A headteacher has reassured her staff their jobs would not be affected if their school becomes an academy.

Heidi Brown, head of King's Manor Community College in Shoreham, spoke after it emerged unrest was developing among teachers, who had turned to their unions.

Her school is one of three in West Sussex set to become an academy, with management transferred from the county council to a sponsor, Church of England education group Woodard Schools.

Mrs Brown said: "Staff have had some understandable concerns, particularly around the areas of terms of employment.

"Robert Back the director of children's services at the county council addressed all the staff on Monday and reassured them TUPE guidelines (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) would be adhered to and that current terms and conditions of employment will apply in the new academy."

She said the need for investment at King's Manor was becoming increasingly urgent, with corridors and classrooms closed because of leaking roofs and windows, and the only realistic way of getting the right facilities would be through the academy scheme.

She said the school had entered the first feasibility stage of the project and had progressive meetings with the sponsors, who run dozens of independent schools including Lancing College.

Mrs Brown said: "We are at present putting together the educational brief which will then inform the design of the new building.

"We have the opportunity to take a long look at the curriculum for all stages, and design a new curriculum that will meet the needs of all our students, really embracing the ideals of personalised learning.

"We are fortunate that our sponsors have so much to offer us in the way of educational expertise and that we are able to design a new school that takes the best practice from all areas of education."

She said it was her desire for the academy to become a first choice for children in the area with results of more than 70 per cent achieving A* to C grades at GCSE.

Public meetings are being scheduled for early March.

Teachers from King's Manor, along with colleagues at Boundstone Community College in Lancing and Littlehampton Community School, will hold their own meeting at the Assembly Rooms in Stoke Abbott Road, Worthing, tomorrow at 7.30pm.

Mrs Brown said: "I am confident that any concerns staff have will be resolved through this process over the next few months."

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