Making schools work for their communities
The role of multi-academy trusts, government agencies and local businesses Welcome
An introduction to Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust from Chief Executive Officer, Mark Woods
“Over the years we’ve gone from strength to strength, continuing to Our story started out with a desire to provide high quality A well run regional multi-academy trust can free up excellent and dynamic education for everyone, right in the heart of our schools to make a larger impact. The collective strength achieve strong results and developing a reputation for excellence.” community, and this desire has grown into the Cambridge can genuinely make a difference through intervention and Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) that we know today. improvement. The proximity of schools enables people to come together and share ideas around best practice for the benefit of Five years on from CMAT’s formation this ethos, our reason for all. Crucially, in these difficult times, it also brings an opportunity existing, is articulated implicitly through our mission statement: for schools to work together to ensure money is best spent. to deliver, promote and inspire high-quality educational provision in schools at the heart of their local community so It has not been a simple change journey and we’ve made In focus... Swavesey Village College that every child is a successful learner, confident individual and mistakes along the way. You have to prepare for success and responsible and employable citizen; and so that every school is failure, but it’s how you react when something goes wrong a hub for community activities, a centre of extended services (which it will) that is important. The key is always being open Swavesey Village College first opened its doors in 1958 under running at the College, every child in the community has the and a source of immense pride for students, families and other and honest, tackling the issues and making required changes. the principles of Henry Morris’ vision for Cambridgeshire opportunity to sing or play in a group. local stakeholders. We do this as a team. There is a sense of camaraderie, mucking schools to be accessible to all those living in the villages and in, and sticking by each other even during the most difficult small towns, which he labelled as ‘Village Colleges’. The College also works diligently with its local primary cluster I am immensely proud and privileged to have been part of our times. That’s our way, our values. It is imperative in the tough to ensure that primary children feel part of the Swavesey journey over the past five years. I’ve been fortunate to work times to have others to remind you of the long-term vision. As the original member of the Cambridge Meridian Academies community before their secondary education starts – with with some truly inspirational people during this time, none more Trust (CMAT) family, the College has always been historically Swavesey staff providing languages and sports lessons in than our former Executive Principal, Martin Bacon, who did so Education is at the heart of what we do – we can’t do that supportive of – and rooted within – its village community. This partnership with colleagues from the primary schools. Year 6 much to make us the Trust we are (one that is ultimately created unless we get out there into the local community and we have ethos particularly appealed to Jacki Parris, now Vice-Principal pupils are supported in their transition to Year 7 by starting for schools, by schools). We could not succeed without the relied on the support of local people and local businesses over at Swavesey, who moved to the College in 1987. “There was their new timetable before the summer holidays, meeting their drive from and high-quality expertise of our people. the last five years (and we will in the future). The development a big focus on raising standards when I joined, it was a school teachers and beginning to find their way about the College, so at Northstowe will be a critical realisation of a long-held dream. with ambition, and from my own perspective I was appointed as ultimately the start in September becomes less daunting. We have a real mix of schools, serving both very affluent Being at the heart of an exciting new town, and potentially head of department – which meant a promotion – so it all fited and deprived communities. Swavesey Village College, where running arts and sport from our education base, means we together,” she said. “I really wanted to work in a community Meanwhile, businesses in the local community are regularly it began for CMAT, remains at the heart of the community. can help to create an inclusive learning community from the college and over the years we’ve gone from strength to welcomed into the College. The College runs careers breakfasts Despite its growth and expansion it is still a proper village ground up. strength, continuing to achieve strong results and developing a for students in all years in which representatives of businesses college – we haven’t lost that and won’t. Our seven other reputation for excellence.” can come and chat freely with students, inspiring them and academies joined when in challenging circumstances – and My vision, come 2022, is for CMAT to be an all-through and helping them to build connections for the future. Additionally, together we have made real improvements for communities all-inclusive trust that really gets to grips with deprivation and CMAT was formed in 2011 to enable Swavesey to help spread