Our News items
Could you be our next Parent/Carer Trustees?
Date: 15th Nov 2024 @ 1:17pm
We are looking for parents/carers with the relevant skills and experience to join our Board of Trustees and play a crucial role in setting the direction of our successful trust, by representing the families and communities which we serve.
The role is an important part of our governance model; ensuring the voices of stakeholders are heard.
We are looking for individuals with the skills to support the trust in its continuing journey to improve educational outcomes for children in the areas it serves. This is a fabulous opportunity for parent/carers to play a significant role in communities across the north-west and midlands.
Find out more:
To find out more about the skills we’re looking for, the application process and the Trustee role, click here
For an informal discussion about the role in the first instance, please email Suzanne Thompson at governance@theharmonytrust.org
National changes related to pupil attendance from September 2024
Date: 18th Jul 2024 @ 12:09pm
Date: 3rd Jul 2024 @ 3:30pm
Background
Village Primary Academy is proposing to make an application to the Department for Education to make a change in the provision that the academy currently provides. The change is to implement a SEND Integrated Resource Unit from September 2024, this unit would provide places within the academy that will be fully funded by the Local Authority for SEND support within a mainstream school setting.
Village Primary Academy currently has a pupil admission number of 90 children per year group. Under the proposals, this will remain unchanged and the places will be designated to the provision of SEND pupils with Educational Health Care Plans, these places will be for existing pupils. The proposed change would be to offer additional SEND places in a mainstream school, which is known as additional resource provision.
Specific Proposal
Village Primary Academy is proposing that that there are an additional 26 places in addition to the existing PAN of 90 which will specifically for the Additional Resource Provision from September 2024. As the Local Authority determine the EHC admissions this will have no impact the existing PAN and admissions arrangements. The 26 additional places created will be designated to the provision of SEND pupils with Educational Health Care Plans, these places will be for existing pupils.
Village Primary Academy provides support to our current SEND pupils using existing funding through the academy Inclusion Hub. The benefits of securing the funding and implementing the proposed change is that the academy will receive full funding for the places available to support the development of the service provided, creating further strong links between families, the community, and the school and improved continuity of SEND educational provision resulting in better outcomes for the children.
The Local Authority support Village Primary Academy, they provide funding to meet the need in the local community, alongside supporting our future pupils and their families to access SEND provision in a mainstream school setting for 26 places.
Factors that have been considered by the Academy in deciding to consult on this proposal include:
- The continued ability of the school to provide specific support to SEND pupils
- The provision of the most appropriate learning environment for all pupils thus facilitating continuing school improvement and allow them to deliver high quality educational outcomes for the pupils
- Future resource planning and management including financial impact on staffing
Requirements for notification and publication
The proposed change requires a full business case to be submitted by The Harmony Trust to the Department for Education and is considered a significant change. In line with the ‘Making a significant change to an open academy’ guidance, published by the Department for Education, we are required to carry out a consultation on the proposal for a minimum of 3 weeks.
Who is being consulted?
During this statutory consultation we want to consult with as many stakeholders as possible including:
- The Local Authority
- Parents of children who attend Village Primary Academy
- Parents in the area
- Primary and special schools in the area
- Anyone else who has an interest in the proposed changes
Timetable for the Consultation Period
2nd July 2024 - Consultation period begins
23rd July 2024 5pm - Consultation period ends
24th July 2024 – The Harmony Trust consider all responses
When would the changes come into effect?
If approved, the arrangements would be introduced for September 2024.
How to respond
This consultation will run until 5pm on Tuesday 23rd July 2024. You are invited to submit queries or comments using the following methods:
- In writing to Ms J Hainsworth, Director of Education, The Harmony Trust Ltd, Village Primary Academy, 155 Village Street, Derby, DE23 8DF
- or by email to info@theharmonytrust.org
Please mark the subject “Village Primary SEND Integrated Resource Unit Consultation”. Following the consultation period, the Trust will consider all comments received and include these in the application to be submitted to the Department for Education for the significant change application.
Consultation for Admissions Policies 2024-2025
Date: 6th Dec 2022 @ 8:36pm
Consultation for The Harmony Trust Admissions Policies 2024-25
The Harmony Trust is an Admission Authority and we have a requirement for the Trust to consult on the admission arrangements for all our schools at least once every 7 years.
Therefore, we are undertaking a consultation relating to the Admissions Policies for 2024-25 for all schools within The Harmony Trust, this consultation will commence on Monday 5th December 2022 and will end on Tuesday 31st January 2023. Each regional Hub has its own policy, the schools covered by this consultation are as follows:
| Tameside Hub | Derby Hub |
| Greenfield Primary Academy | Alvaston Junior Academy |
| Ash Croft Primary Academy | |
| Oldham Hub | Carlyle Infant & Nursery Academy |
| Alt Primary Academy | Cavendish Junior Academy |
| Greenhill Primary Academy | Cottons Farm Primary Academy |
| Northmoor Primary Academy | Hackwood Primary Academy |
| Richmond Primary Academy | Reigate Primary Academy |
| Westwood Primary Academy | Lakeside Primary Academy |
| Village Primary Academy |
Derby Hub – The proposed amendment to the Admissions Policies is to have one policy relating to all the Derby Academies within The Harmony Trust. The wording of the policy has been reviewed to ensure greater clarity for parents and carers and compliance with the School Admissions Code and in accordance with Derby City Council’s admissions criteria.
