Our Approach

Our belief that there is excellence in each young person means that we challenge both a culture of low expectations and a narrow view of education.
Academic excellence is vital and the bedrock of education. Too many young people have been failed by an unstated belief that they are not capable of achieving academically, creating a culture of low expectations.

Bringing out the best in young people also empowers them to grow into great citizens, community members, family members and advocates. Their time at school is a chance to discover their own excellent gifts, gaining the confidence to make their own special contribution.

Each person’s contribution will look different. So will the gifts they develop. Education should have depth and breadth. We want every pupil to achieve their best academically and ensure they grow to become constructive citizens, family members and community participants. We see both these crucial aspects of our work as one, joined-up process. Our job is to bring out the best in each young person and help them develop their own unique talents.

Education is the time in our lives when we discover who we are and plot a course for our future. An excellent school experience should offer new possibilities for each young person, regardless of their background or circumstances.
It must empower them to make a meaningful decision around how they spend their life and where to invest their energies, gifts and talents.

We practise a partnership or “eco-system” approach to school improvement. Every school that joins the Trust has at least something to learn and a great deal to contribute. There may be points in the journey when a particular school receives more support than it offers, but this is unlikely to last for long.
Our Trust began as a partnership between two schools. Though one was deemed to be a higher-performing school, both learned from each other. After the first year of our two founding schools learning from each other, the results at both went up. As a result of our eco-system approach, 92% of our schools are rated “Good” or better by Ofsted – just 53% achieved this before joining the Trust.

We provide range of partnership-based services around finance, estate management, HR, communications and governance. These ensure excellence in their relevant areas and enable the school to focus on delivering life-changing education.