Hunnyhill teacher and pupils

Hunnyhill Primary School set to join Ormiston Academies Trust

Hunnyhill Primary School in Newport, Isle of Wight, is preparing to embark on an exciting new chapter as it joins Ormiston Academies Trust.

Following confirmation from the Department for Education and the Isle of Wight Council earlier this month, Hunnyhill will officially convert to academy status and become part of OAT.

The primary school has been working in partnership with the Trust for some months, and decided to join following a rigorous selection and consultation process, in which they placed significant importance on joining a family of schools whose values aligned closely with their own.

The school has said the new partnership will bring “significant benefits” for pupils, and staff have already been working closely together to share support, expertise and additional professional development opportunities for teachers.

As part of the transition, the school will see a small update to its name, changing to Hunnyhill Ormiston Academy. This will allow the school to retain name recognition and connection with local communities across the island, while also reflecting the next stage in its journey as part of the Ormiston family. A new logo and signage will follow in due course.

Looking ahead, Hunnyhill is excited to build on the opportunities offered through its partnership with Ormiston. By joining the Trust, Hunnyhill will be able to draw on a wide network of support, expertise, and collaboration, particularly contributing to Ormiston’s commitment to delivering an inclusive and ambitious learning experience for every child. With established strengths in early years education and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), Hunnyhill is well placed to share best practice and support wider Trust initiatives in these areas. As a feeder primary to Cowes Enterprise College (which joined OAT in 2014), pupils at Hunnyhill will also benefit from strengthened links with the secondary school, including access to Cowes’ exceptional enrichment programme and subject specialists – helping to create a seamless and aspirational journey from primary to secondary education.

Lisa Steedman, Headteacher at Hunnyhill Primary School, said: “We are beyond pleased to be joining Ormiston Academies Trust. Over the past few months, we have been working closely with leaders across the Trust and it’s been really exciting for us to have new partners to share expertise and work collaboratively to deliver exceptional educational outcomes for our pupils.

“I would like to thank each of our pupils, staff members, parents and the wider community for their continued support as we start an exciting new chapter of our journey.”

Rachel Kitley, Principal at Cowes Enterprise College, said: “We are so excited for Hunnyhill to become a part of Ormiston. From the start it’s been clear that we have a close alignment on our vision and values, and our whole community has really enjoyed collaborating with their team throughout this process.

“We look forward to working more closely with Hunnyhill as part of our commitment to providing the best learning opportunities for young people in our local area.”

Tom Rees, Chief Executive Officer of Ormiston Academies Trust, said: “I am delighted and proud to be welcoming Hunnyhill Primary School to the Ormiston family. This is a really exciting time for both Ormiston and Hunnyhill and we’re thrilled to be working together to provide high-quality education to children and young people across the Isle of Wight and beyond.

“Our partnership has been incredibly positive, founded on our shared vision and values, and we look forward to now working even more closely together to deliver the best educational opportunities for all.”