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Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy pupils face shock this September

17:40, 14 June 2019

updated: 20:17, 14 June 2019

Hundreds of pupils at a Sheppey academy face being relocated after a major shake-up of its campuses.

Letters have been sent home to parents and carers today, explaining how all Oasis Academy pupils except sixth-formers will be taught at the Minster site, in Minster Road, from this September.

The academy currently teaches more than 1,400 pupils across two sites, in Minster and at Marine Parade, Sheerness.

The Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy at Sheerness
The Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy at Sheerness

The letters, sent from principal Tina Lee, said: "This September, all of our secondary students will be taught at our east campus, Minster Road, Minster.

"We will be moving our sixth-form provision to our west campus, Marine Parade, Sheerness."

Miss Lee added: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we have carefully considered all of our options so that we can provide the best possible teaching and learning environment for our students.

"By uniting our secondary campuses into one, we have a fantastic opportunity to make the most of our resources and staff.

"Our teachers will be better able to support and challenge one another to develop their professional practice, and our students can benefit from access to all of our staff.

"In addition to the above, uniting the secondary provision also means no more busing between campuses, enabling our students to focus on their studies and not have to travel during school time. This is both more convenient and safer for these students."

Tina Lee, principal of the Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy
Tina Lee, principal of the Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy

Miss Lee said moving sixth-formers to the Sheerness site would give them their own space and allow them to be responsible, with their tutors, for their space, in their own environment.

"We believe this move is a good way to bridge the gap between school and the world of work or university," she said.

Miss Lee also said the school had "exciting plans" for a new provision for pupils with special educational needs, potentially at the Sheerness site.

"These discussions are at an early stage, and we are meeting with all relevant stakeholders."

Miss Lee said it was time for the academy to think differently.

The current set-up, with pupils split across two sites, "tends to duplicate teaching and learning, pastoral care and lessons across two different locations requiring a lot of transition times between lessons", she said.

"A successful school consists of a place where all the students and teachers are united together, working together, supporting each other and learning together and, for that, we need to create an environment where we enable this to give our students and our staff chance to flourish."

The Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy's Minster campus
The Isle of Sheppey Oasis Academy's Minster campus

Miss Lee added: "We are working to implement these changes smoothly.

"Our tutors will meet with those students moving campus to ensure they know their way to school and around the academy."

The academy will hold a number of drop-in sessions for parents and carers to attend, where the changes will be explained in more detail.

These will be on:

  • Tuesday, June 25 from 2pm to 4.30pm at the Sheerness site
  • Thursday, June 27 from 10am to noon at the Minster campus
  • Monday, July 1 from 4pm to 6pm at the Sheerness site

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here.

Read more: All the latest news from Sheerness

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