
Pupil fears for crisis-hit Synergy Trust school in Norfolk
A GCSE student has told of fears for her school's future, amid "immense" financial pressure and calls for the chief executive to quit.Synergy Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools in Norfolk, plans to cut teaching and support staff, while reducing school curricula, to offset its £2.7m deficit.Martha, 16, said: "The face of my school is changing for the worse."The trust said "difficult and sensitive" decisions were necessary because of increased costs and reduced funding due to falling birth rates.
In December, Synergy told parents it was facing "a significant number of financial challenges".It said it would be launching a comprehensive review to fill its deficit and constructing a three-year phased programme aimed to ensure financial stability.For comparison, last year the trust spent £34.3m on education.Initial redundancy plans detailed 30 losses across three schools - Reepham High School, Litcham School and Sheringham High School - but, following staff resignations, these numbers are currently in flux.All three schools ended the last financial year in a deficit position, with the trust saying "their costs have outstripped their income".Changes are also to be made to the teaching hours, including:Additional time being given to English, Maths, History and GeographyModern Foreign Languages losing two periods per fortnightArt losing one period in Year 7Computer Science losing one period in Year 9and the reduction of PE from four to three lessons for Years 10 and 11In the trust's latest financial accounts, the board of trustees expressed concerns over the lack of an "adequate and effective framework for governance, risk management and control" for the 2023/24 academic year.While cuts are being planned, the trust maintains plans to take on two additional primary schools in, as yet, undisclosed locations.Last year's financial accounts also highlighted changes in staff salaries between 2022 and 2023:The number of staff earning between £70,001 to £80,000 rose from just one to nineStaff in the £80,001 to £90,000 bracket went from one to twoThe number of staff earning between £90,001 to £100,000 went from two to zeroWhile no staff earned above £100,000 in 2022, in 2023 one fell into the £100,001 to £110,000 bracket and another earned between £130,001 and £140,000
In December, more than 100 parents and pupils protested against the changes outside Reepham High School to show support for teachers.Karen has two daughters at pivotal points in their education, with her youngest planning to join the school in September."It would be a shame to now have to look somewhere else but it's probably now too late anyway," she said.Her eldest, Year 11 student Martha, said teachers at the school seemed upset, adding: "Obviously GCSEs are really tough as it is."With all this stress on us already, it's very worrying to think what might happen to the future of the school on top of that."
National Education Union representative Scott Lyons said staff were "voting with their feet", with some having voluntarily departed at Christmas and others making plans to resign."With the cuts to provision and the cuts to curriculum options for the children, some staff won't abide by that – ethically and professionally," he said."They feel really strongly that they're going to fight this."
'No-confidence' letter
Last month, 39 parents signed a letter calling for the trust's chief executive Louise Lee to resign.In a statement the trust said it had "every confidence" in Ms Lee and the senior team to deliver what is needed, adding that staff salaries were proportionate and reflected the "correct mix of expertise necessary".The trust also said changes were needed so that school structures, pay awards, education provision and pastoral care reflected sector best practice. This would also apply to pupil/teacher, teacher contact and income/staffing ratios.It added: "The decisions we as a board are having to take are difficult and sensitive in the extreme."They are, after all, about the future education of the children in our care. Sadly, the taking of these decisions is not optional if the trust is to remain in operation and continue to deliver against its vision, values and educational successes to date."It also said that it aimed to become financially stable in the long-term and would achieve this while maintaining a duty of care to staff and minimising disruption to pupils.
