Update On Free School

As you know, the Middlemore Residents’ Association has been working with an education sponsor, E-ACT, to explore the possibility of opening a primary free school on the estate.

The proposal for the school was submitted to the Department for Education and was well received. Unfortunately, the proposal was not approved with the existing education sponsor, due to publicised issues with E-ACT, rather than due to the content of the bid.

This left us in a difficult position where we had gained the support of leading decision makers and shown demand for the school from the community, but needing an education sponsor to take the lead on driving the proposal forward.

We are, therefore, delighted to announce that the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) has agreed, in principle, to become our education sponsor.

The Trust knows the area very well, as they already partner with Welton CE Academy and it is expected that another local primary school will join them soon. The Trust is already working on a proposal to the Department for Education to develop a secondary free school in the Daventry area.

This partnership therefore offers an exciting opportunity to potentially develop a school on Middlemore. The Trust has a different vision for the education provision than E-ACT, and Middlemore Residents Association is currently in discussion regarding the nature of the school proposal which we plan to submit. As soon as the details are agreed, MRA will publish them and arrange a meeting discuss with residents.

As the Trust has a very strong record of ensuring pupils and students achieve their potential, this new partnership has already been given the full backing of the local authority. It will also ensure significant investment in Middlemore, for both a local high quality school and new community facilities.

For more information about the David Ross Education Trust, please visit www.dret.co.uk