Nearly 1,300 secondary pupils used to set off each morning on the 鈥渄aily鈥 exodus out of the Isle of Sheppey, turning their backs on the local school that even teachers had deemed too dangerous. But after one of the country鈥檚 biggest school restructures in recent years, pupils are now battling for an education spot on the island. However, amid the success, there are rumblings of discontent over admissions and inclusion. Schools Week investigates… One-of-a-kind rebrokerage When Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey closed last year, it had never been rated 鈥榞ood鈥 or better by Ofsted. In 2022, . 鈥淭oo little鈥 was done to tackle racist, sexist and homophobic language. Nearly 1,300 secondary pupils were travelling off the island 鈥 nine miles long and five miles wide 鈥 in a 鈥渄aily exodus鈥 to schools on Kent鈥檚 mainland. The school 鈥 spread across two sites over two miles apart 鈥 became the first to be given up by Oasis Community Learning, one of England鈥檚 largest trusts. The rebroker was unique and most likely the largest undertaken by government. The school was split into two last year, one to be run by the Leigh Academies Trust and another overseen by the EKC Schools Trust. So how was it all done, and how is it going? Schools Week spoke to leaders, councillors and local experts to find out… Sending a 鈥榗lear message鈥 Leigh chief executive Simon Beamish said it had 鈥渃hanged absolutely everything鈥 about how the school operates, now called Leigh Academy Minster (LAM). It is based on the old school鈥檚 southern campus in Minister on Sea. The focus was initially on behaviour, attendance and safeguarding. 鈥淓verybody got a very clear message they were expected to behave, lessons weren鈥檛 going to be disrupted, and pupils were going to treat each other and adults with respect,鈥 said Beamish. Suspensions were high initially but 鈥渞apidly鈥 declined later, Beamish said, with pupils feeling 鈥渕uch happier and safer to come into school鈥. EKC Schools Trust, which runs EKC Sheppey Secondary on the old school鈥檚 north site, said it has been 鈥渞elentless in building a positive culture鈥. It has focused on being 鈥渉ighly inclusive鈥, introducing 鈥渁ffordable uniform, free breakfast 鈥 and a behaviour policy that supports, rather than penalises, children with additional needs鈥. When the new schools launched, parents of year 7, 8 and 9 pupils were asked which school they鈥檇 prefer to attend. But only LAM took on pupils in year 10 and 11. Curriculum revamps Both schools redesigned their curriculums. EKCSS offers a 鈥渟trong academic core [that] also embeds technical and vocational pathways鈥. Every element is 鈥渃areer-focused鈥 and draws on experience from the trust鈥檚 sister organisation, East Kent Colleges Group. LAM introduced a 鈥渂accalaureate middle-years programme into years 7, 8, 9鈥, Beamish added. History and geography are more 鈥渂espoke鈥 to where pupils live 鈥渟o they recognise themselves鈥 in what they learn. Much of the curriculum was 鈥減ared back down, made simpler and more logical in order to be delivered to a high quality鈥. The prior school had 鈥渁 lot of additional pathways and students doing a range of surprising qualifications鈥 such as 鈥渉air and beauty鈥. Beamish said: 鈥淲e certainly wouldn鈥檛 recommend a course like that at key stage 4 鈥 for me, that鈥檚 a course pupils progress on to in the sixth form when learning becomes more specialist.鈥 How is it all going? Per-pupil attainment 8 scores 鈥 which measure GCSE performance across eight subjects 鈥 have improved at LAM. It registered a score of 28.4 last year, up from 23.6 at its predecessor in 2023鈥24. Equivalent figures for EKCSS have not been published as it has no year 11 pupils yet. Absence rates are down. LAM and EKCSS overall absence rates stood at 13.5 and 12.5 per cent respectively, compared to 15.6 in Oasis Isle of Sheppey鈥檚 final year of operation. Former Kent headteacher and education adviser Peter Read said he would receive 鈥渨eekly weeping letters saying: 鈥楳y child鈥檚 at Oasis, what the hell can I do?鈥欌 But that correspondence has stopped. Starkly, both schools are oversubscribed. A Kent council spokesperson said the 鈥渟ignificantly strengthened education offer鈥 means 鈥渢he previous daily exodus of over 1,000 pupils travelling off-Island 鈥 reversed鈥. In fact, 56 pupils had to be allocated places at other schools up to 27 miles away because both the island鈥檚 new schools are now oversubscribed. Local councillor Mike Whiting, a former Kent cabinet member for education, even said some parents have opted to home educate instead, calling the families 鈥渋nadvertent victims of the success of the two new academies鈥. This was despite LAM adding a bulge class. The council has warned that one of the secondaries will have to expand to meet demand now. 鈥楲ess inclusive trusts鈥 Despite the success, it has not been without issues. Kent council papers said the problems caused by the academies鈥 oversubscription highlighted 鈥渢he lack of direct influence a local authority can wield when provision of school places 鈥 is unsuitable鈥. Documents seen by Schools Week show Kent council told the Office for the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) last year that the closure of Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey was its 鈥渟tandout鈥 admissions challenge in 2023鈥24. Different trusts running the schools created 鈥渁 complex environment to agree and manage such a complicated project鈥. The process 鈥渉ighlighted how insufficient guidance in the school admissions code and underlying legislation is in providing [local authorities] and trusts a robust framework in which to make decisions鈥. The council, in its letter, said the 鈥渓ack of clarity also has the potential to allow less inclusive trusts to mandate preferential requirements that take advantage of the disparate nature of related SEN and alternative provision legislation鈥. 鈥楳isleading, undermining, baseless鈥 When asked for comment, a Kent council spokesperson said it was 鈥渘ot accusing any specific trust of being 鈥榣ess inclusive鈥欌. But they said a 鈥渒ey challenge鈥 was 鈥渢he inconsistent engagement with fair access protocol principles鈥, a statutory process 鈥渄esigned to ensure that vulnerable or hard-to-place children 鈥 are admitted quickly and equitably across schools鈥. Councils are put in 鈥渁 difficult position鈥 when trusts fail to 鈥渇ully participate in this process鈥. 鈥淲e are legally responsible for ensuring every child receives an education but lack the authority to compel schools to accept placements outside of formal admissions rounds,鈥 the spokesperson continued. When asked about Kent鈥檚 comments, Leigh said it 鈥渇irmly reject[s] the idea鈥 its school is 鈥渓ess inclusive鈥, describing them as 鈥渄eeply misleading, undermining and baseless鈥. Its admissions arrangements 鈥渁re fully compliant鈥 with national rules and 鈥渨ere agreed by KCC and the [Department for Education] prior to opening and after a full public consultation鈥. An EKC spokesperson said its mission 鈥渋s to serve the communities in which we work, focusing on the most deprived areas in east and south Kent鈥. But the 鈥渟ystem in which we operate often works against those serving the most vulnerable children鈥. 鈥淥fsted outcomes and national performance measures can unintentionally incentivise schools and trusts to deter disadvantaged pupils, since attendance, behaviour and attainment figures are affected most by these groups. 鈥淭his has created a situation where some schools judged highly effective are, in reality, failing the very communities they exist to serve.鈥 Different cohorts Government data shows just over 53 per cent of EKCSS鈥檚 pupils were considered eligible for free school meals last year, similar to the 51 per cent in Oasis Academy鈥檚 final year of operation. However, LAM has fewer, at 40 per cent. Leigh stated the two new schools 鈥渟erve different communities鈥, with LAM drawing 鈥渕ainly from Minster and Eastchurch, which have lower deprivation levels overall鈥. The trust said any change is down to the school鈥檚 catchment area becoming smaller as its popularity has increased, rather than 鈥渁ny difference in inclusivity鈥. EKCSS also had the 11th highest proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in the whole county (6.7 per cent). LAM鈥檚 rate was less than half that of EKCSS (3 per cent) and below the 4 per cent registered by Oasis in 2023鈥24. Leigh argued the comparison with EKCSS is 鈥渘ot like-for-like鈥. This is because LAM 鈥渙pened with pupils in every year group鈥. Home education KCC figures, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, showed that 5.8 per 100 LAM pupils were de-registered from the school to be educated at home. Among primaries and secondaries, the figure was the 17th highest in the whole of Kent. EKCSS was 112th (1.9 per 100 pupils). However, Leigh said 56 per cent of the requests 鈥渨ere from the families of students in years 10 [to] 13 who were given no choice on their child’s new school as part of the re-brokerage鈥. 