The Mercers’ Company and the Information Technologists’ Company are co-sponsors of a proposed new all-ability, mixed non-denominational 11-18 Academy in the Askew Ward area of Hammersmith and Fulham. A thorough public consultation was undertaken during December 2007 and January 2008 as part of the project feasibility process. As a result, over 100 verbal and written responses from stakeholders, including prospective parents, local residents and schools, were received. Careful consideration has been given to the points raised in the sponsors’ review of the project plans.

The key messages from the consultation, and the sponsors’ responses, are:

• Parents enthusiastically support the proposals - ‘This area is desperate for the new secondary school - I welcome it wholeheartedly’, is a typical view of many parent responses. The sponsors are reassured by this enthusiasm in the light of their desire to meet the needs of local families and will seek to keep in contact with local parents’ groups.
• Parents are excited about the vision for the school – they welcome the Academy's aim to drive up standards in core subjects, its commitment to personalised learning, and the choice of the specialisms of IT and Creative Media.
• Local families and neighbouring schools want reassurance that the Academy will be an all-ability, non selective school - the sponsors have reaffirmed their commitment to an all-ability, non-selective intake and after careful consideration have decided to withdraw their initial proposal to select 10% of the school’s intake by aptitude for the Academy’s specialism.
• Local schools and colleges would welcome a collaborative rather than a competitive approach – the sponsors are particularly sensitive to the need to work with, rather than against, other schools and colleges on curriculum matters, and are now likely to open the Academy in 2011 being mindful of other 16+ developments in the area.
• Residents, schools and businesses in the immediate vicinity want to be reassured that care will be taken to mitigate disruption during construction – the sponsors will continue to talk with the nearby Nursery School, Sure Start Centre and residents’ groups to recognise the key issues, and will liaise closely with the Borough Council on important neighbourhood matters. Close adherence to health and safety regulations will be required of all contractors working on the site, and access to Cathnor Park will not be restricted.
• Many respondents want to understand how a full curriculum can be provided on a compact site – the design brief has confirmed that the site, in accordance with Government guidelines for school buildings, can accommodate planned numbers successfully. There are plans for good on-site provision of indoor and outdoor sport and play facilities, including sports hall, fitness suite, dance and drama studios, and play areas (many of which the sponsors intend to make available for community use). These will be augmented by access to offsite sports facilities for schools made available by the Borough.
• Local Residents want the Academy to work with the community on important local issues - the sponsors will consider staggered finish times to offset congestion, and will ensure that, as with their other academies, students are supervised as they arrive and leave and that high standards of behaviour and consideration will be upheld. They are also keen to see recent improvements in teenage behaviour in Cathnor Park sustained, and will seek to be a force for good in the neighbourhood and learn from successful schemes in other urban areas.

The sponsors have promised regular consultation as the project progresses. The next phase will be during Summer 2008 (consultation on the Academy design) and information will be posted on the Hammersmith Academy website, as well as on the websites of the two sponsors (www.mercers.co.uk and www.wcit.org.uk) and the Local Authority (www.lbhf.gov.uk).

A copy of the Admissions Policy for the school is available to download here, together with an annex, which shows the main catchment area for the school.