Beccles school celebrates academy status

Crowfoot Primary School is now the Beccles Primary Academy school.Head teacher Heather Thorne (Image: © Archant 2015)

Crowfoot Community Primary School officially converted at 12am on Wednesday becoming Beccles Primary Academy, a decision which the school’s headteacher Heather Thorne said was right for the school.

“We’re very excited and this is the right time for us,” said Mrs Thorne. “We’re ready for it and it means the standard of the school will be raised. We want every child to leave here ready for the next stage of their education.”

Beccles Primary Academy is now part of REAch2, a large primary academy which is linked with eight other schools locally, and will allow the school to plan its own curriculum to suit the pupils’ needs.

“We will work closely with the other schools, which includes St Margaret’s Community Primary School and Northfield St Nicholas School in Lowestoft,” added Mrs Thorne. “A lot of people think academies are negative but it’s exciting and we’re very positive.

“We want to give our students the best possible start in life and we want to boost the image of the school - this is a good time to join us.”

A significant change to the school is the removal of the Crowfoot name - which links the school to Beccles scientist and Nobel Piece Prize winner Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin.

Butt Beccles mayor Hugh Taylor, who attended the assembly where the changes were explained to pupils, has said the youngsters will not forget the school’s history.

“The loss of the Crowfoot name is significant,” said Mr Taylor. “But the school wrote to the Crowfoot family to explain their decision. I have arranged for a member of the family to come to the school and discuss the history.

“We at the town council want to support the school and engage with it and for the school to engage with the community.”

A new school uniform, which will red instead of blue, will also be phased in from September.