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THE proposed academy for Barrow has received approval today (May 12) from Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Minister, Andrew Adonis.

The green light for plans to progress with an academy, and significant investment in St Bernard's and Walney school, will see Barrow's 11-16 year olds benefiting from a total of £30 million. It represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide the best possible education for young people in Barrow.

The go-ahead will see a new academy school replace Alfred Barrow, Parkview and Thorncliffe schools from September 2009. The academy will be built on the Parkview site and the brand new buildings are expected to be up and running by September 2012. Until then the new academy will be run from existing school buildings.

Planning the Barrow Academy will now move on to the feasibility stage', where money is released by the DCSF to enable the plans to move on in such areas as: -establishing a project team which will draw up and educational vision for the academy -producing a curriculum -working on outline building design -developing a range of school policies -formal consultation with the communities in Barrow on such issues as the admissions policy, curriculum, school uniform -starting planning on the transition of pupils from their current sites to the academy sites.

It is crucial that a principal for the academy is appointed as soon as possible, and the county council, along with co-lead sponsors for the academy -Barrow Sixth Form College, Furness College, and the University of Cumbria -will be working towards appointing somebody in July this year.

Both the county council and the sponsors have expressed their delight at getting the go-ahead today from the DCSF.

County councillor Jim Buchanan is the council's cabinet member with responsibility for education. He said: "This is great news. It's the next step on an exciting path that will take us in a whole new, innovative direction for secondary education in Barrow."

4:53pm Monday 12th May 2008

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