Name of Trust: Marches Academy Trust

CEO: Sarah Finch

Chair of Trustees: Alex Fry

Contact for enquiries: Bee Lopez Bloor – Trust Governance Officer & Clerk to the Trust’s Boards [email protected]

Schools already in the Trust:

  • Marches School and Sixth Form, Morda Road, Oswestry SY11 2AR (Secondary)
  • Sir John Talbot’s School and Sixth Form, Whitchurch, SY13 2BY (Secondary)
  • Tilstock CE Primary School and Nursery, SY13 3JL (Primary)
  • Grove School and Sixth Form, Market Drayton, TF9 1HF (Secondary)
  • Lower Heath CE Primary School and Nursery, Lower Heath, Whitchurch SY13 2BT (Primary)
  • Grange Primary School and Nursery, Shrewsbury, SY1 3QR (Primary)
  • Longlands Primary School and Nursery, Market Drayton TF9 1QU (Primary)
  • Shrewsbury Academy, Shrewsbury, SY1 4LL (Secondary)
  • Oakmeadow CE Primary School and Nursery, Shrewsbury SY3 0NU (Primary)
  • Woodlands School, Wem SY4 5PJ (Special)
  • Idsall School and Nursery, Shifnal, TF11 8PD (Secondary)

Marches Academy Trust was incorporated in June 2011 and were updated to adopt Church Minority Articles in November 2017. We are currently working on adopting Church Majority Articles at Member level.

Our trust currently works with or would consider working with secondary, primary, first, special, faith/no faith designations and FE colleges in Shropshire, Telford, Staffordshire and Hereford.

The Trust moto is ‘Achieving Through Caring’. Our mission is to ensure staff, children, young people (CYP) and our stakeholders feel part of a strong community, feel the support and challenge to experience a positive learning culture and draw comfort from our supportive environment.

We are a strong family of schools with children at the centre of all that we do. An Executive lead takes responsibility for Christian Distinctiveness ensuring all aspects of Christian Distinctiveness are explored with each school to ensure that the school’s worship and spiritual life meets the needs of the children and upholds the vision and stays true to the foundation of the school.

The Marches Academies Trust has a true collaboration to move the trust forward with a strong strategic plan 2024-2030. We have a strong listening culture and  allow each school autonomy through principles.

The Trust operates  robust systems focused around the Trust Learning 4 Life (L4L) Framework providing a structured way of supporting all learners in all schools. There is an effective school improvement strategy and school improvement team with a proven track record internally and externally, and a Talent Pathway to develop and grow our staff.

We operate MATi, a bespoke pop-up school to ensure inclusion for all children and young people (CYP). The Shore is a transitional programme to ensure all have a soft landing from Primary to Secondary School.

Network groups allow cross Trust collaboration and sharing of best practice and Trust run events for CYP and staff promote collaboration, connection and belonging. Professional learning programmes operate through the Alliance of Leading Learning are available for all and we are Strategic lead for STEP,  the Shropshire and Telford Education Partnership teaching school hub.

Our schools have access to the annual ESFA Capital Allocation for buildings works.

Our own charity, 4ALL Foundation, supports local communities.

Website: //www.marchesacademytrust.co.uk/