The school became an academy 12 months ago on the existing site. This has its own challenges, not least having to work in a building that is far less flexible than your curriculum and your approach, which for us means a larger pupil intake and smaller, mixed-age form tutor groups.
Other academies in a similar transition will be familiar with turning dark and dusty cupboards into usable space, and are likely to find the phrase "well, when we are in our new building ..." used frequently.
While lack of space can be a headache, a major challenge of becoming an academy is to manage the change process, particularly from a staff perspective. Change can be frightening. When I arrived, the school at the time was a "coasting" school that wasn't getting the most from its pupils. We needed fundamental change on all levels. There was clearly some great talent in the school, but also a culture of complacency. Exam results weren't the worst in the area - but could be better. When it was announced the existing site would be turning into an academy, a significant proportion of staff chose to leave.
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