Academisation
Proposed Change of School Status
The Governing Body has agreed to begin the informal stage of exploring whether Uffculme should become an academy and join the Matrix Academy Trust. http://www.matrixacademytrust.co.uk
This is an important step for our school. Over recent years, it’s become clear that schools need strong partnerships for school improvement and development.
At the same time, national and local priorities for education, particularly funding for SEND, are changing. These shifts make it even more important for us to secure a sustainable future that protects and strengthens the quality of education for our students.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve considered and explored different options, but until now, we hadn’t found the right fit. However, during the last year we’ve worked closely with the Matrix Academy Trust on several projects and have seen that their values and commitment to high-quality education for all students match our own.
We believe joining Matrix will help us keep everything we do well, while giving our students access to more opportunities and experiences—such as shared specialist resources, enriched curriculum projects, and wider extracurricular activities. It will also allow us to draw on expertise that supports every child to thrive, ensuring their learning and wellbeing remain at the heart of everything we do.
What happens next?
We are currently at an informal stage of consultation, which means no decision has been made yet. There will be opportunities for parents and staff to meet the Matrix team, ask questions, and share views. All comments will be shared with governors before any final decision is taken. If we do go ahead, the proposed conversion date would be 1 September 2026.
In the meantime, we will be working behind the scenes to understand what the Trust can offer, and they will be visiting us to learn more about our school.
Uffculme School is not rushing this process. We believe this is the right step at the right time to strengthen our ability to deliver on our vision and values. Most importantly, it will help us create even richer learning experiences for our students and open doors to opportunities that go beyond what we could achieve alone.
This page will be regularly updated to ensure information remains current.
Please read the FAQ document below. Any additional questions or comments should be directed to [email protected]