Over 1,000 ties will be handed out to Ely College students

1,100 red, gold, blue and green ties will be handed out to students as Ely College is set to become part of Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) on Friday 1 July 2016.
Ely students will be greeted by students from other CMAT schools across Cambridgeshire, and will each receive one of the four coloured ties to show which ‘house’ they are in –  Scott (red), Turing (blue), Etheldreda (gold) or Franklin (green). The new house system is just one of a number of important changes taking place at Ely College in Downham Road, Ely, following its change of sponsor to  CMAT.
Work is currently underway to recruit a new principal and the trust has also said it will be making some immediate investment in the college site over the summer including installing new toilets, redecorating a number of classrooms and corridors, and improving outside areas for students.
CMAT has been working within Ely College since March following negotiations with the Department for Education (DfE) and the school’s current sponsor CfBT Schools Trust (CSE) with the aim of rapidly improving the school.
CMAT has a very strong track record in achievement and attainment in Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas. The trust currently operate six schools in the area extending from Stamford to Cambridge, all of which have enjoyed rapid improvement since joining CMAT.
Mark Woods, chief executive of CMAT, said: “We are hugely excited about Ely College’s transfer to the trust. There are a great many strengths to build upon, and a huge number of opportunities for growth.
“The students and parents we have spoken with have all expressed a deep desire to achieve the excellent provision they all deserve and we are confident that our combined efforts, positivity and energy will secure those much-needed improvements rapidly. This journey won’t be easy as the college is currently in a very difficult position results have been disappointing, pupils numbers have declined and many of the buildings do need some immediate attention.
“But we have a clear plan of action and have already started taking steps to improve both educational standards and the school site itself, including a national recruitment campaign to attract some high quality teaching staff in areas such as maths where they college has had shortages this year.We are looking forward to 1 July, when we can fully begin work.”
Among the changes at the college will be the introduction of 3-year GCSEs. It means that Year 8 students will begin some of their GCSE courses in September.
County and local councillors, business leaders, primary school head teachers and other stakeholders have been invited to a briefing to find out more about the transfer on 1 July 2016.