An order for sponsored academisation was placed on Highfield CoE Primary school in Southampton on 24th March 2022 which was due to safeguarding issues highlighted by an Inadequate Ofsted grading. The quality and standards of teaching were all assessed good or outstanding. We believe that the substantial changes introduced by the new leadership team over the last 6 months have addressed these issues and do not need the help of an academy trust. We hope that this will be reflected in the report of the repeat Ofsted inspection which occurred 7th and 8th July 2022, (which can take 38 days to be published.) 

It has come to the parent community’s attention that on 21st July 2022 there is a meeting to initiate the process Highfield's transfer into the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust. As parents we were unaware of the Diocese and Governors academy choice for this forced academisation. The school is the centre of our community and this is a material change in which the parents should have been engaged.  

We are looking to petition all parents and the local community to request delay for the decision to transfer Highfield CoE Primary school into the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, until after the new Ofsted inspection is made public. 

We believe that this delay will have the following benefits: -

• To allow for the outcome of the latest OFSTED inspection to be taken into consideration in deciding the next steps for the school. We believe that this will result in the best longer term outcome for the school.
• To give the governors the opportunity for better engagement with parents on their plans for the school, specifically in relation to the proposed Academisation.
• In the event that a school is reinspected by Ofsted and judged “good or outstanding”, and the leadership  demonstrate that this improvement can be sustained without an academy sponsor, then there is the possibility to petition the secretary of state for a revocation of the forced academisation.  

Highfield is an excellent community school with exceptional teachers as demonstrated by our happy children and persistently good  learning outcomes, with those for 2022 above the national average despite a year of turmoil for the school. We believe the school deserves to flourish in its own entity and within the local community.

Thank you for your support.