Introduction
Cathedral Schools Trust (CST) plans to establish a secondary school in Lockleaze to address the growing need for secondary education in northern Bristol, benefiting both the local and broader community The proposed school will be situated on the former Romney Avenue Junior School site, which has been designated for educational use for the past 12 years and is located next to Stoke Park Primary School.
CST Trinity Academy is set to become a six-form entry school, accommodating 180 students per year group, with an initial opening in September 2019 for 120 Year 7 pupils in temporary facilities The school plans to expand annually, ultimately reaching a total capacity of 1,220 students, which will include provisions for a sixth form.
CST Trinity Academy will foster a strong partnership with Bristol Cathedral Choir School (BCCS) and other CST-affiliated schools, leveraging their expertise and achievements to offer exceptional opportunities and ensure the highest educational outcomes for all students.
CST Trinity Academy is dedicated to helping students reach their academic and personal potential by providing a comprehensive and relevant curriculum that equips them for future careers Similar to Bristol Cathedral Choir School, the academy will feature a music specialism, offering enriched co-curricular activities that allow students to engage in performing and creative arts.
CST has conducted a formal consultation process in accordance with section 10 of the Academies Act 2010 to assess the potential for entering into a Funding Agreement with the Department for Education, awaiting the Secretary of State's approval This report outlines the findings of that consultation.
Activities undertaken prior to the formal consultation which served to increase awareness;
The information provided to stakeholders on the nature of the proposal;
The range of stakeholders consulted;
The varied methods of engagement;
Analysis and final results of the formal consultation;
CST’s response to the DfE.
Stakeholder engagement prior to the formal consultation period
Before the formal consultation period began on April 17, 2018, CST engaged extensively with stakeholders, ensuring that many community members were already informed about the Trinity Academy proposal through both formal and informal networks.
The activities aimed to gauge community sentiment regarding the proposed new secondary school in the Lockleaze area while keeping parents, students, residents, and key community members informed.
Informal meetings with key community organisations including the local councillors and representatives of the children’s centre, Stoke Park Primary School, Lockleaze Neighbourhood
A large meeting at the end of February which was attended by over 80 key community organisations and local residents
An open meeting for Stoke Park Primary School parents to inform them what was going to be proposed in advance of a public announcement
An open meeting for Stoke Park Primary School staff to provide them with information
Use of social media and the print press to increase awareness in both the local and wider community.
The formal consultation process……………………………………………………………………… ○ Direct communication methods ……………………………………………………………………… ○ Accessing local and wider networks………………………………………………………………… ○ Distribution direct to households……………………………………………………………………… ○ Regular electronic communication with interested parties………………………………… ○ Local and regional media………………………………………………………………………………… ○ Open community consultation meetings…………………………………………………………… 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 4 Results, breakdown and analysis of the section 10 consultation……………………… ○ Summary of consultation questions and responses…………………………………………… 6-19 7-19 5 Findings of the consultation process
The formal consultation process occurred from April 17 to June 15, 2018, featuring a consultation leaflet available in both hard copy and online formats This initiative aimed to engage all stakeholders as per section 10 of the Academies Act 2010, gathering opinions from the local and broader north Bristol community regarding the proposed secondary school Participants were invited to complete and return either version of the questionnaire, and they could also reach out to CST staff via email or phone for any inquiries or concerns In response to raised concerns, CST staff offered individual meetings to discuss issues in more detail.
The consultation was widely promoted through various channels, engaging a diverse array of stakeholders from both local and broader communities This initiative offered opportunities for individuals to learn about the proposals, participate in discussions, and share their comments and contributions.
The consultation was promoted through the following methods of communication:
The CST (trust) website http://www.cathedralschoolstrust.org/
The Trinity Academy website (http://www.trinityacademybristol.org) offers comprehensive information about the school, including its vision, ethos, and details about the CST Additionally, it provides essential information regarding the Section 10 consultation process, guidance on how to respond, and a schedule of upcoming events.
