Studio school letter to parents

TT/JY 9 November 2011 To: Parents/Guardians of Year 8/9/10 students Dear Parent/Guardian You will recently have received some information from Accrington and Rossendale College regarding the new Hyndburn Studio School for 14-18 year olds, opening in September 2012. The new school is recruiting students for Years 10 and 12 for September 2012.

You will also be aware that I am a supporter of the concept and philosophy of this type of new provision. This is my quote from the news release about the school:“Paul Trickett, Headteacher of Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School, commented: The Hyndburn Studio School will provide a unique and exciting solution for a small percentage of students in the area who may not otherwise achieve their potential. At Rhyddings, as at all mainstream secondary schools, we are able to give our students as wide and as personalised a programme as is possible in order to prepare them to be productive members of the community.

Working alongside the Studio School will extend that ability and benefit the Hyndburn of the future.�

As I state in the quote, this provision will be appropriate for a very small number of students who are not achieving their maximum potential within the normal secondary school offer. It will be a totally separate school aligned neither to the College nor Rhyddings and the students there will only be enrolled at the Studio School.

The choice of attending the Hyndburn Studio School is not one of the option choices that will be offered to your son or daughter through our normal options procedures at Rhyddings. It would mean a total change of school.

It is a fact that at Rhyddings we offer the largest quality provision in both academic and vocational areas of any other Hyndburn school. In this way we are able to maximise the potential of the vast majority of our students.

Parents/guardians of students in Year 9, will soon be receiving details of our option choices for 2012, from which you will see that wide, varied and quality provision.

I felt it important to communicate in this way with you as I have become aware that some parents are under the impression that the Studio School is a part of Rhyddings. I repeat that it is not, although I do support the concept for a small number of Hyndburn students.

Having been visited by Ofsted and reported as a good school with outstanding progress and other outstanding areas, I can assure you of our continued striving to be outstanding for all our students.

I am always available to answer anyone’s queries and clear any misunderstandings.

Yours sincerely

Paul Trickett Headteacher