businesses involved in the redevelopment of the A14 are through sharing our passion for education. raises aspirations amongst everyone it connects with. I want good education practice – and Jacki said that following the currently using the College for their meetings and in return will us to be one of the best Trusts, whilst at the same time having arrival of Principal Martin Bacon the focus of the College be running sessions with students to inform them about the We have successfully transferred our community ethos into strong relationships with other Trusts in the area, not least The evolved. “Because of the political situation at that time we were work they do. Peterborough. Nene Park Academy is located in what must be Cam Academy Trust who we already work closely with. We also quite inward looking, there was no collaboration with other the best part of Peterborough but was struggling; now the area want to be an enabler for smaller multi-academy trusts. schools, and we didn’t really share information,” she recalled. In the past 59 years many things may have changed about also has one of the best schools in the city. Our engagement “Then things changed, we began collaborating and helping Swavesey Village College but what remains are those values with the local community and local businesses, our relationship Finally, and this comes back to people, we have to look at other schools to improve. That was down to Martin. His legacy of Henry Morris – values which are mirrored by CMAT. “The with Peterborough United FC perhaps the highest profile, has ‘professionalising the profession’. Teaching is the greatest lives on under our current Principal Andy Daly. We have our Trust has a clear vision and purpose which, put simply, is about helped to turn the school around. The school is now a vital profession you can work in, yet somehow we find ourselves in a own highly successful Teaching School and collaborate regularly being there for every single student and helping them to fulfil community resource. situation where schools cannot recruit the high-quality teachers with other multi-academy trusts and teaching school alliances.” their potential – and the Trust’s set of values are over-arching they need and the whole value of the profession is being across all CMAT schools,” Jacki said. “Because our schools are We also fight for the area of North Cambridge we serve, questioned. So we have a bigger role to play. And, through our Jacki added that she felt “privileged” to chair a joint teaching located so close to each other geographically we can genuinely supporting deprived communities, through North Cambridge ITT providers, the Cambridge Teaching School Network and school strategy group made up from the eight teaching schools establish support mechanisms that work and benefit every Academy. Whether it is Nene Park, North Cambridge, Sawtry, The Cambridge Partnership, and our continuing professional in Cambridgeshire to share best practice and raise improvement one of our schools. We will continue to be outward-looking Swavesey, West Town or our more recent joiners, Ely and development centre, Leadership East, we are stepping up and across the county in collaboration with the Local Authority and and, above all, help schools and teachers to improve. Having Sawtry Juniors, our goal is to give a soul and sense of pride back taking responsibility for our profession within our Trust and the Regional Schools Commissioner. However, the College worked at Swavesey for 30 years I am so proud to have been to all our schools. across the region. Exciting times ahead. continues to keep the local community at its heart and there part of where we are today and look forward to us making an is no beter example than Swavesey Music School. The school even greater positive impact in the communities we serve in aims to provide students of all ages and abilities with the the future. The opportunity to work with partners to place opportunity to learn and use the language of music. It hopes to education at the heart of the new town at Northstowe is an increase the range of musical opportunities and styles available amazing opportunity to create something really special.” in the near future and to ensure that, with the musical groups The Trust starts life as Cambridge Meridian Education Trust (CMET) MAR The Comberton Academy Trust is established. In the first instance, FEB 2009 in order to bid to promote the new schools at Northstowe it oversees Comberton Village College’s conversion to Academy status 2011
Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) is formed to enable The Trust’s remit soon develops as it works with Peterborough MAR Swavesey Village College to help spread good education practice 2011 City Council to improve The Voyager Academy in Peterborough SEP
SEP Nene Park Academy joins the CMAT family Comberton Village College receives an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted judgement in its first official Ofsted as an Academy FEB 2013 2013 SEP CMAT welcomes North Cambridge Academy A new free school run by the Trust, named Cambourne Village College, opens to its first set of pupils SEP NOV Nene Park Academy is rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted
The Cam Academy Trust JUN West Town Primary Academy becomes the first primary A further secondary school, Melbourn Village College, joins the Trust SEP 2014 school to join the CMAT family
