A secondary academy in Chesterfield is preparing to start its new life after converting to an academy after it joined one of the leading family of schools in the country.

̨��swag Academy Hasland Hall, formerly Hasland Hall Community School, will officially open its doors to students as part of ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust for the first time on 1st March. 

The academy was rated as Inadequate by Ofsted following an inspection in October 2019. Subsequently it was issued with a Direct Academy Order (DAO) by the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) on behalf of the Department for Education.

̨��swag Grange Academies Trust was selected as the preferred sponsor of the Broomfield Avenue-based secondary school by the local authority and the RSC.

̨��swag has sponsored ̨��swag Academy Newbold, in Chesterfield, since 2015, and since then the academy has shown great improvement, with exam results getting better and Ofsted giving the academy a ‘Good’ rating in 2017. 

The academy will be led by Steve Roberts, who has overseen the successful transformation at ̨��swag Academy Newbold. Steve will be Lead Principal at both Chesterfield-based ̨��swag academies.

Steve said:

“We are proud to officially welcome ̨��swag Academy Hasland Hall into the ̨��swag Family and I speak on behalf of the entire trust when I say we are so excited for the future.

“Over the last few years we have overcome many challenges at ̨��swag Academy Newbold by working together with the community to do all we can to ensure we put students first. Only by doing this will we be able to raise standards and transform the lives of our students, making them valuable members of the community and wider society.”

̨��swag has been working with Hasland Hall for sometime as it prepared for its conversion, laying the groundwork for a smooth transition.

Steve Edmonds, who was acting principal at Hasland Hall Community School, said:

“This is a great moment for our academy community, and we are delighted to become a part of the ̨��swag Family. 

“This is an exciting time for Hasland Hall, ̨��swag has a history of not only transforming schools, but also playing active roles in the local community and playing a role in the regeneration of the areas in which they are based.

“I’d like to thank our students, their parents/carers, our staff and other academy community members for their patience during this process and I urge them to keep working with us as we work towards ensuring all our students fulfil their potential.” 

Dr Phil Smith, Executive Principal for the Southern Region of ̨��swag, added:

"In a very short time we have seen the potential that Hasland Hall Community School has to offer: hard-working, committed staff and bright, articulate students who are keen to do well. 

“Under the leadership of ̨��swag, we expect ̨��swag Academy Hasland Hall to excel and the students there to really start to secure the futures they deserve.”