Academy trust set to include at least five secondary schools will launch this September

The ambitious plans will see the creation of Thrive Partnership Academy, comprising Colne Community School and College in Brightlingsea, Philip Morant School in Colchester and a third north Essex secondary school yet to be revealed.

A brand new free school will also be built on the outskirts of Colchester and an Additional Provision School for pupils with complex behavioural needs within the town.

The plans have been revealed by Nardeep Sharma, who is principal at the Colne.

The Department for Education has backed the first step of the multi-academy trust plans which will see Colne and Philip Morant schools form a partnership this September.

He will step up to be the trust’s chief with a new head teacher, Matthew Suttenwood, taking on the role of head at that school.

Catherine Hutley will continue to be head of Philip Morant School.

Mr Sharma said: “The Department for Education says the two schools are capable enough of working together to improve standards and take on other sponsor schools.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Philip Morant for last three years and for us this is a natural evolution.”

Staff at the two schools already work together and Mr Sharma said this would continue, also allowing the two sites to share resources and save money.

The schools also say they are more likely to retain teaching talent if part of a multi-academy trust and encourage recruitment.

They are both already academies with Colne’s pupils at 1,400 and Philip Morant’s 1,650.

He admitted there could be a staffing restructure over time but job losses were unlikely.

Mr Sharma added: “We have learned over the last three years a school can no longer exist on its own.

“We have recognised with teaching shortages, cuts in budgets and changes to qualification systems, it is very difficult for schools to be on a positive trajectory with those demands.”

Mr Sharma said much of his time would now be spent on developing plans for the third school to join the academy trust.

That school is expected to be announced in July.

The fourth school, set to be open by September 2018, would eventually have capacity for 840 after about five years.

Mr Sharma said it would be where there is a need for it but ruled out the former Alderman Blaxill School site which closed in 2014.

The application for that school is with the Department for Education.

The fifth school would be for 100 pupils who can't attend mainstream school for a variety of reasons, such as school exclusion, behaviour issues, short- or long-term illness, school refusal or teenage pregnancy.

This school still needs to go through the application process but Mr Sharma said could be available by 2018 at an existing site in the Colchester area and it will work with Essex County Council to decide on the best one.

The Government would pay for the Free School and Additional Provision Free school with the multi-academy trust running them.