We’re determined to ensure that every child has the opportunity to be successful whatever their starting point. To achieve this we provide high quality education across all phases, all sectors and all communities. We pledge an unswerving commitment to improve, accelerate and enable ambitious life goals amongst all our students. Discover more about our aim and our unique approach to achieve it by clicking here. 

Yes, the Trust team comprises of experienced and talented Board members with decades of experience in education and school improvement. Our Chief Executive and senior officers are all highly experienced school leaders. Each has a credible track record of school improvement and system leadership and has extensive experience of Ofsted and Inspection. Our Chief Executive was previously the Regional Director for Ofsted in the North West and the rest of the team are ex-HMI or trained Ofsted inspectors.

Additionally, our sponsor Shaw Trust has worked in schools to improve the opportunities available to young people and has over 30 years’ knowledge and expertise in supporting young people from a diverse range of backgrounds into education, training and employment.

As a Trust we respect religious holidays. However, what happens at individual Academy level will be a matter for the headteacher and Academy Council.

No, we trust our Academy leaders and Academy Councils to know what is right for their students and community. The Chief Executive, her team and the Trust Board will rigorously monitor and hold the leadership of the Academy to account. We work on a model of intervention in inverse proportion to success – in other words earned autonomy. In practical terms, we would not seek to impose any curriculum or pedagogy on our academies, but work with each Academy leader to ensure that their curriculum is fit for purpose.

Yes, pensions are retained and length of service is maintained.

With our approach to earned autonomy, any decisions over uniform are a matter for the Academy leaders and the Academy Council to decide on.

Given the reporting requirements of the auditors, Ofsted, Department for Education, and the Education Funding Agency, our view is that it makes sense to have a single system for all our academies. We will support the implementation and training required.

We would make a decision on a case-by-case basis depending on the timing of the Ofsted visit and conversion dates. Our main aim is to understand the type and level of support an Academy needs and we do not see any real benefit in putting an Academy through two inspections in close succession.

We are keen that the Trust and its academies are built from strong foundations. By building clusters of schools that are based near each other, we grow in a managed way so that we are able to add value and give our students the support they deserve.


With our team’s expertise in all types of schools, our strategy is to ensure the Trust has a broad portfolio of academies covering the full range of phase, sector, specialism and Ofsted grading. 

To learn more about the schools in our Trust, visit the ‘Our academies’ area or view them on our map > Click Here

The ability to work collaboratively enables each of our schools to access and utilise combined expertise, peer support and a vast number of resources and facilities.