Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) Update

Cotham Gardens Primary School has been a successful stand-alone academy since October 2012. In that time, we have achieved our current good Ofsted grading (in 2014) and attracted more pupils so much so that we needed to grow the premises with the building of the Elmgrove Road site in 2016. Whilst we have enjoyed the benefits of independence as a single academy, in the ever-changing education landscape, the Board of Governors now feel the time is right for us to join a multi-academy trust. We have been very transparent with our staff, our parents and with the community about the process of finding and joining a trust, including sharing with you the names of trusts we have been talking to.

Overall, we feel that by joining the right trust, we can not only retain our individual identity as a school, but also benefit from the increased academic, financial and skills capacity a larger trust would bring. Further, the opportunities for professional development and career mobility would also be available to our staff team. All this, we believe, will enhance the educational experience and outcomes of our children. This is always our first and last consideration.

For your interest, please find below the responses to some FAQs on the subject:

What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)? A Multi-Academy Trust is a group of schools that work together under a single organisation, sharing resources, expertise, and best practices to improve education across all member schools.

Why is our school joining a MAT? Joining a MAT allows us to collaborate with other schools, access additional resources, and benefit from shared expertise, all of which contribute to enhancing the quality of education for our students.

Will the school's ethos and values change? No, our school's ethos and values will remain the same. Joining a MAT will help us strengthen and preserve these values while benefiting from the additional support and opportunities the trust provides.

How will joining a MAT impact students? Students will benefit from improved resources, enriched curriculum opportunities, and access to a broader range of extracurricular activities, all of which are made possible through the collaboration within the MAT.

What changes can parents expect? Parents may notice improvements in the quality of education, facilities, and communication. However, the day-to-day experience for students and parents will largely remain the same.

Will there be any changes in school leadership? The school leadership will continue to be committed to our school's success, with additional support and guidance from the MAT to help further our goals and ensure the best outcomes for our students.

Do we know which MAT we will be joining and if so when this will happen? As many of you know, the Board of Trustees has been working very actively over the past two years to find a strong and successful MAT partner for the school to join. Having progressed almost to the point of agreement with a school trust earlier this year, unfortunately this proposed transfer is not now happening. However, our CEO and Chair of Trustees are actively talking to the DfE team in our region and to other Trust leaders to ensure we find a partner soon. Please watch this space for more news on this and see below.

How will parents and carers be kept informed about the progress of our journey to join a MAT? We will be holding termly Community Forum meetings to which all parents and carers will be invited to keep everyone up to date with news on our plans and progress.

Will the children have to wear a uniform? That will depend on the MAT we join. Some MATs insist on a uniform to create belonging, others are more flexible.