Welcome Great Academies Education Trust was established in 2012 by New Charter Housing Trust who believes that children and young people deserve outstanding schools to help them raise and fulfil their ambitions.
Ian Munro, New Charter Group Chief Executive and Chair of Great Academies Education Trust:
Our job is about providing Great Homes in Great Neighbourhoods with Great People. It is clear to me that our massive investment in homes and environment will not, on its own, provide great opportunities for all our communities. I want to give young people the chance to achieve more than they thought possible, where better to start than school? Our academies can provide this.
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Our Academies Our academies will be listening and learning communities; places where everyone is valued as an individual, where everyone achieves more than they thought possible and develops into confident, responsible and successful young adults. Our academies will provide high quality learning opportunities for children aged 3-18 and will have strong links with their local neighbourhood. Each academy will have its own identity and culture, but will share the overall vision of encouraging our children and young people to achieve more than they thought possible.
Our academies share the same values: Genuine Respect Excellence Achievement Together Genuine:
We will be open and honest with each other in a climate of mutual trust, to ensure that we always do our best for the children in our academies. We will keep parents and carers informed about the progress of their child and will publish our results and progress.
Respect:
We value the diversity of our school communities and welcome all children to our academies. We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our children both inside and outside of school.
Excellence:
We strive for excellence and are intolerant of mediocrity. We want every child to benefit from excellent teaching. We will provide professional development for teaching and non-teaching staff to ensure we achieve the highest standards.
Achievement:
We have high aspirations for our children. We want every young person to achieve their potential at each stage of their educational journey and go on to their chosen career.
Together:
We believe that we can make the biggest difference when we work collaboratively across our academies to support each other. We forge strong local partnerships with other education providers and external partners to achieve the maximum benefit for our pupils. 3
Our approaches to school improvement Shared NQT and CPD Sessions Shared Expertise and Resources
Monitoring and Intervention Shared Values and Responsibility
Robust Quality Assurance
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Joint Policy Development and Shared Resources
Shared Resources
Shared NQT and CPD Sessions
• HR expertise in policy and practice
• Central and school based induction for all staff
• Innovation in learning
• Opportunities for shared NQT and RQT development
• Sharing learning materials • Opportunities for student leadership
• Shared middle leadership training and accreditation
Robust Quality Assurance
• Talent development, job shadowing, bespoke programmes to create talent pool for future
• Sharing data and improvement plans • Academy to Academy visits/observation
Shared Expertise and Resources
• Guidance and advice
• Centrally employed specialists in key development areas as agreed by Principals
Monitoring and Intervention • Mutual support and challenge for Senior Leaders • Mutual accountability • Continuous Governor development and training
• Central functions – finance, legal, HR, ICT, asset management • Educational leadership/co-ordination, strategic priorities
• High quality governance
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What support does Great Academies Education Trust provide?
• Legal Services
The Trust provides comprehensive and efficient business support to allow the academy leadership teams to concentrate on education. The support provided includes:
• IT Support
• Human Resources • Payroll • Asset Management
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• Governance • Finance • Health and Safety • Project Management • Community Engagement The principals of each academy are members of the Principals Group which is the focus for support and challenge between our schools.
Who is the sponsor? New Charter Housing Trust Group is a social landlord owning over 18,000 homes. We have a turnover of £100 million and a workforce of over 900 people. The New Charter Building Company provides a property repair, maintenance and improvement service working with a range of external partners and covering the whole of the North West, employing over 200 people and achieving a turnover of £34 million. We are a Sunday Times Best 100 Company, achieving 7th place in the Not-for-Profit list in 2012. Our customer satisfaction ratings are among the best in the country.
Our vision is to provide ‘Great Homes, Great Neighbourhoods and Great People’. We believe that children and young people in Tameside should have outstanding schools to increase opportunities and achievement to further that vision. Our commitment is financial – we have invested over £3.5m into an endowment for education in the borough and support our schools’ activities financially in other ways - as well as in our time and expertise. We have supported curriculum enrichment in sport, music and culture as well as enhancing direct academic provision.
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Why should my school join the Great Academies Education Trust? All schools joining the Trust will become a member of the Great Academies “family�, with access to the support of a local, ethical sponsor with high ambitions for its schools and excellent business support. As a local company committed to the borough, its children and communities, the Trust works collaboratively with Tameside MBC to ensure that, with our local and ethical sponsorship, our academies can meet the challenges ahead. Staff will enjoy the highest standards of professional development and the security and benefits of working for an employer with an exceptional track record. We have excellent relationships with the professional associations and Trade Unions and understand how important a committed workforce is. The support of the sponsor ensures that access to extra-curricular activities to enrich the lives of our pupils is available. This includes a wide range of cultural, sporting and leisure opportunities. We are currently working in partnership with the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, Bridgewater Hall and the Manchester United Foundation. Our work with local employers and further and higher education institutions means that our pupils 8
will have a wide range of options open to them for the next stage of their lives. We are at the forefront of work in Tameside to increase the number of apprenticeships available to young people across the borough and we will ensure our pupils will have access to these opportunities.
How we’re organised GREAT ACADEMIES EDUCATION TRUST (GAET) Board of Directors
FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE Considers the finances, internal control systems and approach to risk management of the Academies
PRINCIPALS GROUP
EXECUTIVE SUPPORT (with Sponsor Support)
NEW CHARTER ACADEMY
SILVER SPRINGS ACADEMY
COPLEY ACADEMY
Local Governing Body
Local Governing Body
Local Governing Body
Made up of Principal, parents and Community Leaders
Made up of Principal, parents and Community Leaders
Made up of Principal, parents and Community Leaders
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FAQs What is an academy? Academies are publicly funded independent schools that provide a first class education. Academies benefit from greater freedoms to innovate and raise standards.
How are academies funded? Academies receive the same level of per pupil funding as they would receive from the local authority as a maintained school, plus additions to cover the services that are no longer provided for them by the local authority. However, academies have greater freedom over how they use their budgets to best benefit their students. Academies receive their funding directly from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) rather than from local authorities.
Why is a housing trust involved in education? New Charter Housing Trust’s vision is to provide Great Homes, Great Neighbourhoods and Great People. It believes that children and young people in Tameside should have outstanding schools to increase opportunities and achievement to further its vision.
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What are the responsibilities of the Principal and the Local Governing Body (LGB) in an academy? The LGB supports the Principal in monitoring policies and operations such as admissions, behaviour and discipline; the academy budget; the curriculum and its delivery; maintaining the quality of the education delivered by the academy and ensuring the academy’s links with the wider community. The LGB has special responsibility to monitor academic progress as it is reviewed year by year.
Will becoming an academy increase burdens on volunteer school governors as they take on functions previously discharged by the local authority? There are many similarities between the governing bodies of maintained schools and academies. GAET will provide the necessary training and support to governors to ensure they are able to fulfil their duties.
How does my school become an academy? A dedicated Project Manager will lead and guide you through the process.
Contact us For more information please contact one of the following:
Ian Munro Group Chief Executive Chair of GAET
Christine Amyes Executive Director People
Tony Powell Executive Director Neighbourhoods
New Charter Housing Trust Group Cavendish 249, Cavendish Street, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT 0161 331 2121 Website: www.newcharter.co.uk Twitter @NewCharterGroup
Stephen Ball Head Teacher New Charter Academy
Facebook www.facebook.com/newcharterhomes
Deborah Mason Head Teacher Silver Springs Academy
Matt Jennings Head Teacher Copley Academy 11
New Charter Housing Trust Group Cavendish 249 Cavendish Street Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT 0161 331 2121 www.newcharter.co.uk
Resource Housing Reg. No. 2111