Turnford [HT], a maintained secondary school, which had for years been an underperforming school in a deprived part of east Hertfordshire. Haileybury, through the creation of Haileybury Academy Trust, takes strategic responsibility for the direction of the school and all aspects of its performance. The pupils at HT might be characterised as white working poor, a segment of society well known for underperformance and low aspiration and self-esteem, particularly among boys. HT has been an under-resourced ‘sink school’ school for decades, whose buildings are in very poor condition.  

Aims

The aim of the partnership is to support rapid and sustained school improvement. Critical to the success of the sponsorship is effective governance, oversight of the financial position of the academy and to support and challenge the Principal in driving up standards and outcomes.

Success will be measured by an Ofsted judgement of ‘good’, increased pupil numbers at the academy (specific targets are given) and significantly improved school buildings, which are barely fit for purpose. 

CPD: a number of Middle Leaders at both schools take the NPQML qualification, led by staff from both schools and share good practice through a joint coaching scheme, that will deepen and enrich professional practice   

Immediate beneficiaries are academy students, especially those in Year 11, who benefit from academic support, staff whose professional practice is developed through the partnership and, in the long term, the local community who will have a better community school.  

Background

The governors of Turnford, School, the predecessor school, encouraged dialogue with Haileybury, while Haileybury’s Council (its governors) were keen to support a local school, with deep-rooted social, economic and educational challenges. The DfE and Broxbourne MP, Charles Walker were also instrumental in introducing the schools to each other and in brokering the academy process.

After a year of developing an informal partnership, the academy papers were signed by the Secretary of State in August 2015, bringing Haileybury Academy Trust and Haileybury Turnford into being.

Resources

1) Governance: The governors of Haileybury Academy Trust include the Master of Haileybury and the Head of Lower School, who chairs the Academy’s Education Committee, which also includes the Deputy Head (Academic) while Haileybury’s Bursar sits on the Finance Committee. The Trust is chaired by Haileybury’s Partnership Manager.

2) Haileybury’s chapel, swimming pool and classrooms are available for HT use, as are other school facilities from time to time

3) Academic support is provided in particular areas of need: currently in science, maths and MFL. Oxbridge and UCAS support is also given by relevant Haileybury staff.

4) Support staff provide additional support for the academy on a regular basis

Impact

1) Ofsted: judged RI by Ofsted, HT has never been a ‘good’ school and this remains a priority for the sponsor and the Trust. At the last Ofsted (May 2018) governance was described as ‘highly effective.’ This view was endorsed by the Regional Schools Commissioner, who recognised that although still a vulnerable school that requires improvement, significant progress had been made since the creation of the academy trust. 

2) The academy’s School Education Adviser reports to the sponsor through HT’s governing body and school improvement will be measured by the SEA’s judgements and the implementation of his recommendations.

3) Ambitious KPIs have been agreed with HT’s Principal, with a half year review of these in addition to the annual performance management review.

4) Assessment of the impact of curriculum support for year 11 science students, is measured by outcomes

5) The predecessor school had had no Oxbridge successes for many decades. HT has had three Oxbridge offers made to its students in 2018 and 2019 alone.

Pupil Involvement

1) Year 11 triple science students from HT are taught jointly by Haileybury and HT staff

2) HT has a number of Year 10 and 11 cadets who join Haileybury’s CCF each week.

3) Year 12 and 13 students from HT attend Haileybury’s Lecture Series

4) Year 11 maths students are taught by Haileybury staff, as part of an enrichment class

5) Gifted and talented Year 12 HT students join the Haileybury Oxbridge group and are given interview practice

6) Gifted and talented Year 12 and 13 HT students are supported through the UCAS application process

Frequency

The sponsorship or Haileybury Turnford is an ongoing project.