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“For Colston’s Girls’ school, becoming an academy was not so much revolution as evolution”
Previously, Colston’s existed as a selective independent establishment but, after carrying out a feasibility study and consulting their existing sponsors, voluntarily chose to become one of the fi rst independents to sign an Academy Funding Agreement under the approval of then Minister of State for Education, Lord Adonis. The move saw the existing lease of the school buildings transferred to an academy trust, which increased pupil intake and so opened up admissions to a wider community. This was done in accordance with Lord Adonis’s wishes to maintain what the school already had, and to off er this to a larger audience. The school has made it clear that the status change was not one borne out of necessity - rather it was a joint decision made in order to increase good schooling opportunities in Bristol. There were no staff cuts in the wake of the change, and, unlike other independent schools, there was no threat of closure. Set ing Colston’s Girls’ School apart is the nature and strength of the relationship they share with their sponsors, the Society of Merchant Venturers. Believed to have been established as far back as the 13th century, Bristol’s Society of Merchant Venturers is a unique civic institution whose long-stated aim has been to “contribute to the prosperity and wellbeing of the Greater Bristol area and to help enhance the quality of life for all”. Education is a top priority for the Venturers. Colin Skellet , chairman of the Society’s education commit ee, states: “Nothing is currently more important to the Merchant Venturers than seeing Bristol’s education system become one associated with high levels of achievement.” When Colston’s converted to an academy, the Merchant Venturers sought to build upon the existing excellent reputation of the school, while broadening the scope for potential new pupils through the scrapping of fees and an amendment of the admissions policy. They worked closely with headteacher Lesley Ann Jones to ensure the best interests of the pupils were at the project’s heart, and that the school was well positioned to move forwards with the sponsorship supplied. Prior to the change, Jones highlighted the concerns of some parents that the traditions and character of the school would be lost when it became an academy. “The fear is that it will change the ethos but it won’t... it’s really a question of me explaining it to [the parents].” The name of the school remained the same after
2008, with ‘academy’ not chosen to appear in the offi cial title. Jones also commented on the relationship with the Society of Merchant Venturers: “I don’t have a problem with the sponsors in the way others have because they have always been a sponsor. I’m rolling out what we do already rather than being forced to
do what the sponsors want.” Colston’s Girls’ school has sought to challenge the notion that conversion to academy status is a backwards step for independent schools. For them, becoming an academy was not so much revolution as evolution - a continuation of the traditions and core educational values that saw them go from strength to strength as one of Bristol’s top schools. Indeed, in the three subsequent years after taking on academy status, GCSE results at Colston’s improved dramatically, with the percentage of students hit ing the key measure of 5 A*-C grades rising from 85% in 2009, to 91% in 2010 and peaking at 94% in 2011. The troubles of the UK economy need not mean
the closure of independent schools. For those willing to accept that a change in status may be the way forward, there is no reason why the performance and traditional spirit of a school cannot be maintained and developed. With Colston’s Girls’, the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fi x it” rings entirely true. While a daunting contemporary innovation for some parents, academy status represents another step forward for what continues to be a successful and highly sought-after school. On the back of overseeing Colston’s become an academy, Jones was off ered a role at Ofsted as a regional director, where she will use her cross-sector experience in expanding high standards of education to develop education and “share excellence more widely in the system”. iE
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