Powerful new voice for schools

The Bexhill Schools Consortium will act as a powerful and unifying voice for the town's schools and is thought to be the first legally-recognised organisation of its kind in the country.

The new body means schools themselves will have more of a say in important educational decisions affecting Bexhill.

They will also share expertise, resources and facilities to make sure every child gets the best opportunities possible.

The initiative has come from headteachers and all the town's eight primary schools, plus Glyne Gap, Bexhill High and St Richard's, have put in money to get the ball rolling.

The consortium will be hiring staff outside county council auspices who will work with all schools as expert educational advisers. Little Common head David Pratt is leading the group. He said: "There's nobody better qualified to make decisions about education in Bexhill than the schools themselves.

"With the consortium we now have the power and wherewithal to plug any gaps or weaknesses we see without necessarily having to depend on East Sussex County Council.

"It's very unusual and we think very pioneering. The schools have always enjoyed strong professional friendships and worked together on a range of projects for years.

"We felt it was important to cement that legally with a leadership structure to involve all schools in all decisions.

"We are unique in that we are backing our vision with our own financial resources.

"It's certainly a first for East Sussex but it's very much what the council county sees as the way forward for larger towns. The only thing remotely similar is in Dorchester and even there it is not formalised."

The spirit of cooperation has already paid off with the consortium's revival of the primary schools' Christmas concerts, which have moved from the De La Warr Pavilion to the High School.

There are also moves afoot to share sports facilities and coaching.