Message from Dr Anthony Seldon

As Master of Wellington College I am honoured to be involved with the sponsorship of this Academy. I share and support the ambitions of the Department for Children, Schools and Families to raise academic attainment and achievement in schools and to provide a rich all round education for the young people who will attend the Academy. I see the academy model as one of the most significant educational ideas to emerge for decades which can address the historical differences between independent and state schools and most significantly is supported by the two major political parties.

The new school, will ‘inherit the DNA’ of its Berkshire counterpart, with a house system, boarding and day places, a deep commitment to excellence, an emphasis on discipline, outdoor activities and service, and a combined cadet force (CCF). Over a third of the students will come from military families based in the area, echoing Queen Victoria’s founding of Wellington College as a school to educate ‘sons of officers’ in memory of the Duke of Wellington. The academy is scheduled to open in existing buildings in September 2009, on the 150th anniversary of Wellington College’s founding. It will move to brand new facilities in 2010.

I look to the school to be inspirational in its design and in its new state of the art buildings. In addition, I look to the broad and balanced curriculum, both academic and other activities to provide aspiration and motivation for the young people of Ludgershall and Tidworth. High expectations will be paramount, supported by the highest quality of education and equality of opportunity. The aim will be to develop all of the aptitudes that each individual pupil has so that the young people growing up can navigate their lives through the complex and uncertain environment in which they will live.

I am passionate about ensuring that pupils secure the fundamentals for a rewarding life because they have been properly equipped with the relevant skills and aptitudes needed for them to prosper. The Academy will provide the learning required to secure academic success using a curriculum relevant to pupils’ lives in the 21st Century. Students will be developed as Independent Learners so that they will have the confidence to succeed. The academic curriculum will include a focus on Modern Foreign Languages and Business and Enterprise, two key areas that will have increasing importance in the future lives of all young people.