Governance
How do you ensure our school will retain its individuality within the Trust?
Our Scheme of Delegation is clear: Headteachers and Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) are given delegated authority to maintain and develop the distinctive character of their school. This remains the case provided that the school’s finances are sound, outcomes for children remain at least good, and the Trust’s vision and mission are actively promoted.
We often say that the only thing our schools have to do is remain open-minded to working collaboratively with other schools across the Trust. Through that collaboration, there is often greater alignment in how schools operate, but this is driven by professional dialogue and shared learning rather than prescription. In practice, Headteachers frequently choose to adopt successful approaches from colleagues because they recognise the benefits for their own school.
In short, we value the individuality of our schools and believe that collaboration should enhance, rather than diminish, what makes each school unique.
How is governance structured and managed?
The Board of Trustees is the accountable body for Sussex Learning Trust. As a Multi-Academy Trust, Trustees fulfil the role of company directors under company law and trustees under charity law. They are responsible to the Members of the Trust, as well as to the pupils, parents, staff and communities served by our academies.
The Board is responsible for the three core functions of governance:
- Setting the strategic direction of the Trust and its academies
- Ensuring financial probity and effective stewardship of public funds
- Holding the CEO, Headteachers, and Local Governing Bodies to account for educational and organisational performance
Trustees work closely with Local Governing Bodies to ensure high standards of education, effective leadership, and sound financial management across all member academies.
Our published Scheme of Delegation (SoD) sets out clearly where decision-making responsibilities sit. It states:
“Whilst the Board of Trustees is accountable at law for all decisions about its academies, this does not mean that the Board makes all the decisions itself, and significant decision-making authority is delegated to individual academy Local Governing Bodies.”
The SoD further explains:
“The Trust wishes LGBs to have considerable autonomy to act in the best interests of their academy, within the framework and support provided by the Trust.”
For Governors joining from maintained schools, we are confident in saying that they are unlikely to notice any significant reduction in their ability to influence decisions affecting their school.
The Board has established an Audit & Finance Committee, which oversees financial accountability, risk management, and statutory compliance across the Trust. The committee is chaired and populated by non-executive Trustees, with senior Trust leaders attending in an advisory capacity. The committee supports the Board in ensuring that resources are managed effectively and in line with good practice.
In addition, the Board operates specialist committees focused on Growth & Capital and People & