Dear parents and carers,
We are writing to inform you that, after careful consideration, the governing body of South Wirral High
School are seeking to convert to an academy and to join The Challenge Academy Trust. We have been
granted an academy order by the Department for Education, giving permission to start this process.
In seeking to convert to an academy, our priority is to ensure we continue to provide a high-quality
education for our students. We believe joining an academy trust will enable us to collaborate with other
schools, be challenged and supported to drive improvement, and will enable the school to benefit from
significant capital investment.
We have chosen The Challenge Academy Trust (https://www.tcat.uk.com) because we have worked
closely with them for the last 18 months, during which time we have seen that the Trust has strong
governance, an ethical approach and considerable capacity to support its schools. It is a group of 5
secondary schools, 6 primary schools and a Sixth Form College with a mission statement to “serve,
challenge and empower” its schools.
Before proceeding with the conversion, there will be a formal consultation in which we invite you to
share your views and ask any questions you may have. The consultation period for parents will run from
Tuesday September 26th to Tuesday October 31st. There are a number of ways you can take part in
this consultation: You can send it comments and questions via consultation@southwirral.wirral.sch.uk or
you can complete the Google Form that has been set up on the MAT Consultation page of our school
website here – https://southwirral.wirral.sch.uk/MATconsultation
You are also invited to attend a consultation meeting in school on Wednesday October 18th at 5pm.
The meeting will consist of a short presentation by the Headteacher and Chair of Governors and an
opportunity to ask questions. If you are unable to attend this meeting, governors will make themselves
available to you for a conversation at another time. Again, please email
consultation@southwirral.wirral.sch.uk if you would like to talk to a governor.
We’d like to invite you to read through our answers to FAQs about this consultation, which you can find
on our website at https://southwirral.wirral.sch.uk/MATconsultation. We will be looking to regularly
update this area of the school website with any further questions that have been asked, and their
answers.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape our future and continue to drive the best outcomes for our
students. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us as detailed above with any comments and questions
you may have.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Simon Goodwin, Headteacher
Mr Richard Barker, Chair of Governors