There are grave concerns about Rye Academy (pictured above) whose Chief Executive left on May 1 to become Resources Director of the new combined further education colleges in Sussex. But Rye’s schools were not left in a good position as the Department of Education had set a September deadline for merging with another academy – though we understand there were outstanding debts in the accounts.
Rye News has heard nothing about the schools’ future since our last formal interview with the outgoing Chief Executive – and certainly no news about an agreed merger, which may come to nothing if the school has outstanding debts.
Our local county council still runs some schools, but it is apparently no longer an education authority – in the old sense of the word – so it cannot simply step in. Rye schools, its pupils and the parents seem to be on their own therefore – and the summer holidays, and a new school year, are not that far off. But will there be schools to go to in September?
Photo: Rye News library
Image Credits: Kenneth Bird .
This is getting urgent and there seems to be little in the way of public discussion in Rye and surrounding villages.
The head (sorry chief executive officer) has slipped away to ‘improve’ further education across Sussex. Good luck with that.
Meanwhile hundreds of students, staff and parents face an uncertain future.
Rye college, formerly Thomas Peacocke School, since Comprehensives were introduced, has a noble tradition and fine record, as do the newer schools on the site.
The Studio School experiment was a disaster, leaving a brand new building virtually unoccupied.
Are we going to just shrug and allow our children to be bussed to other towns from September?
If my facts are incorrect I ask that someone in authority puts me right.