Academies

The aim of the Academies programme is to raise educational standards by building a world-class network of innovative, high performing secondary schools in partnership with parents, teachers, business and the wider community.

Support from companies, individuals, trusts and foundations is vital to the ongoing success of the programme and to the improvement of education.

At Ormiston Trust, we believe that as well as being an opportunity to invest in education – one of the most important investments into the future that can be made – involvement in the Academies programme is absolutely consistent with our overall aims.

Ormiston Trust is the sponsor of The Gateway Academy in Essex, which opened September 2006 in the existing buildings of Gateway Community College, and two new academies formed from the Shireland Language College and the George Salter High  School in Sandwell. 

Ormiston Trust is proud to have been involved with The Gateway Academy, working with the community from the feasibility stage, through implementation and, along with the Academy community, is looking forward to Spring 2008, when the Academy will transfer to its superb new building.

To find out more about the Gateway Academy, please visit the website: www.thegatewayacademy.org.uk

Future Academies

Ormiston Trust is keen to develop its involvement with the Academies programme.

It is proposed that Ormiston Trust should sponsor further Academies in Peterborough.

Also a commitment has been made to be the lead sponsor at the Eastside Academy in Birmingham working with the Brit School, Croydon, Birmingham City Council, DCSF, UCE, Maverick Television and other sponsors.  The object is to form a family of schools who help each other.

Trust Schools

Ormiston Trust is seeking to establish a network of Academies and Trust Schools that share a common core of values, are committed to collaborative improvement and that will play a leading role in education improvement nationally. The network of three academies in 2007 will be further extended in 2009. 

Ormiston Trust welcomes Academies, other than those sponsored by the Trust, to join the Ormiston Network thereby gaining from, and contributing to, major educational initiatives. 

Any maintained school can become a Trust school –  primary, secondary and special schools.  A trust school is a state-funded foundation school  which may be supported by a charitable trust. It is made up of the school and partners working together for the benefit of the school.  Trust schools are similar to voluntary aided (VA) and foundation schools that are supported by a charitable foundation – in that they manage their own assets, employ their own staff and set their own admissions arrangements.

Further information about Trust schools can be found at
http://www.specialistschools.org.uk/trustschools/default.aspa

Schools seeking trust status should contact Ormiston Trust if they are seeking voluntary sector partners and if they are seeking to join the network.