A new multi-academy trust bringing together schools in mid Suffolk has been launched this month, with the first five schools converting to academies under its umbrella.
All Saints Schools Trust formally launched this month with the express purpose of bringing small rural church and community primary schools together.
All Saints Laxfield Primary, Fressingfield Primary, Stradbroke Primary, Wortham Primary and St Peter and St Paul in Eye are the first schools to convert to academies for the trust.
Melanie Barrow, chief executive and co-principal of All Saints Schools Trust, said: “By pro-actively deciding to work together we are able to pool our resources and continue to provide the very highest quality of opportunities for our pupils.
“It is an exciting time for our schools.”
The new trust combines voluntary aided (VA), voluntary controlled (VC) and community schools, which trust bosses said was unusual but made it “very inclusive”.
A detailed consultation was carried out before the trust was finalised, with the Department for Education and the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, which has its own multi-academy trust, also giving the trust its blessing.
The trust has confirmed that the day-to-day running and leadership of the schools will not change, but will allow the establishments to share their strengths with each other.
James Hargrave, chairman of the trustees, said: “Creating the trust has been a great experience.
“Through bringing together four governing bodies we have developed a very strong skills set for our trust board.
“Trustees have expertise in HR, law, finance and IT.
“We wanted to develop the very best trust model to benefit our pupils and I believe we have created this.”
Two of the five schools – All Saints Laxfield and Wortham – have ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings while the other three are all rated ‘good’.
The trust hopes the strong foundations of the schools will allow the trust to grow over time.
Co-principal Mark Carlyle added: “There is strength and depth in our leadership model.
“It is not dependent on one leader and ultimately the schools, pupils and trust are going to be enabled to develop and progress through this.”
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