NeneGate School in Peterborough to transfer to academy status from council control

NeneGate School in Peterborough has announced that it will transfer to academy status from its current maintained school status under Peterborough City Council from next month.

The special school, which offers education to students between 9 and 16 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH), will join Meridian Trust as of November 1.

The trust already has 30 educational establishments under its banner including: Nene Park Academy, Greater Peterborough UTC, Sawtry Village Academy, Stamford Welland Academy and West Town Primary Academy.

The school made the application to become an academy in June and will lease the land and buildings on the site as part of a 125-year lease as well as take over the employment of the council staff at the school.

There is a charge of £10,000 from the council for schools converting into an academy to contribute towards the associated costs.

A total of £5.2m will be written out of the council's balance sheet in line with the school’s carrying value.

Mark Woods, Chief Executive Officer at Meridian Trust, said: “We are delighted that NeneGate School will be joining the Meridian Trust family in November. Meridian Trust have a long history of working with NeneGate to provide IT services and interim leadership support, and colleagues from NeneGate have also already worked collaboratively and shared resources with peers from other schools in our trust.

"We look forward to continuing to build on these relationships and to seeing the strength of this partnership over the next few years, which will benefit the young people in our academies for years to come.”

Catherine Wilson, Headteacher at NeneGate School, added: “Joining Meridian Trust feels like a natural progression for NeneGate after our close collaboration with the trust over the last year.

We’re thrilled to be joining a Trust with values that align so closely to our own of ambition, belonging and sense of worth. I have no doubt that the opportunities to work with other special schools in the trust will benefit our staff and students and that joining the Trust will enable NeneGate to continue to develop quality education provision for some of the most vulnerable children in our city.”