27

January 2009
Dear parents / carers

It has been a very exciting time for the future of education in Felixstowe after the
recent cabinet decision to build a brand new high school in the town. We are writing to
all parents to outline the advantages we see in a combined high school and to lay out
the immediate programme of events involved in moving towards this.

In our letter to you of the 22 September, we explained why it is our opinion that
secondary education in Felixstowe should take place on one site through one school.
Now that this is the final outcome of the consultation process, we would like to
reiterate some of the key benefits of having a combined high school:
a larger school means that the pupils will be able to access a greater
range of courses accessible on one site. The size of the school would ensure
that the provision would be suitable to a greater range of needs (SEN, gifted
and talented pupils, etc). Learning Support facilities would be integrated on
site promoting inclusion;
we would like the school site to be a hub for local services such as
health, social care, sport, police, etc. meaning greater multi-agency co-
operation to remove barriers to learning for many pupils from deprived
backgrounds;
the school would be large enough to compete with larger neighbour
schools in surrounding towns. We want to encourage students to stay in
Felixstowe for their education and secure the future of post-16 education in
the town. We intend to organise the school in such a way as there are smaller
units within the larger structure to counter any issues parents / carers may
have with the size of the school site.

As this will be a new school, the County Council has to run a competition to choose the
group or organisation that will be able to offer the best educational opportunities for all
young people in the area. As of 23 January, the competition process has begun which
will take place over the next 4 months.

Following the end of the competition period, bids which meet the council's
requirements will be published along with notices proposing the closure of the two
existing schools and the opening of the new school. From the date of these notices
being published there will be six weeks where you can give your views, in writing, to
the county council on the recommendations approved by the cabinet and the bids
received to run the new school.

There will be public meetings held during the six week period from the date of the
notices being published where you will be able to discuss the bidders proposals.

Many thanks to all parents and pupils who took part in the consultation process last
term. Your contributions were valued and the outcome means that we can now move
forward to create something very special for future generations of learners in
Felixstowe.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Cawley Mr Brennan
Headteacher Chair of Governors