Framed using the recommendations from the National Society of Education, we review our contribution to, and inspiration taken from, the different strands for a Flourishing Schools System.

Our 2030 strategy sets out our ambitions for our trust as part of a flourishing school system and our deliberated development of partnership working support this. This boundary spanning work starts with Diocese of Leicester and extends to other Church of England school trusts, local authorities and national partners such as the National Institute of Teaching and the Church of England National Society. Each of these enhance the development of our approaches, both in educational leadership but also in the wider growth of the school trust sector.

We are proud of our small schools within Learn Academies Trust, we wish to be a home for small schools, whether Church of England or community. The development of our structures for educational leadership, curriculum development, finance and operational processes provide the support for these schools to thrive. The development of Area groupings for our schools, within which closer professional communities can grow, as well as the strengthening work with Diocese of Leicester colleagues, enhances our understanding of how to support the sustainability of our small schools.

Our executive team, trust board and school leaders engage proactively with Diocese of Leicester colleagues. This includes exploration of sustainable models for school leadership, membership of the Board of Education at the Diocese and engagement with the Bishop of Leicester’s work on tackling poverty, aligning to our own work on under-resourced pupils.

As a trust, we are proud to be the home of Hope Hamilton Growing Faith Hub, where the strength of the governance structures support Church and schools to thrive. This partnership working connects our trust to our hubs across the country while our work with the Diocese of Leicester is enhanced through Diocesan representation at Trust Board. As part of our recent governance review, we have sought to review and strengthen the important role that governors, including foundation governors, play in our governance framework.

As a Lead Partner with the National Society for Education at the Church of England, we have a long-standing partnership in the delivery of key professional development opportunities including National Professional Qualifications. Early Headship support and small school leadership. Our contribution to the evidence-informed approach to the work undertaken nationally on system development includes our active engagement in research development through EEF projects, strategic involvement in NFER funded research and contribution to the National Institute of Teaching’s evidence portal. This work links to our designation as a Research Informed Trust, for which we were awarded the Research Mark Plus by the Charted College of Teaching.

Our executive team have actively engaged in professional development pathways through the system leadership programmes supported by the Church of England. Our structured approach to engagement beyond this work has included greater engagement in the Flourishing Trusts network and participation in Whole Education’s programme of trust development to ensure our learning spans boundaries to challenge our development and maintain our ambition for all in our trust.