鈥淚n its first year, LAM ensured all pupils were on full-time timetables vs more than 100 on part-time timetables under Oasis [and] around 150 pupils were returned from [AP],鈥 the trust added. 鈥淢any of these pupils had been receiving very little education, often of scandalous quality, prior to LAM opening. They had been effectively excluded from full-time education in the predecessor school by the back door.鈥 Leigh pupils on AP鈥檚 role Leigh said some year 11 pupils last year were also single rolled at a new AP satellite school on the island, called Estuary Academy Island 鈥 which is rare. This meant the pupils鈥 results would not count in LAM鈥檚 results that year. Beamish said these pupils were in Oasis鈥檚 internal AP, called Inspire, but 鈥渕any had never attended Oasis and were never likely to attend LAM given their circumstances. “Most had already been in some form of external AP for several years. This position was agreed after formal assessments by the AP provider and KCC [educational psychologists] in consultation with pupils and parents.鈥 He said the trust 鈥渉ad no role in this鈥, but leaked emails show Beamish had asked the council for this arrangement. EKC said its AP pupils on the island have been dual-rolled, where results sit with the 鈥渕ain鈥 school. However, Emma Bradshaw, CEO of Alternative Learning Trust (ALT), which runs the island鈥檚 AP site, praised Leigh for taking on key stage 4 pupils, many of whom were 鈥渢ricky鈥. 鈥淭hey had never set foot in LAM. I fought to single roll them because I wanted them to know they were our children, so we could get them qualifications,鈥 she said. 鈥淪ome were getting a few hours鈥 tuition each week [under Oasis]. They鈥檇 been abandoned by the system not working for them. There was lots of debate about it, but it isn鈥檛 off rolling because they were never on-roll.鈥 The AP had catered for 115 pupils at first, but this has now reduced to 65 as pupils reintegrated back into mainstream. ALT said this 鈥渄emonstrates the effective impact of its tailored support systems鈥. OSA roped in again There have also been frictions between the two mainstream schools. Earlier this year, Leigh objected to EKC鈥檚 plans to name its primary on the Isle of Sheppey, Queenborough, as a feeder school to offer continuity of education. Among other things, Leigh said the plan was 鈥渦nfair鈥 as it 鈥減otentially unfairly disadvantages children from a particular social or racial group鈥 as there are other primaries with fewer pupils on free meals that are closer. However, schools adjudicator Philip Lloyd said it 鈥渨ould not be unreasonable or unfair鈥 to name Queenborough, which is three miles from the secondary, as a feeder school. There was 鈥渘o evidence鈥 it would 鈥渦nfairly disadvantage children from a particular social or racial group鈥. He pointed out EKC already admits a higher proportion of poorer pupils and those with additional needs than its predecessor. Last year, 37 per cent of pupils at EKCSS had an EHCP or were in receipt of SEN support 鈥 above the predecessor Oasis school鈥檚 29 per cent. LAM had 13 per cent. 拢2m spent but true costs unclear Questions remain about how much government funding was spent on turning around the schools. Cabinet Office spending data shows about 拢2 million was allocated to the trusts involved in the launch of the new schools last year. Most of this (拢1.5 million) went to Leigh, which spent its allocations on 鈥渢ransition planning鈥, leadership capacity and 鈥渘ew ICT infrastructure鈥. Just under 拢140,000 went to EKCSS. A further 拢370,000 was given to the ALT. However, it is unclear whether any more money was pumped into the project by the government. DfE has snubbed our requests for a breakdown of the costs associated with the handover, claiming it is not a rebroker and therefore it does not have to publish them. The department was approached for comment.