The Department for Education has set out its vision for schooling in England in the white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving. It signals a continued commitment to partnership, collaboration, and the role of Trusts within the wider system, reinforcing the direction of travel towards a trust-based school system for children.
Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, has described this direction as reinforcing a system rooted in shared responsibility. Sussex Learning Trust has been a member of the CST since we began in 2018, and we welcome that emphasis on structured collaboration.
Cruddas notes that, “we now have a schools white paper that proposes the school system is rooted in partnership, and collaboration.” That framing reflects a significant shift in how the system is being conceived.
She also observes that, “there are undoubtedly other forms of inter-school collaboration, but none of them, not even the hard federation, can create quite the depth and tightness of a school Trust.” For school leaders, that distinction is important. The depth of alignment within a Trust structure enables a level of coherence that looser models cannot easily replicate.
The white paper’s expectation that Trusts act as anchor institutions in their communities is particularly important. Schools do not operate in isolation. They are civic institutions. They work alongside families, local agencies, and wider services. A Trust structure provides the coherence and leadership capacity to do that effectively and consistently.
Our Purpose as a Trust
Our mission is straightforward:
- To promote and support the best interests of children in the communities we serve
- To advance education for the public benefit
- To exercise civic duties and responsibilities for the wider good of the local community
These commitments shape our decision-making across schools. They also underpin our belief that collaboration, both within the Trust and beyond it. Where schools are not part of a formal Trust structure, we remain committed to sharing expertise and working constructively wherever possible. Improvement across the system benefits everyone.
From Structure to Strength
The academy and Trust model was originally introduced to address long-term underperformance. Over time, it has evolved into something broader: a mechanism for sustained improvement, leadership development, and curriculum coherence across schools – regardless of a school’s starting point.
Within Sussex Learning Trust, we are clear that good is not good enough. That principle is not about judgement. It is about ambition, consistency of expectation, and long-term accountability.
We talk about being “stronger together.” That is not a slogan. It reflects a practical understanding that collaboration, when designed properly, increases capacity, reduces isolation, and strengthens leadership.
As societal pressures increase, and funding challenges intensify, the need for coherent leadership structures becomes more pressing. Schools are operating in an increasingly complex environment. A Trust provides stability, shared expertise, and strategic alignment at a time when those qualities matter most.
Why Depth of Collaboration Matters
The depth and coherence of a Trust structure support:
- Shared governance
- Clear accountability
- Aligned improvement strategy
- Structured leadership development
- Consistent safeguarding oversight
- Long-term succession planning
For leaders, this translates into reduced professional isolation, stronger peer challenge, and clearer strategic direction. It also enables schools to retain their identity, while benefiting from collective strength.
The question is not whether collaboration matters. Most leaders would agree that it does. The more important question is how deliberately it is structured, governed, and sustained to deliver impact.
What This Means for School Leaders
A trust-based system offers a model in which collaboration is embedded, rather than dependent on goodwill alone. It creates the conditions in which leadership capacity grows, standards are sustained, and children benefit from consistent, high expectations.
For us, that remains the strongest foundation for improving outcomes and serving our communities well.
In a complex and demanding system, structure matters. For children, a well-led Trust offers the depth, coherence, and collective strength required to make the best bet for their future.
