Join the Tribe

Joining the Cheshire Academies Trust (CAT) presents a wealth of opportunities for schools aiming to enhance their educational provision and collaboration between staff, schools and communities. 

Testimonials

An SLT and Staff who feel re invigorated for the following reasons:

Expert and experienced leaders to provide training and support- Andre Curran and the CAT SI team are skilled, and Andrea’s inspirational curriculum and vision is something no other trust could offer. The Learning without Limits programme has already begun to transform the teaching and learning happening in the classroom. This was evidenced in learning walks and books scrutinies in the Summer term. The links with Hebden Green have been highly beneficial for our SEN pupils and staff working in SEN classes.

Opportunities for staff to share good practice and widen their own expertise. We have subject leaders running and attending at regular network meetings and two members of staff have been taken on as trust SLES. Our staff are now reporting back to me that they are already understanding the benefits of joining the Trust.

Attendance –Attendance and PA is an ongoing battle for our school context - Our attendance strategy has been re rewritten and is ready to go with the support of Trust Leaders. We have not had time to see impact as yet, but the systems in place are rigorous and pertinent to our context.

Ongoing School Improvement Support: Kate Doyle's (School Improvement Director) responsive and systemic approach using a wide range of trust expertise led to us being able to review systems and see a significant improvement to writing across the school in only two terms. Her challenge is kind, perceptive and robust.And in a nutshell- I feel like someone has our back.

Governance: The structures and systems set up to support strong Local Governing Bodies again has allowed our governors to see their roles more clearly and to begin to hold us to account more effectively.

Uniqueness- We are still RFPS. I am still the Headteacher, and my community is still my community.CAT values our unique context and allows us to maintain the right amount of autonomy. However, the opportunities for wider collaboration and joint learning are huge. We are refreshed and reinvigorated.

Joining CAT was the best thing we could have done! And it is just the start for us.

Sara Radley- Headteacher

As the Headteacher of the school, there is no doubt that joining the trust has strengthened all aspects of our school. The Trust aligns with our own school values and we have found that the trust has supported, challenged and enabled us to thrive, and this has been across all aspects of school life including HR, school improvement, finance, assessment, governance etc. And all of this has been done whilst still allowing individual schools to have autonomy and make decisions for their own community.

Outcomes:

Through working with the trust, we have significantly strengthened our outcomes at the end of KS2. We had specifically identified the need to improve outcomes for our more able pupils and over the last two consecutive years our data demonstrates the impact of this work.

School Improvement work- Working with our School Improvement partner (Kate Doyle), has supported and challenged us to meet our strategic priorities and ensure that we are continually improving and moving forward. We have always felt that our SIP understands our context and has worked to develop an understanding of the unique challenges of the school. Through this work, so many aspects of our school have been impacted including; curriculum, leadership, learning environments, subject leadership, attendance and strategic planning.

Local Governing board: Working with the Trust has enabled our governing board to focus on their strategic priorities and has supported them in being more effective.

Financial impact: Joining the Trust has meant that we now have accurate financial information enabling us to plan more strategically to meet our school priorities. The support from the CFOO and the Trust Business manager have been excellent and have enabled our school business manager to develop and progress and be more strategic when reporting to the local governing board and the finance governor. We now have financial data that we can rely on and trust and this has enabled us to plan appropriately and make challenging but necessary financial decisions at the right time.

Curriculum: Cheshire Academies Trust has significantly supported and improved teaching and learning within our school. Access to the ‘Learning Without Limits’ programme has significantly impacted on our curriculum and pedagogical practice. Through the MITA (Maximising impact of Teaching Assistants) project we now have staff with a greater awareness of how to scaffold work appropriately for SEND pupils and have begun to look at how we can deploy TA’s more effectively within our own school context.

Through the Trust, we now have a wider range of metrics to support our school self-evaluation and this again has strengthened our own evaluation and enabled us to evidence our areas of strength and further support our areas for development.

Joining Cheshire Academies Trust was the best decision that we made for our school as it has empowered us to make the right decisions for our community and feel supported in doing so. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to other schools and know that our school will continue to be strengthened by being part of this trust.

Jennie McAleny- Headteacher

Be part of our Tribe.

1. High-Quality and Inclusive Education: CAT is committed to inspiring hearts and minds through care, collaboration, and creativity. This ethos underpins our strategic aim of providing a high-quality education that is inclusive and tailored to the needs of all pupils. By joining the Trust, schools become part of a community that values uniqueness and strives to empower every child to achieve their full potential. The Trust leverages a talented School Improvement Team, which includes a School Improvement Director and a Professional Learning Director, ensuring that educational excellence is at the forefront of each school's journey. 

2. Professional Development and System Leadership: CAT offers extensive professional development opportunities through the Cheshire Leadership & Teaching Alliance (CLTA). This includes a comprehensive suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), the 'Learning without Limits' programme, and system leadership training that supports the development of expert teachers and leaders within the Trust. This focus on continuous professional growth ensures that teaching staff are well-equipped to deliver outstanding education and lead innovative school improvement initiatives. 

3. Strategic Governance and Operational Support: CAT places a high priority on strategic governance and operational effectiveness. The Trust offers robust support in areas such as finance, human resources, estate management, and governance, ensuring that schools operate efficiently and effectively. The Chief Finance and Operations Officer oversees capital development programmes and supports schools throughout the academy conversion process, while the Governance Director ensures that schools receive high-level guidance and support. 

Schools interested in joining the Cheshire Academies Trust are encouraged to engage with the Trust's CEO, Steve Ellis, to discuss the alignment of values, the strategic benefits, and the process for becoming a part of the Trust. They can reach out directly via email at ceo@cheshireacademiestrust.co.uk