Oasis Announces Four New Posts at Proposed All-Through Academy for Ashburton

Oasis is pleased to announce that its proposed plans for the leadership and development of the new all-through Academy for Ashburton have now been approved by the DCSF, subject to the outcome of the forthcoming public consultation.

Yesterday the Secretary of State agreed to the release of feasibility funding for an all-through Academy to replace Ashburton Community, Junior and Infants Schools, to open in September 2009. Crucially, he also agreed that the infant and junior school management and governance structures can remain in place initially and that Oasis is free to move towards the full integration of the three elements of the Academy under a phased timetable.

This news means that Oasis will now advertise, over the coming weeks, a new post for an Academy Principal whose role will be to take overall responsibility for the development of the all-through. Under the leadership of this new Principal Oasis will be able to offer both Sharon Anderson and Lesley Lynam the opportunity to take up roles as Head of School for the Infant and Junior phases of the Academy respectively.

Oasis is also pleased to announce that John Murphy, the Principal of Oasis Academy Coulsdon, will become Executive Principal Designate with strategic oversight of the new all-through Ashburton Academy, as well as maintaining his role at Oasis Academy Coulsdon.

Appointment to all four of these posts remains dependant on a positive outcome to the public consultation regarding the all-through proposal over the coming weeks.

Oasis would like to thank Sharon Anderson, Lesley Lynam and Richard Warne, the head teachers of the Ashburton Infants, Junior and Community Schools respectively, for their understanding and positive co-operation through what has been an uncertain process to this point.

Oasis is confident that, as we move forward, working together, we will bring innovation to Croydon, not only through creating its first all-through school, but also by providing a new benchmark in terms of excellence in education in the borough.