Regular posts on the Trinity Academy Facebook page https://en-gb.facebook.com/CSTTrinityAcademy/ (109 likes / 123 Followers)
Regular tweets through the Trinity Academy Twitter account https://twitter.com/cst_trinity?lang=en (45 likes/86 followers)
Retweets through the CST Twitter account (127 followers)
Accessing local and wider networks
Various posts about the new school were made on the following websites:
‘Love Lockleaze’ community Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/lovelockleaze The majority of the 2,212 members are local residents and prospective parents and stakeholders
Boing! Facebook page www.facebook.com/BoingSoftPlay (924 likes/925 followers) The vast majority of the 925 people signed up to this page represent young families and are local stakeholders
Stoke Park Primary school website
Stoke Park Children’s Centre Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/stokeparkchildrenscentre (137 likes/142 followers)
Further information was shared through the following:
Advertised through the Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust monthly e-bulletin
United Communities Housing Association advertised events and information leaflet/questionnaire through their channels reaching hundreds of local tenants
Attendance at community network meetings and breakfasts to remind people of the consultation, the questionnaire and ask them to spread the word amongst their own networks
All Bristol primary and secondary schools were notified and leaflets were provided to local primary schools
Leaflets and posters promoting the consultation period and related events were distributed throughout the north Bristol area, including local libraries, GP surgeries and health centres such as Lockleaze Road, Nevil Road, and Gloucester Road Medical Centre, as well as local pubs, cafes, community centres like The Hub, Boing!, and Ardagh, and estate agencies and sports centres.
A targeted information leaflet and questionnaire distribution was conducted across all households in the BS7 9 postcode area, reaching 6,000 homes The delivery service utilized GPS tracking to monitor and report progress to CST throughout the 10-day distribution period.
Letters sent directly to households closest to the proposed site for the new school
Regular electronic communication with interested parties
Regular emails were dispatched to over 100 local community groups, many of which participated in the event held at the end of February and expressed a desire to stay informed throughout the consultation period.
Throughout the consultation period, regular update emails were sent to the CST Trinity Academy's registered mailing list, which comprised 808 interested contacts as of June 2018, all of whom submitted their details via the academy's website.
Articles in the local Horfield and Lockleaze and Bishopston Voice Newspapers throughout the consultation period
Article in the Bristol Evening Post (23/5/2018) with key information on remaining consultation events
Three open meetings were conducted at various accessible community venues, scheduled at different times and on different days to ensure maximum participation These events were promoted through consultation leaflets, as well as social media and websites, to reach a broader audience.
Two drop-in meetings were organized at various accessible locations, scheduled at different times and days to cater to a diverse audience and their circumstances These meetings were promoted through the consultation leaflet and additional outreach efforts.
4 Results, breakdown and analysis of the section 10 consultation
A total of 269 individuals participated in the formal consultation by submitting either a hard copy (84 responses) or an electronic version (185 responses) of the section 10 questionnaire All responses were compiled into a database, and the analysis and results are presented below.
At the conclusion of the consultation process, three additional responses in a non-standard format were received and are detailed in Appendix D, which includes a reply from CST addressing several of the concerns raised.
The open and drop-in meetings saw good attendance, with participants' questions and concerns documented, published on the website, and addressed accordingly For detailed records of these events, please refer to Appendix C.
Numerous informal discussions occurred both in person and on social media, with most questions and comments aligning closely with the topics covered in the consultation meetings and questionnaire responses Participants were directed to official channels to ensure their opinions were heard and valued.
Further analysis of the consultation responses can be accessed over the next few pages The main points are as follows:
Over 77% of respondents felt that Trinity Academy would help meet the need for places of high quality education in the local area
56.9% of respondents live within 1 mile of the proposed Trinity Academy site
Over 83% of respondents support the vision and ethos of CST Trinity Academy
A significant 67% of respondents expressed support for CST to pursue a funding agreement to establish CST Trinity Academy, while only 2.2% opposed the school's opening However, nearly 30% of participants were unsure, indicating potential confusion regarding the phrasing of the question about entering into a funding agreement with the Secretary of State for Education Despite this uncertainty, it is evident that a strong majority back CST and its mission to launch a new secondary school in the community.
The primary focus of the discussion was on admissions, with valuable insights highlighted in the following pages CST recognizes the importance of these contributions and intends to implement adjustments to the final admission arrangements for the upcoming September entry.
CST Trinity Academy: Summary of consultation survey questions and responses