Academy status '˜offers more freedom'

Julia Sherlock, 47, took over the post in September, when the school became a REAch2 academy.

Born in Cambridge, she went to Southampton University and then spent ten years travelling the world as a fashion buyer for Selfridges.

At the age of 30, she decided to train to become a teacher and did the PGCE course at Durham. She then taught in the town for 14 years, and also taught in Spain, working up to being a deputy head twice.

Part of the reason for moving south to take on her first headship was to be near her family in Steyning.

One of her first successes has been resolving a dispute over the Andrew Purves Shield, previously featured in the Herald.

The shield has now been restored and will be presented as a Shining Star award at the end of year six.

Mrs Sherlcock said: “It had fallen apart with age, really. The previous award-winners have been put on the back and new shields put on the front for the Shining Star, who will be the person with a ‘can do’ attitude.”

A whole-school assembly will be held after half term to explain the shield and what to work for. It will be presented at the graduation ceremony next summer.

Mrs Sherlock added: “When a school is going through a time of change, it is important to keep hold of some traditions from the past.”

The new build at the main Manor Hall Road site has created new classrooms for reception to year two, all built around a central resource centre, which has skylights to brighten up the room.

“The new build has the feel of a small school in a large environment,” explained Mrs Sherlock.

“It is all so accessible and children who need extra help can easily be pulled out of the classroom.”

Classrooms for the juniors, from year three to six, are down two corridors in the old school and the swimming pool has been retained.

There is new outside space for the younger children and one useful feature is the toilets being accessible from the playground.

There is also a special toilet and therapy room for disabled people. Mrs Sherlock is hoping this will encourage groups in the community to hire out the facilities, which include a kitchen area.

“It has been designed to be very self-contained,” she explained.

The academy has a new logo, designed by Hannah Reed, ten, who chose a line of four boys and girls in the house colours, with waves below.

Mrs Sherlock said she liked to tell the children they were ‘on the crest of a wave’ and the staff they ‘could walk on water’.

Academy status means the school has slightly more freedom in the curriculum but it will still be monitored by Ofsted.

Mrs Sherlock said the REAch2 Academy Trust had been a support school while Eastbrook was in special measures. It brought outstanding teachers to monitor and coach staff and offered centralised training opportunities.

They would be working on some of the trust’s own teaching ideals, but Mrs Sherlock said the trust believed schools should keep their own personality.