Chalkwell Hall Junior School
Academisation
Welcome to our Academisation Consultation page as we look to convert to academy status and join Eastwood Park Academy Trust (EPAT). The consultation period will run from Wednesday 15th January to Friday 14th February.
This page provides you with some key information about this process and will provide you with answers to frequently asked questions about this process and what this will mean for Chalkwell Hall Junior School as we join EPAT.
Some key information for you:
What is a Multi-Academy Trust?
Academies are publicly funded schools, independent of the local authority, held accountable through a legally binding funding agreement with the Department for Education (DfE). Staff are employed by the multi-academy trust.
Multi-academy trusts (MATs) are groups of schools that have come together to form a charitable company, with a single group of ‘members’ (who have an overview of the governance arrangements) and a single board of trustees. As part of a MAT:
• individual schools remain as separate entities, with separate names and DfE numbers
• individual schools still receive separate Ofsted judgements and performance tables are still based on individual schools
Why should Chalkwell Hall Junior School join EPAT?
Our school will be able to benefit from being in the Trust in a number of ways:
• The vision, values and ethos of the trust are closely aligned to ours and we are encouraged to keep the autonomy of our wonderful school, meaning we will be retaining and building further on our strong identity.
• EPAT have a strong school improvement team who will to support our school in our journey of continuous development.
• We will receive high quality support for school development and the opportunity to share and develop good practice with other schools in the trust which will bring benefits to teaching and learning.
• EPAT is anchored by The Eastwood Academy, an outstanding secondary school bringing huge advantages in access to subject specialists, use of facilities and numerous opportunities to collaborate and enrich our children’s experiences.
• Working alongside Bournemouth Park Academy and The Eastwood Academy, will bring great benefits to teaching and learning and the trust will provide opportunities for professional development and to work alongside colleagues in other trust schools.
• Our school will also be able to improve our current systems and operations benefitting from reduced costs by merging contracts, buying in bulk and sharing resources. EPAT provide a strong central services team which support HR, payroll and finance.
• EPAT provide professional development and support to teachers and support staff ensuring they deliver high quality lessons but also developing their leadership, communication and IT skills.
• EPAT are able to attract high quality staff who can share their skills across our school and others within the Trust
Frequently asked questions:
Will we lose our school’s name or individuality?
No. Whilst our policies and many practices will be aligned with those of the Trust, our school will retain its identity and place within the local community, there will be no change to the school’s name or uniform when the school joins the Trust.
Will we lose any staff?
No, the current team will become employees of the Trust and their roles at the school will be unchanged.
Do we have to re-apply for a school place?
No, when the school converts to an academy all pupils will automatically remain on the school register.
My child has special educational needs. What happens to their funding?
All funding and support will continue to be allocated in the same way as now and will be provided by the local authority – Southend City Council.
Will my child have an increased chance of gaining a secondary place at The Eastwood Academy?
No, the current admissions criteria and process for secondary schools will continue.
Will the school have a continued relationship with Southend City Council?
Yes, the school will continue to work with Southend City Council with regard to our SEND provision (as detailed above), Safeguarding, and also our Admissions arrangements.
How would academisation affect the relationship between Chalkwell Infants and Juniors and the use of shared resources?
Academisation does not affect any shared resources or the relationship between the Juniors and Infants. We will be continuing to work closely together as we are now to give the best possible education to children at Chalkwell Hall Schools.
Will term dates be affected? Will they differ from Chalkwell Hall Infant School?
No term dates will remain the same.
Will the process of transferring from Y2 in Chalkwell Hall Infant School to Y3 in Chalkwell Hall Junior School as in admissions criteria for entry change?
No the admissions criteria and process remains exactly the same.
When will Chalkwell Hall Junior School become an academy?
It is hoped that the application will be processed and completed by June 2025.
I’m keen to understand how CHJS governance will change, who will be governors when the school joins the academy and how governance will change in detail?
CHJS will retain its Local Governing Body (LGB) when it joins the trust. The LGB will continue to operate much as it does now, focusing on the school’s strategic development, educational outcomes, safeguarding, and ensuring the best interests of pupils and staff.
The key change is that the LGB will formally report to the Trust Board, aligning with the trusts strategic direction while preserving local governance. A member of the CHJS governing body will sit on the trust’s Standards and Safeguarding Committee, ensuring strong representation and direct input into trust-wide discussions on school improvement, safeguarding, and inclusion.
This ensures that governance remains strong, with a clear link between local decision-making and trust-wide oversight, reinforcing CHJS’s ability to continue making decisions in the best interests of its community.
What will the Juniors lose responsibility for to the academy when it joins it?
CHJS will retain autonomy over its curriculum, leadership, and daily operations. The school’s leadership and governing body will continue to make decisions in the best interests of pupils and staff.
