• We believe that the most important benefit to our academies is that the Trust is able to provide support at all levels including leadership, CPD, teaching and learning and governance.
• We are committed to providing improvement in opportunity and in attainment for all students.
• Networking between schools and practitioners at all levels is a proven way of maximising improvement and outcomes for children and young people. Groups of schools will be enabled to support each other. There will be outstanding schools, teaching schools, and schools that want to share expertise to improve.
• Within the Trust we have English and Maths Consultants, as well as expertise in the effective use of the pupil premium, EYFS specialists and all the CPD and research related to the Aspirer Research School. These people are there to support each and every school.
• The Members and Trustees of our Board have wide and varied experience and contacts in different public and private organisations. We will encourage them to provide opportunities for the group of schools in the arts, sport and in employment, for example.
• The services we will offer to the group of schools will be of the highest quality and will provide excellent value for money.

• Operationally, it is the Curriculum Team that lead on the raising of educational and attainment standards, with key colleagues in member academies and our SLE’s. It takes into account local context but endeavours to deliver a consistent responsible strategy in all schools and academies. This approach challenges and supports the local senior leadership team in each school and academy and sets the methodology for improving student attainment. It is characterised by the following actions:
• The Executive Principal / CEO co-ordinates the work of the Curriculum Team across all member schools, sets strategies for school improvement, establishes attainment targets and holds the principals to account for the actions of the local senior leadership teams.
• The Executive Principal / CEO quality assures the performance of each academy’s senior leadership team and assesses and monitors the effectiveness of the Curriculum Team.
• The Principals of the member schools and academies meet regularly with the Executive Principal / CEO to ensure consistent delivery of senior leadership team principles and practices and to review the strategy for school improvement both locally and across the group.
• The Curriculum Team supports and informs the production of the academy Improvement Plans and Self Evaluation Forms. The Business Plan reflects the priorities of the group members and is reviewed and adjusted annually against improvement priorities set by the Board of Trustees.
• The Executive Principal / CEO reports to the Local Academy Committees (LACs) at appropriate times throughout the school and academy year. These reports will complement and enhance the School Improvement Partner reports and provide information on the progress of the local institution and the outcomes set by the Curriculum Team.
• The Executive Principal / CEO is held to account by the Board of Trustees.
• In order to quality assure and support academy LACs, the Trust operates a Trustees Board which is made up of volunteer professionals chosen for their extensive experience in the education, charity and private sectors. It meets every term to discuss progress and support issues. The Board also reviews the performance of each academy against key performance indicators as identified in each academy education brief and annual action plan.

• Membership gives you access to a practitioner network and unique range of services and support that can be tailored to your needs both through the Trust and the Aspirer Research School. Whatever setting or scenario you find yourself in, the Trust can provide a bespoke package that entirely suits your situation and priorities. It provides a network of colleagues who want to work together and share good practice. It provides a wide range of professional development and promotion opportunities within the Trust.
• The Trust is structured to give its academy leaders a voice at the highest strategic level.

No. Each member school has its own Funding Agreement and budget. It keeps its governing body which is renamed as a Local Academy Committee.

No. As an academy and fund holder, each school keeps its own Governing Body as a Local Academy Committee, although conversion is often used as an opportunity to reduce the numbers of members.

Yes, or you can change it as you see fit; this is the choice of the school.

• The Principals have real say in the shape of the organisation and links with similar, like-minded heads.
• Access to high quality consultants
• Access to training and CPD from the Aspirer Research School.
• A ‘no blame’ team approach. We get together – discuss our issues and then work TOGETHER to overcome them.
• Staff are able to move around the Trust and gain experiences i.e. a different year group, an SLT position, etc.

• You don’t have to unless you are below the floor targets and/or in an Ofsted category. There is no risk attached to joining a chain. Before a school can join it must be part of a due diligence exercise that assured its staff and governors that all benefits were understood, and every aspect and outcome of joining had been discussed, analysed and agreed before any move was made. This is about joining something that is known, not about plunging uncertainly into the unknown.
• More and more schools are converting to academies and as they do the LA is becoming less and less effective.