WELCOME

Thank you for showing an interest in Breightmet CE Academy, Bolton. The information contained in this site will provide you with an insight into the exciting opportunities this new 4-19 Academy can offer Breightmet’s children and young people and the wider community of Bolton.  

With fewer than 20 all-age academies nationally, the role of Principal the successful candidate to have a positive impact on the lives of generations of children and young people and outstanding potential career development. Establishing a new, all-age school community, contributing to the design of new state-of the-art premises while continuing to raise standards and attainment will challenge you in every way. The rewards and sense of achievement as you progress through this journey will be significant. To do this you will require more than the expected skills, qualifications and experience. You will also require huge reserves of energy and resilience, possess a steely determination, see challenges as opportunities and have well-honed interpersonal skills. Most importantly, you will need to build on the sponsors’ vision to take full advantage of the opportunities that leading an all-age learning community can bring to children’s education and well-being.

If you possess these qualities and share our vision and excitement for the opportunities this new Academy offers then we will be delighted to hear from you.

Ideally, we would like the successful candidate to be in post by January 2009. The new building is planned for 2011/12. The closing date for this position is 0900 on 22 September and shortlisting will take place on 24 September. Interviews will be held on 29 and 30 September and we request that you be available, at this stage, on both of these days.

The successful applicant will be offered the post subject to an enhanced CRB check.

If you would like an informal and confidential discussion about this post please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership Appointments, Citrus House, 40-46 Dale St, Liverpool, L2 5SF. Tel: 07736791138 or at martin.blair@hays.com

Yours sincerely

David and Anne Crossland                                 The Rt. Rev. Mark Davies, Bishop of Middleton

About The Academy

The proposed Breightmet CE Academy is a new Church of England Academy for 4 to 19 year olds. The new Academy will have 1160 places with 210 in the primary phase, 750 11-16 students and 200 in the VIth form. Initially the Academy will specialise in business and enterprise together with mathematics and computing. It will be sponsored by David and Anne Crossland and the Diocese of Manchester.

The sponsors, local authority and stakeholders firmly believe that children’s and students’ learning will be significantly enhanced by the cumulative impact of coherent and continuous education and care from foundation stage through to VIth form provided within an all-age campus. Importantly, the Academy will be at the heart of the community and open to all. Christian values of hope, valuing self and others, responsibility, truth, forgiveness and justice will pervade all aspects of Academy life and children of all faiths and none will be accepted.

The Academy is expected to open in 2009, replacing Withins High School and Top o’ th’ Brow Primary School, in the existing buildings of these schools. The new Academy buildings are expected to open in 2011/12 on the site of the existing Withins School. Firwood School, an 11-19 special school for students who have severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and students with autistic spectrum disorder, will be co-located with the new Academy.

The sponsors are committed to using the freedom to innovate within the framework of the Academy’s distinctive Christian ethos and values.

About The Sponsors

David and Anne Crossland

David and Anne Crossland believe that their academies should open doors of opportunity for all children and young people. They are ambitious for the academies they co-sponsor with the Church of England, believingthem to be inspirational places for learning and innovation for students, staff and the community that they serve.

David Crossland was founder and chairman of Airtours plc, one of the world’s largest holiday companies. He joined the travel industry in its infancy, over 40 years ago, and was instrumental in making quality holidays in exotic destinations accessible to all. Under his direction and leadership the company grew into a multi-national leisure travel group with major operations in 19 countries. From 1995 David served on the board of Carnival LLC for five years. Today this is the world’s largest cruise company. David is still actively involved in businesses in over eleven countries around the world.

David and Anne Crossland were born and grew up in the north west of England. They met early in David’s career and have worked together ever since. In 2002, rather than retire they decided to become both business and social entrepreneurs by using the skills and expertise they developed in their businesses for the benefit of young people and their communities. In September 2007 they successfully opened, with the Church of England, two academies in Darlington and Middleton. Along with a local partner they are investing their energy, expertise and money in a school for 190 children in Kenya. David and Anne also support a number of charities in the UK, Jersey and around the world.

The Church of England Diocese of Manchester

The Church of England has a long history of involvement in schools and education. Some 25% of primary school children are educated in Church of England schools, and 6% of secondary school students.

Maurice Smith CB, Director of Education at the Diocese of Manchester, says:

“The Academy is an exciting opportunity to offer all-age, all ability education in one school, and to improve overall attainment levels and life prospects in the Breightmet area. It also offers wider choices and opportunities to the entire community through adult learning. When the new buildings are complete, the Academy will be a state-of-the-art school that is right at the heart of the community.”

The Academy’s ethos will be based on Christian values which emphasise the value of every individual and fulfilling potential through achievement.