The trust actively empowers schools to monitor and review their own performance, rather than imposing control. Schools within the trust benefit from additional expertise, collaboration, and shared resources, but retain their distinct identity and decision-making power.
What role will the head of the academy and the board of trustees have when Chalkwell joins it?
Role of the CEO and Trust Executive Leadership - Strategic Leadership and Capacity Building
Scott Sterling (CEO) and his team provide strategic leadership, school improvement expertise, and capacity building across all trust schools. Their role is not to manage individual schools but to ensure they have the support, guidance, and resources needed to succeed.
Key responsibilities include:
• Setting the Trust’s Vision and Strategic Direction: Aligning all schools with Tenacitas Trust’s core values and ensuring high standards.
• School Improvement and Leadership Development: Supporting headteachers and leadership teams with coaching, mentoring, and professional development.
• Capacity Building and System Leadership: Providing access to additional expertise and leadership development to strengthen schools.
• Ensuring Financial and Operational Efficiency: Overseeing financial management across trust schools to ensure sustainability and value for money.
• Representation and External Relations: Advocating for trust schools with stakeholders such as the Department for Education (DfE) and local authorities.
Scott Sterling and his team, work alongside school leaders, providing expert guidance while respecting local decision-making.
Role of the Trust Board Governance and Accountability
The Trust Board provides independent oversight, ensuring that all schools within the trust maintain high standards in education, safeguarding, governance, and financial management. Their role is to empower schools, not control them.
Key responsibilities include:
• Strategic Governance and Oversight: Defining the trust’s strategic vision while ensuring that individual schools retain local decision-making power.
• Holding Schools and Leadership to Account: Monitoring educational standards and ensuring school leaders receive the support they need.
• Safeguarding, Inclusion, and Well-Being: Ensuring robust policies and strong pastoral support structures across the trust.
• Financial Oversight and Sustainability: Ensuring public funds are managed effectively and resources are used to benefit pupils.
• Strengthening Governance at Local and Trust Level: Providing support and training for Local Governing Bodies, ensuring they remain effective.
The Standards and Safeguarding Committee, which includes a CHJS LGB representative, ensures local voices are heard at the trust board level.
Will Mr Newnham (Headteacher) have to do what the academy says?
The trust operates on the principle that development is done with schools, not done to them.
Mr Newnham will continue to lead CHJS and make decisions in the best interests of pupils and staff. The trust does not take control of school-level decision-making, instead, it provides support, collaboration, and expertise to strengthen the school.
The trust’s role is to add capacity, not replace leadership.
What powers and responsibilities does the academies head, academies governors and board of trustees have over the Juniors when it joins the trust? A detailed list including identifying the changes would be very welcome.
When CHJS joins the trust, governance will operate as follows:
1. Local Governing Body (LGB) School-Level Governance
Oversees the school’s ethos, values, and educational standards.
Monitors and reviews safeguarding, well-being, and inclusion.
Holds the headteacher and leadership team accountable for delivering the best outcomes.
Retains responsibility for school improvement, curriculum, and teaching decisions.
Provides a representative to the Trust’s Standards and Safeguarding Committee.
2. Trust Board of Trustees Strategic Oversight
Sets the strategic vision and ensures high standards across the trust.
Empowers school leaders and LGBs, rather than controlling them.
Oversees safeguarding, financial sustainability, and risk management.
Ensures accountability through monitoring and review, not direct intervention.
3. Trust Executive Leadership (Scott Sterling and his team) Support and Collaboration.
Works in partnership with school leaders to support school improvement.
Provides access to expert advice, professional development, and trust-wide initiatives.
Ensures schools retain their identity while benefitting from collaboration.
What Changes for CHJS?
Governance Remains Local: CHJS retains its LGB and decision-making power, with a representative on the trust’s Standards and Safeguarding Committee.
Headteacher Retains Leadership: Mr Newnham remains in control of the school’s day-to-day running and educational direction.
Greater Access to Expertise: CHJS benefits from trust-wide leadership support, professional development, and school improvement expertise.
Financial oversight without Loss of Control: The trust board ensures financial security, but school budgets remain allocated in ways that best support CHJS pupils.
Safeguarding and Inclusion Strengthened: Trust-wide policies support schools in maintaining high safeguarding, well-being, and SEND provision standards.
What happens if the infants join a different academy?
Chalkwell Hall Infant School is free to make its own decision about its future. Regardless of this decision, CHJS will remain committed to working in harmony with the Infant School, ensuring continuity and strong collaboration between both schools.
Our priority will always be what is best for the Children.
For Governing Body Minutes please click here.
If you have any further questions, please click here. These questions will be answered in due course and feed into this page.
Kind regards,
Andy Newnham Tony Moltino
Headteacher Chair of Governors