The Wellington Academy, a state-of-the-art new secondary school opening in Wiltshire this September, held a unique 'Fact Find' event attended by hundreds of parents and students this week. This event showcased the opportunities for transformation the new academy will bring to the local area and demonstrated the commitment of Principal Andy Schofield and his team to working in partnership with parents, students and the local community to deliver the very best in 21st century education. 

The Wellington Academy Senior Management Team from left to right: Jeremy Moss (Finance Director) , Colin Cattanach (Senior Vice Principal), Andy Schofield (Principal), David Cowley (Chair of Governors Designate), Simon Chappell (ICT Director)

Held at Castledown School Hall on Thursday 21st May, the event gave parents and students the opportunity to receive up-to-the-minute news on all aspects of academy life and put their questions directly to the Principal. "Maintaining a continual dialogue to keep parents and students informed about all areas of the academy is critical," said Andy Schofield. "We've had an overwhelming level of support from the community and yesterday's event was no exception. It was particularly exciting to meet the year 6 students who will be joining us this September."

The event featured a range of engaging exhibitions showcasing every aspect of the academy experience including:

- The world-class curriculum centred around personalised learning pathways, a diverse range of courses and development of the eight aptitudes that lie within each young person (Linguistic & Logical, Social & Personal, Cultural & Physical, Moral & Spiritual)
- The superb new sixth form where students will benefit from a truly personalised curriculum, one-to-one tutorials, small class groups and an extensive accredited enrichment programme.
- The stylish new uniform which students have played a pivotal role in designing.
- The cutting-edge ICT (Information Communication Technology) facilities which will enable parents to view online reports of all aspects of their child's education.
- The unique £32 million academy building symbolising the future of education for which the first foundations will be dug this September.
- The nutritious new lunches sampled by parents and students at taste testing sessions.

The community radio station, Castledown Radio, who will have a new home in the academy building, was on site at the event. The SO1 Super Garrison was also present to provide parents and students with an update on the Wiltshire Military Civilian Integration Programme.  The evening was a resounding success from the perspective of students, staff and parents. 'It's been very informative, I had lots of questions, but by the end they'd all been answered. I'm really impressed and excited for my son," commented one parent whose son will start the academy this September. 

The Wellington Academy is still welcoming admissions across all year groups. Parents can download an application form from the website or call The Wellington Academy office on 01264 848 313.