Name of Trust: Three Spires Trust
CEO: Emily Verow
Chair of Trustees: The Venerable Dr David Lee
Contact for enquiries: Robert Timmis, Director of Operations [email protected]
Schools already in the Trust:
- St Thomas’ CofE Primary Academy, Kidsgrove
- The King’s CofE Academy, Kidsgrove
- St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, Wolverhampton
- St Regis CofE Academy, Wolverhampton
- St Giles’ and St George’s CofE Primary Academy, Newcastle-under-Lyme
- Hanley St Luke’s CofE Primary Academy
Three Spires Trust was established with Church Majority Articles in 2021.
Our Trust supports schools serving students from age 2 to 18, including primary, secondary, first, and middle schools. We also welcome non-designated faith schools to join our network.
The Trust has already established two hubs: the North Hub, covering North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, and the South Hub, covering Wolverhampton. We are eager to expand these hubs by growing both geographically and by adding more academies, such as exploring opportunities in Staffordshire Moorlands and Walsall. We also plan to establish a Central Hub, serving the areas of Lichfield and Stafford.
Our vision at Three Spires Trust is rooted in John 10:10, which says ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ This verse is what motivates us to help our children, adults, schools, and the entire Trust thrive and flourish.
At Three Spires Trust, we’re dedicated to bringing the Church of England’s flourishing agenda to life, prioritizing the holistic development of our children, adults, academies, and the trust as a whole. Our strategic plan is built on this foundation, ensuring that every aspect of our work promotes growth and well-being.
Central to our uniqueness is our relational and inclusive approach. We believe in creating environments where everyone feels valued and supported, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging. This inclusive ethos extends to all stakeholders—students, staff, parents, and the wider community—ensuring that diverse needs are met with empathy and respect.
Our Institute of Education is a key differentiator, offering exceptional training, continuous professional development, and leadership opportunities for educators. By investing in our people, we ensure our academies are led by knowledgeable, skilled, and passionate professionals who deliver exceptional education.
In essence, Three Spires Trust is unique for its unwavering commitment to flourishing at every level, its inclusive and relational ethos, and its dedication to professional excellence. This unique combination creates a vibrant, supportive, and high-achieving educational community where everyone can thrive.
Website: www.threespirestrust.org
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/
Name of Trust: Shropshire Church of England Academies Trust
CEO: Claire Gaskin (Interim)
Chair of Trustees: Malcolm Maclean
Contact for enquiries: 2024 (anticipated)
Schools already in the Trust:
Phase 1 group will include: (opening date anticipated Oct 2024)
- Worfield Endowed CE Primary School, Bridgnorth
- Beckbury CE Primary School, Shifnal
- St. Mary’s Bluecoat CE Primary School, Bridgnorth
- Meole Brace CE Primary School, Shrewsbury
- Christ Church CE Primary School, Cressage
- Bicton CE Primary School, Shrewsbury
- Bomere Heath CE Primary School, Shrewsbury
- St. John the Baptist CE Primary School, Ruyton-XI-Towns, Shrewsbury
Shropshire Church of England Academies Trust is hoping to be incorporated with Church Majority Articles at Director and Trustee level in the autumn of 2024.
This trust would consider working in partnership with Voluntary Aided and Voluntary Controlled CE schools across Lichfield Diocese or Hereford Diocese and Single Academy Trusts, along with any Shropshire LA or Telford and Wrekin LA maintained community schools who feel the vision and values of the Trust aligns with their own.
As a joint partnership between Lichfield Diocese and Hereford Diocese, we intend to focus our growth strategy on developing a number of geographical hubs across both dioceses in the following general areas: Bridgnorth, Telford, Central and North Shrewsbury.
Our Trust vision is to provide high quality, fully inclusive learning opportunities to children across the early years and primary age ranges through;
- realising potential by working together to develop everyone’s education and enabling all to flourish
- sharing our Christian values, being warm and welcoming to all, knowing our children and their families well
- a strong emphasis on meeting the pastoral needs of pupils
- promoting and delivering strong mental health and wellbeing support to all children and the MAT workforce including promoting opportunities for families, building in the unique natural beauty of Shropshire to promote positive wellbeing and opportunities to explore learning outside the classroom
- ensuring our ethos is underpinned by a strong knowledge and understanding of the impact of trauma and ensure our approach to supporting behaviour is trauma informed
- providing an ambitious and engaging curriculum within each academy
- ensuring the delivery of high-quality education to all young people across the academies through a comprehensive school improvement offer to all academies within the Trust
- empowering each CE academy within the trust to embody its distinctive Christian vision
- creating an environment in all academies where pupils and adults can truly flourish
- growing and developing the expertise and capacity of the Trust to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND who may require more specialist provision
- overseeing efficient, effective, and compliant management of the trust’s finances
- Skilled, effective and robust governance at all levels
Shropshire Church of England Academies Trust is unique in that it is being formed through a joint partnership between Hereford Diocese and Lichfield Diocese to bring together likeminded schools for the benefit of their pupils, staff and their communities.
The trust aims to allow our school leaders and staff to develop the individual character of their academies so they can best serve their local communities. The Christian distinctiveness of the Trust will unite the schools, but each school will express it uniquely according to the communities it serves. This will benefit all joining schools by providing a centralised infrastructure, along with an ambition to create a regional hub model that fosters economies of scale, shared resources, and invaluable expertise.
The Trust has a core purpose to deliver outstanding educational outcomes and children are at the heart of all we do. The Trust aims to support all of its academies to provide the best possible outcomes and the Trust’s Improvement Strategy seeks to achieve this. Central to our model of school improvement is partnership working and school-to-school support. The Trust’s improvement strategy is shaped by the concept of strong collaboration so that the skills and talents that exist within the Trust’s schools, can be of benefit to all.
In accordance with our Church Articles, a primary focus is to empower each CE academy within the trust to embody its distinctive Christian vision, creating an environment where pupils and adults can truly flourish.
Website: TBC