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Award-winning Aldi, Co-op, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco wines
From a £7 Portuguese red to a £22 vintage Champagne, UK supermarkets picked up dozens of top medals for their own-brand bottles, with wines from Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S, Co-op, Asda and Waitrose going head-to-head with fine wine producers from around the globe. In one of the most competitive judging seasons yet, wines from major UK grocers earned Gold, Silver and Bronze medals across every style, from English sparkling to Barolo, Rioja, and Sauternes – many at everyday prices. Top medal winners from the IWSC 2025 Pop these award-winners in your trolley this weekend Aldi Animus Douro Reserva 2022 – Silver (94 points), £6.99 A full-bodied Portuguese red, praised for its richness and structure. One of the best-value medallists of the year. Asda Extra Special Rioja Reserva 2019 – Silver (94 points), £8 Classic vanilla, spice, and red fruit Rioja profile, praised for structure and ageing potential. M&S Collection Picpoul de Pinet 2023 – Silver (91 points), £9 A crisp, coastal white from the Languedoc – ideal summer drinking. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference English Bacchus 2023 – Silver (92 points), £9.50 A fresh, zesty white made in England, earning high praise in a competitive aromatic white category. Tesco Finest Sauternes (37.5cl) – Gold (92 points), £12 A classic French dessert wine, offering luscious, honeyed fruit for under half the price of château equivalents. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Barolo 2019 – Silver (90 points), £14 An accessible expression of Italy's king of wines, delivering dark cherry and rose petal notes. Co-op Les Pionniers Vintage Champagne 2013 – Gold (95 points), £22 The only supermarket Champagne to win Gold. A standout vintage with complex brioche and citrus notes. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 – Gold (95 points), £16 A bold southern Rhône red made in partnership with top estates, described by judges as 'impressively elegant.' M&S Collection Saint Gall Premier Cru Champagne NV – Gold (95 points), £28 Elegant, chalky, and finely textured – made in partnership with a historic grower in Épernay. Waitrose No.1 English Sparkling Brut NV – Silver (91 points), £22.99 One of the UK's most awarded sparkling wines, holding its own against Champagne. David Kermode, IWSC judge and broadcaster, says: "These results are a wake-up call for anyone who still associates great wine with high prices. "The best supermarket own-label ranges are now being made by some of the most respected producers in the world and the blind tasting at IWSC proves just how well they perform." Christelle Guibert, CEO of the IWSC, added: "At the IWSC, every wine is judged blind by a panel of experts from across the globe. What makes this year especially exciting is the number of affordable supermarket wines standing out alongside premium bottles. It's proof that great winemaking doesn't have to come with a luxury price tag." Recommended reading: The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) is widely regarded as the gold standard for wine and spirit quality. With entries judged blind by Masters of Wine, sommeliers, buyers and producers, its rigorous methodology ensures medals are awarded purely on taste and quality – with judges never seeing the bottle or label, eliminating all bias or visual influence. Celebrated globally for its integrity and expertise, the IWSC remains one of the most respected and trusted competitions in the drinks industry.

Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
94 of the Flintshire new builds will be affordable homes
Ewloe-based family-run homebuilder Anwyl Homes is set to create a community named Dol Derwen on the edge of the town. A new road will also be formed through the site, linking Gwernaffield Road to Denbigh Road. Graeme Gibb, sales director at Anwyl Homes Cheshire and North Wales said: "This location offers an attractive setting within convenient distance of everything the thriving market town of Mold has to offer; including several supermarkets, independent shops, restaurants, cafes and highly regarded schools, including both English and Welsh language high schools. Geraint Anderson, site manager (right), with Jess Phillips, health and safety manager and John Wilson, construction manager. Photo: Mandy Jones "We've already seen strong interest in our new homes in Mold. With work now underway we're expecting that interest to grow. The first homes will be released for sale towards the end of the summer." The 28-acre site was allocated for housing in Flintshire County Council's adopted local plan and received planning permission last year. It will feature 94 affordable homes (40% of the total development) alongside 141 private sale homes. Across the development there will be a range of one, two, three and four-bedroom designs. Read more: As part of the planning agreement, Anwyl will contribute towards the local community, including more than £37,500 towards improvements at Ysgol Bryn Gwalia. Green open space will be a feature throughout the site, which will also have a play area and multi-use games area for residents and the wider community to enjoy. Graeme added: "To encourage biodiversity on site we'll be creating habitats for local wildlife through new native planting, the retention of mature trees and hedgerows, and the installation of bird and bat boxes." As part of the new infrastructure works, a new road is being created between Denbigh Road and Gwernaffield Road, enabling Pool House Lane to become a walking/cycling route.


STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
SNP opposition to new nuclear power stations ‘makes no sense', says Miliband
Scotland will not get a 'golden age of nuclear' while the SNP holds firm in its opposition to new nuclear power stations, Ed Miliband has said. The energy secretary said Holyrood's position 'makes no sense', as Labour MP Gregor Poynton claimed the policy had cost workers and taxpayers north of the border 'billions of pounds of investment and thousands of high-skilled jobs'. SNP MP Kirsty Blackman described the UK Government's new £14.2 billion investment into Sizewell C in Suffolk as a 'splurge', when she pressed Miliband on whether the Government will back the Acorn carbon capture and storage project. Miliband said the Sizewell development along East Anglia's North Sea coastline will 'power the equivalent of around six million homes with clean homegrown energy for 60 years, and it will be a jobs and growth engine for Britain, supporting 10,000 jobs in the peak construction and creating 1,500 apprenticeships'. It is one of several nuclear projects which the Government has backed, which also include a prototype fusion plant at West Burton, Nottinghamshire, and a partnership between Rolls-Royce and Great British Energy – Nuclear to rollout small modular reactors. Poynton, the MP for Livingston, told the Commons: 'Scotland was once a pioneer in nuclear energy and should be again, but due to the SNP Scottish Government's outdated, backward, quite frankly bizarre opposition to nuclear energy, turning away billions of pounds of investment and thousands of high-skilled jobs. 'So, does the secretary of state agree with me this is yet another way the SNP Scottish Government has lost their way?' Miliband replied that Poynton was 'so right', and added: 'People in Scotland will be looking at these announcements and saying, 'well why isn't it us that are benefitting from this? Why are we not even in the race?'' The Scottish Government, led by SNP First Minister John Swinney, has a policy of opposing the building of new nuclear power stations. Lillian Jones, the Labour MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, criticised the position as an 'ideological block on nuclear power, blocking billions in investment, blocking thousands of well-paid, secure Scottish jobs, and blocking growth'. In his response, Miliband said: 'We can announce a golden age of nuclear with our investments but not in Scotland, because of the position of the SNP Government. 'It makes no sense.' Aberdeen North MP Blackman had earlier said: 'This £14 billion splurge on English nuclear power plants comes on top of £22 billion for English carbon capture and storage, while there's nothing for Scotland's Acorn project. 'With Grangemouth (oil refinery) allowed to close, with a fiscal regime that is ruining north-east energy jobs, this latest announcement shows that Scotland isn't just an afterthought, it isn't a thought at all. 'If nearly £40 billion can be found for English energy projects, why is it that money is never found for Scotland's carbon capture project?' Miliband replied: 'Well look, I think maybe there is an SNP change in position coming. If she wants to have a conversation about Scottish nuclear power stations, then absolutely. 'We're in favour of the Acorn project and we'll be saying more about this in the coming weeks. 'But let me just say to her – on nuclear power, they've really got to think again. 'They are absolutely sticking their heads in the sand when it comes to this. This is about jobs, it's about investment, it's about clean energy, they should really rethink.' In an earlier statement, Miliband said: 'The Government is taking decisive steps today to usher in a new golden age of nuclear for Britain.' He added: 'For too long, our country has not made the crucial energy – or indeed other infrastructure investments – we need. A short-sighted failure to invest for which the British people have paid the price in lower living standards, insecurity and declining public services. 'This week's announcements symbolise a decisive change in approach, to invest in the future – the right choice for energy security, the right choice for jobs, the right choice for climate and our children and grandchildren, the right choice for Britain, investment, not decline. 'This Government has made its choice.' The energy secretary's comments came as leaders of the GMB Scotland union urged the Scottish Government to rethink its opposition to new nuclear power stations north of the border. The nuclear industry already supports almost 3,700 jobs in Scotland, adding £400 million to the economy, the union said. But it said more could be achieved if SNP ministers would back the construction of new power stations. Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland secretary, said: 'New nuclear can help provide a baseload of safe, clean and secure energy while creating thousands of skilled, well-paid, unionised jobs in Scotland. 'The Holyrood Government's absolute refusal to seriously consider its potential is an abdication of responsibility and needs to change. 'It makes no sense if ministers want to achieve net-zero targets and it makes no sense if they want Scotland's economy to grow again.' But a Scottish Government spokesperson said that 'our position is now changing'. The Holyrood administration has been 'tremendously successful in attracting renewables investment in Scotland', the spokesperson said. 'That is because there has been a clear policy direction from the Scottish Government.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country