New Plymouth primary school seeks sponsors

Local organisations are being asked to sponsor a new primary school in Plymouth set to open its doors in September 2015.

Plymouth City Council is writing to suitable organisations and business in the area after receiving the welcome news that an extra £7m worth of funding had been secured in a successful bid to the Department for Education.

Part of this cash will be used to build a new school in Derriford at one of three potential sites being explored in the area. The new primary will be two-form entry, meaning each year will be made up of two classes of 30 children, so it will cater for 420 boys and girls aged four to 11 years old when full. It will also include space for early years education for children aged three and four living in Plymouth.

Councillor Nicky Williams, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “In true co-operative council style, we want to offer this exciting opportunity to sponsor a city primary school to all interested organisations in the area. That might be a business that isn’t already involved in school sponsorship but would like to find out more.

“We want to hear from organisations with a social conscience, who would like to use some of their valuable expertise to help offer quality education to our children. To do that, businesses must be willing to offer peer-to-peer support, work in partnership with the school, and share good practice to improve aspirations of parents and outcomes for pupils.”

Businesses will need to outline why they would be a good sponsor, detailing how their involvement would contribute to the school. Particular areas of interest include how they could help improve the quality of teaching and learning, management and leadership and supporting pupils and parents.

Once applications are received, the Council must send the details of all potential sponsors to the Secretary of State, along with a strong recommendation of a preferred choice. The Secretary of State will confirm who he wants to enter into a funding agreement with and the chosen organisation will then act as the ‘proposer’ for the school.

Early expressions of interest can be emailed to jayne.gorton@plymouth.gov.uk by 16 August 2013. The full application pack will be emailed to those interested. Applications must include the initial form, a separate detailed proposal setting out how a business meets the specification, plus a two-side executive summary of the proposals.

The deadline for the return of full applications is Wednesday 11 September 2013. The successful business is set to be announced in late October 2013.