A new academy is preparing to open – with the headteacher promising a “no excuses” culture.

Whitehawk Primary School in Whitehawk Road, Brighton, is to re-open this week under a new name as it draws a line under 70 years of history.

In its new guise, City Academy Whitehawk, which is sponsored by City College Brighton and Hove, has a new governing body and a full team of staff for the first time in three years.

Free from local authority control and able to set its own curriculum, new head teacher David Williams said he wants to create the “best possible learning experience” for pupils.

Mr Williams said the vision for staff and pupils was to create an ambition to be “great by choice”.

He added: “Some of the values and principles we have been discussing with parents and staff this summer include the academy pro- moting and achieving excellence to inspire children and adults to achieve the extraordinary.
 

“We are keen to encourage the highest standards of behaviour and attendance to support learning, promote achievement and encourage creativity and innovation to grow a ‘can do’ and ‘no excuses’ culture.”

The school, which was formed in the 1930s, has a new logo while the buildings have been refurbished, with the help of staff from City College.

New school uniforms, that parents were consulted on, have also been issued free of charge to each pupil.

The academy will aim to have class sizes no bigger than 30 pupils.

Lynn Thackway, principal of City College Brighton and Hove and chairwoman of the City Academy Whitehawk’s governing body, said: “On his recruitment, the Department for Education described David Williams as ‘inspirational’ and said ‘we are lucky to have someone of this calibre’.

“He is an outstanding leader and we have full confidence in him to lead the new academy.”