Eastbourne school to become an academy next month

The change will take place at Tollgate Community Junior School in Winston Crescent from Sunday, October 1.

Headteacher Stephen Dennis said: “Tollgate has for many years enjoyed church partnership status with the Diocese of Chichester. This means we are a local authority maintained community school but we have an ethos in line with church schools. As a result, we work closely with the church schools in Eastbourne, especially St Andrew's C.E. Infant school – where the majority of our children come from in Year 3 – and St Catherine's College – where the majority of our children go when they leave at the end of Year 6.

"With the formation of the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust (DCAT) we felt it was a good decision to make these links with other church schools more formal. As a member of DCAT Tollgate will be able to provide strength and support for other schools and in turn receive support and opportunities for children and staff from within the trust. Tollgate will nonetheless remain a community school; we are not becoming a Church of England school.”

Mr Dennis explained that governors undertook a rigorous consultation with staff and parents before voting unanimously to convert to academy status.

He added: “As an academy Tollgate will receive funding directly from the Department for Education, and we will be able to ensure the best possible outcomes for children are maintained and extended.”

In an Ofsted report published earlier this month the school was once again labelled as 'good'.