Public Consultation Meeting

We will be holding a final public consultation meeting for anyone wishing to ask any questions on the revised proposals, or for anyone wishing to further contribute to the consultation process. This meeting will be held at the proposed site to give you a chance to see it in person.

• Date: Wednesday 23rd May
• Time: 6:00 - 7:30pm
• Venue: Brighton Aldridge Community Academy Lewes Road, BN1 9PW
• Sharing Your Views If you have any views you would like to express on the content of this consultation update, please email james.dickins@appleyards.co.uk or write to: Bilingual Primary School, c/o Appleyards, Tubs Hill House, London Road, Sevenoaks, TN13 1BL
• Alternatively complete the consultation questionnaire at Search area for permanent site: South Portslade & Hove
• Temporary site for up to two years: Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, Lewes Road, BN1 9PW

Temporary Premises - Press Release, 4 May 2012

The proposed Bilingual Primary School, Brighton & Hove has reached agreement with Brighton Aldridge Community Academy to locate at the Academy’s Lewes Road campus, subject to consultation this month.

The Primary School aims to be the first state-funded bilingual English / Spanish primary school in the UK and has been seeking a suitable location to serve its Brighton and Hove catchment area. It was proposed by parents and teachers who share a passion for bilingualism. The school is working with experts to put everything in place so that it can enter into a Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education, and is planning to open this September.

Finding suitable premises in the City has been a challenge however, and with parents currently deciding on their options for the next school year it was important to have a first class location. Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) opened its new £25m state-of-the-art facilities in September 2011 and was approached by the Bilingual school because of its ability to offer a temporary home in new purpose-built facilities where the Primary School can operate completely independently, even down to having its own entrance and reception.

Marina Gutierrez, Founder and Chair of The Bilingual Primary School Trust, said: “Our vision is to be the leading bilingual school in the UK, offering the very best of British education and learning through English and Spanish. We want to build the love of learning through language. Brighton & Hove was the natural first home for us because the City has a reputation for innovation and has a large Spanish-speaking community.”

“We are working towards opening the school this September with reception and year 1 classes, but in the long-term we are looking for a permanent location which not only allows the school to grow, but can also house adult learning facilities, a cultural centre and host activities from music and dance to cooking, that involve the wider community.”

“As has been widely reported in the local media this year, new locations for schools in the City are very difficult to find and we are very grateful to BACA for offering us this help. Using BACA’s excellent facilities on a temporary basis gives us more time to search for an ideal permanent site, and to prepare it for the school to fully occupy.”

Philomena Hogg, Principal of Brighton Aldridge Community Academy said: “As our 6th Form is still growing we currently have some additional space and we were delighted to support education in the City as a whole by helping the Bilingual Primary School.”

“BACA is a wonderful, modern purpose-built school, which gives us the flexibility to be able to extend this help for one or two years. It means the Bilingual School can retain its independence and identity, and operate completely separately from the Academy, but that the children can still benefit from great teaching and sports facilities we have, and also outdoor spaces such as our Sensory Garden.”

“BACA is very much a community facility. We aim to work closely with our local primary schools, including making our teaching and sports resources available to them whenever possible. With our sponsors, the Aldridge Foundation, we are keen to support new innovative and practical initiatives to increase educational options for parents and children within the city. And so offering this help to the Bilingual Primary School was an easy decision for us.”

Recently appointed Headteacher Carolina Gopal for the Bilingual Primary School said: “I am very excited to know that I can take this unique school forward in such a wonderful setting with fabulous facilities."

Both schools are in discussions with local bus companies about improving services linking BACA to its neighbouring communities and more generally within Brighton and Hove. The Bilingual Primary School will be consulting on the proposed move. More information about the forthcoming consultation, or how to apply to the school, will be published on www.bilingualprimaryschool.org.uk .

Funding Agreement

We are working towards submitting a Funding Agreement to the Secretary of State for Education. Once approved, the school Funding Agreement will determine the framework within which the school is required to operate and will be monitored by the Department for Education.

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The Spring Fiesta! -Fundraising Event, 21st April, 7pm -11pm

Parent's Information Event , 23rd April 7pm

Fundraising Dinner At Fellini, Tuesday 3rd April 2012 from 19.00

To Support the Bilingual Primary School Brighton & Hove. Andrew Wealls has put together an evening at Fellini.

The tickets are £25 which includes: crudités on arrival, pasta course, main course and desert.
Veretarian option will be available.

Parent's Information Event , sat 10th March 1-2pm