Stamford Welland Academy joins the Trust OCT Cambourne Village College receives an ‘Outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted in all areas at its first Ofsted inspection MAY 2015 FEB North Cambridge Academy is rated ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding’ 2015 leadership and management by Ofsted The Trust supports The Voyager Academy to a position where it is out of special measures FEB APR Sawtry Village Academy, a school in special measures, joins the CMAT family 2016
Sawtry Village Academy is moved out of special measures by Gamlingay First School joins the Trust 2016 JAN Ofsted and is said to have been “completely transformed” APR Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust Trust Academies Meridian Cambridge
JUL Ely College joins the CMAT family Afer substantial growth, the Trust changes its name to The Cam Academy Trust JUN
CMAT and Staploe Education Trust launch a new sixth-form SEP provision for East Cambridgeshire called Bishop Laney Sixth Form St Peter’s School in Huntingdon joins the Trust SEP
NOV CMAT welcomes Sawtry Junior Academy
The Trust brokers a new partnership for The Voyager Academy with Peterborough-based Thomas Deacon Academy Education Trust JAN DfE multi-academy trusts ‘league table’ shows CMAT to be the fith best JAN 2017 2017 performing MAT in the country
FEB Stamford Welland Academy is rated ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted A further two primary phase schools, Hartford Junior and Hartford Infant Schools, become academies of the Trust JAN Welcome
An introduction to The Cam Academy Trust from Chief Executive, Stephen Munday
“Our pupils are making excellent progress and come to school happily, and we’ve The Cam Academy Trust exists to ensure that every individual There are more businesses seriously engaging in education created an inspirational staff team which is exceptionally skilful and hard-working.” pupil achieves his or her full, positive potential through because they want to ensure that youngsters receive the very a broad and high-quality education. We were founded on best education. High-quality education means high-quality core values that start and end with a passion for educational skilled students who will benefit local businesses, often going excellence for all. on to study apprenticeships or degrees. We greatly welcome investment from businesses in our schools and recognise the When I look back on our journey so far I do so with strong business interest in excellent local education. In focus... Cambourne Village College considerable pride. I am most proud of where we have provided really good education that has made a positive difference to all Overall, our development has been highly satisfying, and we types of youngsters and families in a range of circumstances, have learned important lessons on our way. Be clear on what Building work began on a new community in Cambridgeshire both weekend days. We are working with local businesses in and how we have worked together with other partners (not you are, and what you are not. Be clear on what you stand for called Cambourne in the late 1990s and, through its school and this will grow as we have our first cohort of Year 10 simply on our own). – it is not hard to develop and mature if you have some clear evolution, the development has been heralded by government students going on work experience this summer.” guiding principles and you have people who believe in them. Our first year was very much about confirming what we were And be clear on your territory and your capacity to do a really departments as a shining example of how to design and build a about. This came down to especially being clear about our core community from scratch. However, there is still great ambition for Cambourne and good job for everyone within that territory. further room for growth. The College is already undergoing a principles and values. It was also about building something Cambourne Village College, which opened its doors in further multi-million pound investment to increase its capacity that could work in practice. The role that Comberton Village We have evolved significantly in the past 12 months, not least September 2013, has been pivotal in driving the success of to cater for its fifth and ‘final’ cohort of students with a College played in the early days, supporting another school in with a new name – The Cam Academy Trust (indicating how Cambourne as a new community. In the early days, young published admission number of 1,050 pupils from September challenging circumstances, helped to frame our identity going we have become a wider partnership of schools in a clear people from the villages of Great, Lower and Upper Cambourne 2017 to meet the needs of the ever-growing new setlement. forward so that we have been able to establish a proper Trust geographical area) – but our values are unchanged. that can oversee and add value to all of our schools today. went to Comberton Village College for their secondary The additional facilities will include 14 new classrooms, a We are clear on what we could and should be doing. Becoming education. However, as Cambourne grew, a secondary school purpose-built music block, performance hall and extensions to Whether it is Comberton, Cambourne or Melbourn Village a genuinely cross-phase Trust with strong representation of its own that the community could be proud of became the library and dining facilities. Colleges or our newest schools of St Peter’s, Gamlingay First from primary as well as secondary schools has been a vital a necessity and therefore Cambourne Village College was “Over the next five years we’d like to establish Cambourne as (set to become