PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Hewett School (22 June 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times her Department has met (a) Norfolk County Council and (b) the Inspiration Trust to discuss the land on which the Hewlett School sits in Norwich South.

Asked by:
Clive Lewis (Labour)

An Academy Order was issued because the Hewett School is a failing school which Ofsted judged to require special measures in October 2014 and has had GCSE results consistently below local and national averages for the past five years. The Academy Order was issued on 25 March after consultation with the central Norwich Foundation Trust. The Government’s policy is to tackle swiftly failing schools wherever they are. We believe that the best way to secure rapid and long-term improvement at the Hewett School is for it to become an academy with the support of a strong sponsor. Inspiration Trust was the named sponsor due to its strong track record of school improvement.

The Department for Education and Norfolk County Council meet regularly. Recently the Council’s proposals for a ‘Learning Village’ on the Hewett site have formed part of these discussions. The department has had an initial meeting with the Inspiration Trust to seek their views about the future of the land. A meeting between all three parties is scheduled later this month.

Answered by:
Edward Timpson (Conservative)
30 June 2015