The Cornerstone Academy Trust wishes to open a Free School; Monkerton Community Primary School. The new school will be part of the same Multi-Academy Trust that is responsible for Broadclyst Community Primary School, Westclyst Community Primary School and Yeo Valley Primary School. Although distinctive, it will be built from the outset as a new school in line with the trust-wide vision, so it will be a key member alongside the other Trust schools.

The need here is created mainly by additional new housing developments planned since the approval of the Free School, Monkerton Primary School which is expected to fill from the extensive new housing developments under construction in its immediate vicinity.

Coupled with the proposed development over the next few years, current provision is already limited and therefore restricting parental choice in seeking the best education for their children. In the light of all these considerations, we believe that our planning for an initial 420 place school, with nursery class, at Monkerton (with planned additional growth capacity) is the most prudent option allowing for these increases in primary population.

MCPS will be an innovative and technologically advanced school that will provide a broad, balanced and extensive education specialising in computing. Utilising the latest technology, the school will harness the power of innovation to be at the heart of both teaching and learning.

MCPS will be built upon the successes and experiences of Broadclyst and Westclyst Primary Schools and will share leadership, curriculum expertise, services and back office functions with Broadclyst, to create an efficient, cost effective and equally successful academy. All this will continue to be driven by our particular vision for primary education which we explain in the Vision and Ethos section below.

Location: The academy is proposed to be located at Monkerton, Hill Barton Road (EX1 3PW), near Pinhoe. Planned opening date: September 2020

Age range: This will be an academy for children aged 2-11 years, including up to a 60 place nursery, depending on demand.

The new school, due to open in September 2020, will be eventually be a two form entry primary school. Therefore, over time, there will be up to 60 children in each year group – making the main school capacity 420, with potential to increase to a three form entry (630 pupils) - although the initial intake will be from Foundation stage upwards. Admission arrangements: The admission number for reception aged children would be 60, with an initial intake of 30 in the first year. Further information regarding admission arrangements can be found on the Monkerton Primary website: www.mcps.education

We know that education in the 21st Century is a key to securing economic growth and the social fabric of society. In our ever changing world today’s learners will need to be confident, adaptable citizens who are able to take advantage of the many employment opportunities in the ever increasing digital and creative industries.

MCPS will create and promote a challenging learning environment that inspires children to achieve high standards and become life-long independent learners. The Free School will set consistently high expectations, build children’s confidence and ensure engagement for all. The academies will develop all pupils as creative thinkers, inquisitive questioners and avid problem solvers and successful communicators with flexible and transferable skills. Children will learn to collaborate effectively at all levels, including working with our international partners, and be equipped to adapt to the needs of a diverse and ever changing society.

By embracing technology as part of everyday teaching, MCPS will be able take a new approach to digital tools, embedding their use within a broad and balanced curriculum. The Free School will create a challenging computational learning environment where children will be taught from an early age to program, to develop good logical thinking skills, to solve problems and to collaborate effectively with their peers.

Our ethos of being fully inclusive and having unlimited aspirations for all will ensure that all individuals and target groups will be encouraged, supported and inspired – so that everyone achieves and any barrier (potential or real) will be overcome. We work extensively with parents and carers – offering a wealth of enrichment opportunities after schools as well as wrap-around care facilities from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm, and a daily community café for families to use after school. Within the school day, children will be given exciting opportunities within a broad, balanced and enriched curriculum. At Cornerstone Academy Trust, we take children on many trips, residentials and sporting events using our fleet of buses. With one to one access to PC’s, the national curriculum will be fulfilled in an innovative, relevant and exciting way.

This will involve a fully inclusive approach to all ‘groups of learners’ as defined in the Ofsted Common Inspection Framework, and most notably but not exclusively, the challenging child, those with English as an additional language, minority ethnic groups, children qualifying for Pupil Premium, and those with special or individual needs – all aspects in which we are greatly experienced and have shown outstanding success. Our experience, expertise and training – backed up by high quality learning resources - and our vision for all pupils to achieve high standards and become lifelong independent learners will ensure that we continue to value and develop personal qualities and that we have outstanding success in these aspects in each Digital Academy.

We will ensure that we maintain the capacity to support all pupils through a high calibre staff of gifted and talented educators led by a Head of School, an experienced SEND team including a SENDCo and a range of therapy support and inclusion professionals (e.g. speech and language; educational psychology; community mental health services; health and well-being advisers) all who are all skilled at dealing with children as individuals to ensure the needed pastoral support is provided.

We will also offer highly effective literacy intervention, where standardised assessments identify specific need. We will effectively deploy Pupil Premium funding to close the gap and our leadership team expertise will make sure that we recruit and train sufficient staff to offer challenge and support to develop in each pupil high aspirations for themselves, and work with parents and family groups to secure success. At Broadclyst and Westclyst Primary Academies, this approach has resulted in standards for Ever6 children being in line with or better than the national average.

1. To ensure high academic achievement and outstanding progress for all pupils

• Maintaining the excellent and ‘outstanding’ performance of the existing primary schools.

• We will aim to secure ‘outstanding’ at the first Ofsted inspection.

• We will continue to be recognised nationally and internationally for the innovative use of IT in education.

2. To establish a digital computing curriculum built around the teaching of programming and ensuring competence and confidence amongst all pupils. Building on the experience and excellence across the Trust, taking the computing elements of the National Curriculum even further on.

3. To develop the infrastructure to provide “anywhere, anytime learning” for all. Ensuring that all children have access to unlimited opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere and that they have the tools that make this possible

4. To personalise the curriculum to the needs of individual children, so that all can be fully included and feel fully included and supported. We will monitor this through teacher observation, through talking with pupils and through their self-assessment processes – specifically Pupil Attitude to Self and School Surveys, and through parental discussion and feedback.

5. To guarantee a broad, balanced and enriched skills based curriculum is delivered.

6. To cultivate the thinking skills of all learners through project based problem solving activities.

7. To be part of both regional, national and global networks as part of developing fully rounded global citizens.

8. To successfully manage the MAT through outstanding governance and leadership. Maintaining a governing body made up of local professionals, business people and those from the community

9. To deliver shared quality services across the MAT, recognising the synergies to be gained from economies of scale opportunities

Building upon the strong alliance of schools established through a Teaching School Alliance and the wide range of external partners currently working with Cornerstone, Monkerton Community Primary School will be part of a strong network of outstanding practitioners to help achieve the above aims and outcomes.

Please complete the online form. If you have any further questions or comments, please put these in writing by post or email to the following address:

Monkerton Primary School,

C/O Broadclyst Primary School,

School Lane,

Broadclyst,

Exeter,

Devon,

EX5 3JG,

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.