Primary) or Hartford Infant and Hartford Junior, development for us and for the area that we seek to serve. Our established as a free school by Comberton Academy Trust (now our mission is clear. In line with Henry Morris’s vision for primary and secondary membership is now 50-50, and over The Cam Academy Trust). one of the finest secondary schools in the country, building on the work of our Teaching School to continue to enhance staff Cambridgeshire Village Colleges, community is a focal point of time we hope that we will have the opportunity to work with At the heart of the College’s development are Principal Claire development and the opportunities we can offer our pupils,” our educational values and this is set in stone in these values: even more primary schools in our local area. Coates and Deputy Principal Sean Sumner, both previously Claire revealed. “We also plan to increase our partnerships with every academy must be at the heart of its local community and serve it well. They should go beyond being ‘just schools’, We also hope that we may have further opportunities to senior leaders at Comberton Village College. “I like a challenge our primary partners. Our collaboration with Jeavons Wood open more schools in Cambourne as the community expands – and this was one I was really excited to accept,” Claire said. Primary School (due to join The Cam Academy Trust in 2017) with facilities available to the community and education going beyond certain hours, days and ages. and that where further new population developments take “The year-on-year growth has undoubtedly been our biggest is already showing the potential educational benefits of a more place in our local area (we are very clear that we are and will test. It’s been about managing the increase in numbers of both closely-planned curriculum and cohesion for pupils. We have We have a clear view of high-quality schools that are truly remain a locally-based Trust) we can bring our track record pupils and staff, whilst trying hard to maintain a small school several heads of departments working with colleagues in the comprehensive, ensuring excellence for all types of pupils, and community vision to more new schools when needed. As feel where everyone feels they have a stake. We’re proud that primary school and, from my perspective, this is where the and are central to cohesive and positive communities. Our well as both primary and secondary free school provision, this our pupils are making excellent progress and come to school biggest benefit for pupils is going to be.” commitment to this ethos is clear with our first free school, may also include provision for children with particular special happily, and we’ve created an inspirational staff team which is Cambourne Village College is a clear example of how education Cambourne Village College. Developing a successful school educational needs. exceptionally skilful and hard-working.” from scratch has been a crucial task for us. The history of this can drive the success of a new community, not just by bringing We want our local area to have successful and positive In May 2015, less than two years after opening, Cambourne people together with its community facilities but also by giving country shows that just because you build a new community does not necessarily mean it will work. Schools must be the communities. We will continue to seek to contribute to that in Village College was judged to be “Outstanding” by Ofsted them something to be proud of and uniting them in a drive partnership with others, including other multi-academy trusts in every category – a fantastic achievement for the school for outstanding education for their children. It is also evidence focal point – this is what we have aimed for with the opening of Cambourne Village College and the wider Cambourne like CMAT, rather than seeking to work in isolation. Strong and the Cambourne community, of which the College is a of the value of a multi-academy trust’s support network for community is best built through partnership. focal point. The £21 million building erected to house the a school. “The support of so many staff at Comberton Village community has really got behind this approach, which is great College incorporates not only state-of-the-art classrooms and College just to enable us to open and get off the ground has to see. learning spaces, but also a sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor been invaluable,” Claire said. “Sharing staff across the Trust has Relationships with local businesses are important to us. This sports facilities, drama studio and music facilities. “We are been fundamental to our establishment and continuing success is obviously so through the Trustees we have recruited from building a strong relationship with the local community who in offering exceptional educational opportunities for pupils. strong business backgrounds and whose expertise provides are very supportive of us,” Claire explained. “From the first Now the high level of Trust support in areas like finance and crucial governance for our Trust and schools. term of opening, the school premises have been available for premises is huge as well. We’re very much looking forward to the community to use. This has expanded rapidly and we’re consolidating our pupil numbers and staff team, and continuing now open until 10pm five evenings a week and are open on to develop as an inspirational learning community.” Making schools work for their communities
The role of multi-academy trusts, government agencies and local businesses