School earmarked as city academy

A high school earmarked as a possible new City Academy may have a charity and a religious leader as a sponsor but is unlikely to be a faith school.

Plans to redevelop Heartsease High School, Norwich, into a City Academy are to be discussed by Norfolk's children's services review panel.

The Bishop of Norwich and Lind Trust that sponsors young people's projects have been named as possible backers.

Heartsease High has about 350 students and specialises in engineering.

The school's last Ofsted report said it has a higher than average number of students with special educational needs.

Governors' input needed

It has been in special measures and discussions have been going on for more than a year to examine whether changing the school into a new academy would be a good idea for improving its performance.

If it were to choose to become an academy, private sponsors willing to put £2m into the school would have to be found and remaining funding would come from Government.

If the plan is accepted next week, the earliest the new city academy could open would be spring 2009.

Rosalie Monbiot, Norfolk's cabinet member for children's services, said: "The school's governors will obviously have the major input on what might happen.

"If the cabinet approves, then the expression of interest would allow a feasibility study to begin and this will help us find out whether an academy would add considerably to the education provision in the Norwich area."

Assistant director of education in Norfolk, Fred Corbett, said: "The government requires sponsors to be found to support the plan and the religious Lind Trust and the Bishop of Norwich seem willing to do that but that does not mean it will be a faith school."