Buckland Newton CofE VC Primary School Sherborne Abbey CofE VC Primary School Sherborne Primary School St Andrew's CofE VC Primary School St Mary's CofE VC Primary School The Gryphon School Thornford CE VA Primary School Sherborne Learning Centre
Who are we? • Seven schools serving the Sherborne area • Mix of primary and secondary schools • Mix of an academy, maintained, community and Church of England Schools • 2700 pupils from 0-19 years • A large specialist workforce of 184 teachers (151 fte); 292 non-teaching staff (158 fte) • A combined budget of £13.2 million expenditure • All part of the Sherborne pyramid
Academies and MATs What is an Academy? • Academies are state-funded schools, which are independent of the Local Authority. • Academies receive their funding directly from the Education Funding Agency (an agency of the Department for Education) rather than from local authorities so academies can choose how best to spend that money on the provision of education. • Academies are required to follow the law and guidance on admissions, special educational needs and exclusions as if they were maintained schools. • There are 6,033 academies including 3750 primary and 2092 secondary. What is a MAT – a Multi Academy Trust? • A Multi-Academy Trust is a single academy trust that governs a group of schools through a single set of trustees (the directors of the company). • It is set up by a group of schools, usually a local collaboration, that share a common ethos and vision. Each school is an Academy but together they operate as one trust.
The journey so far • Since 2014 the Sherborne Schools’ Partnership have discussed possibilities • Watching the changing education landscape with academies and the role of Local Authorities • MATs are best designed locally and bespoke • Honest SWOT analysis and building trust • In 2015 all the schools met formally and agreed a Memorandum of Understanding • In January 2016 a PSIB (Project Steering and Interim Board), with a Governor and Head of each school, was set up to lead further development • Detailed due diligence work has been undertaken through 2016 • Applications to proceed were made to the DFE and to the Diocese of Salisbury – these were granted January 2017 • It is the Governing body of each School who make the decision on whether to become an academy as part of the SAST
Our Values Our partnership is an inclusive learning community All schools are equal partners committed to collaboration We will celebrate each school’s unique and individual characteristics There will be a rigorous focus on the key areas for improvement The Trust will seek to pre-empt issues of performance All schools value all of our staff and the contribution they bring
The agreed Mission To be a special collaboration of high performing primary, secondary and alternative provision schools seeking to ensure an excellent and sustainable 0-19 education for children within our community across West and North Dorset. To build upon the existing good relationships across the Sherborne Schools’ Partnership and the Sherborne small schools’ cluster and develop as a family of schools working together to strengthen each school and inspire our young people and their families. To have a shared commitment to creative and innovative learning opportunities, high aspirations and leadership, and academic success within inspiring schools, alongside developing the personal attributes for everyone (children and staff) to thrive at every stage of their learning journey.
Some challenges along the way • Building confidence and supporting each other • Taking over syndrome • Other schools being interested • All of the SSP staying together • Changing Government policy • Managing realistic expectations • Funding • Business vs Education
The potential benefits – 8 aspects 1. Students will make even better progress and improved outcomes 2. Preserving, protecting and enhancing what we have 3. The schools have the experience, expertise and quality to operate as a MAT 4. Even better teaching and learning 5. It will provide the resources to support outstanding teaching and learning 6. High impact school to school leadership support 7. More integrated and co-ordinated support for students and families 8. Securing and managing resources and facilities to sustain high quality provision
Benefits Even better experiences, Even better teaching and opportunities and learning progress • Sharing practice • Academic progress • Tracking and • Destinations assessment systems • Shared ownership • Joint moderation • Understanding • Shared approaches with SEND and PP students • Transition • Subject groups • Cores skills - RWM • CPD and leadership
Benefits Preserving, protecting and Existing experience, expertise enhancing what we have and quality • Common ethos and • Strong alliance philosophy • Experienced and committed • Local ownership and design Governors • Evolution of SSP • Successful schools • Distinct character preserved • Continuity of leadership • Village & town primary • Academy experience schools • Independent experience • No change to uniform, school name, admissions • Aspiration and being outward looking
Benefits Support for students and School to school support families • School improvement • Consistency of approach focus • Early intervention • Outward looking • Parent support • Supporting each other • Attendance and • Supporting other schools behaviour • Opportunities for staff • Commissioning support • Developing middle and • Personal qualities of senior leaders children
Benefits Even better resources for Resources and facilities teaching and learning • Target local needs • Curriculum freedoms • Quality purchasing • Pastoral and classroom • Shared support services support • Economies of scale • Recruitment and • Student recruitment retention of staff • Commercial opportunities • Share and collaborate • Budget savings • Teaching School status • Access to academy capital funding
How does it work? What changes? • Smooth transition for children, parents and staff • The design is for individual schools to retain their character • The main changes are with governance, leadership and finance functions • Each school has a LGB and a Head – responsibilities are delegated to run each School • An Executive Group of all HTs will meet regularly • The funding formula is the same plus an additional ESG (grant) – there is a top slice to pay for central functions e.g. finance, HR
Governance
Key principles of governance • The Board of Trustees represents the interests of all schools and all children. • Trustees are appointed to match the required skill set. • Local Governing Bodies are crucial in representing the interests of the school community, supporting and challenging the school and in holding each Headteacher to account. LGBs retain current balance of membership including parents. • All are volunteers
Governance • Members – Shareholders, Trustee / Governor Appts • Trustees / Directors – The Governing Body for all the Schools • Local Governance – The Local Governing Group will focus on teaching and learning, standards and achievement, community and safeguarding
Members, Trustees and LGB • 6 members – 3 Foundation • 12 Trustees – 6 Foundation; Exec Head • 12 max local governors in each school - membership balance to reflect existing proportions; NO local level sub- committees .
Members and Trustees designate Proposed Members Proposed Trustees Nigel Rees NLG Paul Taylor Nigel Rees Janis Hill Roy Davey Jenny Dwyer Leadership, Diocese of Leadership, HR, community, Education – Education – governance, Salisbury, governance, education, Primary and Secondary finance, business education, finance, business staffing secondary School Strategic community, improvement Leadership pastoral care Foundation Foundation School Foundation Improvement Foundation Jono Tregale tbc Jono Tegale Phil Tebbatt Caryl Plewes Jill Hogben Community Community Finance, legal, Strategic, HR, safeguarding, development, development, commercial Governance community, communication, communication, School training strategic planning strategic planning improvement Foundation and pastoral care. and pastoral care. Primary education Foundation Foundation Foundation John Ponsonby tbc Tim Bartley Tony Cooke Peter Tait Exec Head/CEO OBE Business, project Strategic Education – Strategic, leadership, finance, leadership, primary, business, asset management business, secondary, commercial, commercial national education training writer, school leadership
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