Hello from our CEO

“We think everyone deserves an excellent education and everything we do is designed to deliver that. Across our Trust and our family of schools we encourage everybody to strive for excellence.

This academic year seems to have flown by and has been filled with many examples of staff, children, young people, parents, governors, trustees and our community partners striving for excellence. It is lovely to take a trip down memory lane reflecting on the many wonderful events, achievements and improvements across the Trust schools.

Earlier this year, we organised the first Trust Collaboration Day, a valuable event that enabled meaningful networking and collaboration among key thinkers and leaders from our schools. The day led to some excellent learning opportunities for our staff who paid it forward to our children and young people with great learning in the classroom and a plethora of enrichment activities that are woven through the curriculum in all of our schools The positive feedback we received from staff highlighted the value of this experience, and we are planning to host more days like this in the upcoming academic year.

In the summer term we held our first cross Trust Strategy Workshop where trustees, governors, clerks and Trust leaders came together at Sir John Talbot’s school to consider the Trust strategy and discuss what our family of schools will work towards by 2025.

The Big Sing (cover image), organised by Sir John Talbot’s School in May was a magnificent celebration of the amazing talent we have in the Trust. School performances of Matilda Jr at Marches School and Aladdin Jr at Shrewsbury Academy have dazzled us with the amazing array of talent in our children and young people. In June the Marches School hosted the Trust Robot Wars competition at Aico in Oswestry with students from all four of our secondary schools participating.

We are incredibly proud of the excellent work that George Hounsell does for physical and education and sport in our Trust. This year he has helped to secure funding applications to further develop our school’s provision and facilities. In total over £240,000 has been brought into the Trust from numerous funders that include Sport England, the National Lottery Fund, and the Department for Education Projects that have been possible this year include an outdoor gym at Longlands Primary School, new Duke of Edinburgh equipment and tents for Shrewsbury Academy students and a unique outdoor table tennis classroom at Grange Primary School.

At Lower Heath CE Primary School, we have seen the near completion of two new classrooms and work has commenced at Oakmeadow CE Primary School on a new community building. Also in the pipeline are improvements at Grange Primary School to move the nursery.

Just over 12 months ago, leaders within the Trust came together with an idea of establishing a charitable foundation, the 4 All Foundation, to support communities across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. This vision of supporting numerous local community members over a wide span has now become possible with support from various funding providers that includes Sport England, National Lottery Fund and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Foundation has grown and developed into a large charitable organisation, bigger than we first thought, having three main Community Hubs in Market Drayton, Telford, and Shrewsbury. These Hubs see weekly activities take place run by our Community Engagement Officer and Activity Coaches. Sessions include SEND multi sports, a Ukrainian support hub, baby loss support group and yoga workshops

Our fantastic team of staff across the Trust have been immensely proactive ensuring no stone is unturned to help, guide, support and inspire our young people in achieving their very best. As a Trust we felt this needed to be acknowledged and for the first time we held our Trust staff awards which recognised staff in every school for the way they exemplify our Trust values.

It must be my age as once again I sit here writing my piece for the summer newsletter thinking it can’t be July already – can it? Then I remember all the events, learning, conversations, eager faces, laughter and I just smile! What a wonderful year it has been!

Thank you to all our staff, children, young people, governors, Trustees, parents and communities - you make it possible for our family of schools to be vibrant, fun and forward thinking

Sarah Finch, CEO