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An open letter to Central Bedfordshire Council on the Schools for the Future programme

BEST's Board of Trustees have today (Thursday 4 November) written to the Central Bedfordshire Council Executive to express concern over the lack of progress of the Schools for the Future programme.

Trustees have been left frustrated after unforeseen delays to plans for the second phase of the Shefford and Stotfold cluster, caused by CBC pausing the programme in the summer for a review and recalibration against growth in the area. 

The letter calls on the nine members of the key decision-making committee to publicly reaffirm their commitment to five pledges they originally agreed in the summer of 2020, upon which BEST's support for the cluster plans is conditional.

It also urges CBC to finalise plans and commit to the original transition date of September 2023 – or an alternative date to be agreed with the cluster.

The second phase plans affect seven of BEST's eight schools in the cluster – Campton Academy, Etonbury Academy, Gothic Mede Academy, Gravenhurst Academy, Pix Brook Academy, Robert Bloomfield Academy and Samuel Whitbread Academy.

Our eighth school in the cluster – Langford Village Academy – converted to primary in September as part of the first phase of two-tier transition.

Read the Board of Trustees' open letter below: