Making Schools Work for Their Communities
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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.