Fresh look at school academy plan

The council and school's sponsor will hold a drop-in session

A consultation has restarted on plans to change a Northamptonshire school on special measures into an academy.

Northamptonshire County Council said it was looking at the proposal in a bid to "raise educational standards" at Unity College in Northampton.

The council and the David Ross Foundation, the academy's chosen sponsor, will hold a drop-in session on the plan at the school on 11 November.

Earlier this year the proposal was halted due to a lack of support.

'Sustainable improvement'

Andrew Grant, cabinet member for children and young people, said: "The school's performance issues have been well documented and clearly too many of its students are leaving school without an acceptable standard of education.

"We believe that the proposal to close Unity College in its current form and reopen as an academy led by the David Ross Foundation will result in far-reaching and sustainable improvement."

An open meeting will take place at the school on 17 November, with the consultation ending on 27 November.

The council's cabinet is due to consider its outcome on 8 December.

In April, the council's cabinet called a halt to the original academy proposals because of a lack of support among staff, parents and the wider community for the sponsorship arrangements.

The proposed sponsor was then a consortium made up of the county council, the Diocese of Peterborough, Bishop Stopford School and Moulton College.

The David Ross Foundation, set up by businessman David Ross, was chosen as the new sponsor in July.

It already runs Havelock Academy in Grimsby.