Tameside and Oldham Hubs - It should be noted that there are no changes to the oversubscription criteria. The wording of the policy has been reviewed to ensure greater clarity for parents/carers and compliance with the School Admissions Code.
The Consultation Process
We would welcome your views on the proposed admission arrangements. The proposed Admission Policies for 2024-25 can be found here:
Derby Hub Proposed Admission Policy
Oldham Hub Proposed Admission Policy
Tameside Hub Proposed Admission Policy
Notification of the consultation is being communicated by the Trust to the following:
- The Local Authorities – including Tameside, Oldham, Derby
- All parents and carers of pupils of the Trust
- Other persons who in the Trust’s opinion have an interest in the proposed admission policies.
If you wish to comment on the policies, you are welcome to respond by emailing comments to info@theharmonytrust.org or if you have any questions, please contact The Harmony Trust Central Office on 0161 260 0482 extension 15. Any comments should clearly indicate which Hub policy it relates too.
At the end of the consultation process all responses will be collated and presented to the Trust Board for full consideration. The Admissions Policy for 2024-25 must be approved and published by 28th February 2023.
Another 'Good' Report for Village
Date: 16th Nov 2022 @ 12:50pm
We are delighted to share our latest OFSTED report following our first inspection as a Harmony Trust academy. The inspection took place in October this year and the academy has retained its “good” grading. The report opens with the statement that “Pupils enjoy coming to this school” and goes on to describe how the children “model the school values of ‘respect yourself, respect others, respect the environment.” We know the children are a credit to the school and our community and it was wonderful to see that acknowledged in the report.
We were also pleased that the inspectors highlighted the work our teaching staff have undertaken around curriculum development and the extra-curricular experiences they provide for the children, along with the high expectations we all have for every child that attends Village.
Please do take the time to read the report which can be downloaded here
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the report, please feel free to contact me at info@village.theharmonytrust.org
Mrs L Thorne
Executive Principal
Date: 14th Sep 2022 @ 11:42am
Date: 12th Jul 2022 @ 12:39pm
EXTREME HEAT - STAYING SAFE IN HOT WEATHER
Dear Parents and Carers,
Please click here for government advice on staying safe and well during periods of extreme heat. As you will know, the temperatures over the next three days are extreme (Thursday 28 degrees, Friday 33 degrees and Saturday 28 degrees) and we will all need to take great care and be vigilant on behalf of vulnerable friends and family; especially the young and elderly. ?
More information giving advice is being posted on the 'News and Events' page on the school website. ? Please stay safe - and please remember to ensure your children bring water bottles and hats toschool every day over the summer term - and that you apply sunscreen in the morning when needed. ?
Many thanks to you all.
Please see the additional links for advice and guidance for keeping yourself and others safe during extreme hot weather.
NHS Advice - How to Stay Safe in the Heat
Met Office - Tips for Keeping Cool in Hot Weather
Age UK - Advice for Staying Cool in a Heatwave
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Parents/Carers Letter - living with COVID-19
Date: 31st Mar 2022 @ 1:49pm
Date: 15th Mar 2022 @ 1:55pm
Dear Parent/Carer,
Parental feedback and input into our academies continue to be of great importance to the Harmony Trust. We believe that parents can help us shape our strategies, address challenges, and share successes.
Alongside our parent forums, we are looking for parents to help our research team evaluate the impact of Trust-wide projects on them and their children. To ensure we can monitor changes over time, ideally we would like the same parents to respond each time. If possible, we are asking that parents to sign up to answer these surveys 3 to 4 times per year.
Our first project is to look at the impact of the 1-2-1 devices (iPads for all KS2 children) on children and their families through our Harnessing Technology Maximising Learning (HTML) strategy.
The surveys will take around 10/15 minutes to fill in. They will help us identify any changes we need to make and identify successes that we can share across our academies.
Your data will be held securely and will be anonymous, although we will ask for the school and year group your child is in on each survey.
If you would like to help, please click on the link below and complete the form to register your interest.
Thank you.
Date: 10th Mar 2022 @ 10:23am
Please click on the below link to see information from the Schools Out Club about their Easter Holiday provision. Schools Out Club is a Holiday Club in the Derby City/Derbyshire area with two settings in Allestree and Kilburn.
Schools Out Club provide free 4 hour sessions for four days a week and one hot meal per day for children who receive benefit related free school meals, this is funded by the Local authority. They also have paying sessions avaliable for customers that do not qualify but wish to use our services.
Sumdog maths software introduced to all our children!
Date: 11th Feb 2022 @ 1:30pm
Everyone at Village Academy is delighted that all our children have now got access to Sumdog. It is an exciting and innovative piece of maths software that adapts itself to the child’s answers, increasing challenge when they are ready.
Your child has received their login from their class teacher and can access Sumdog immediately.
Did you know, that just 30 minutes each week increases your child’s maths fluency (being able to recall maths facts without thinking)? The questions all take the form of games and the children have loved earning coins and playing the games in their introduction to Sumdog.
You can read more about the benefits of Sumdog https://www.sumdog.com/en/parents/ or better still, ask your child to show you how it works.
Final Few Nursery Places Available for April 2022
Date: 7th Feb 2022 @ 12:25pm
Limited Nursery places are available for April 2022 for children who will be aged 3 and above before 31 March 2022.
Please telephone 01332 766492 or call at the school office on Village Street for more information.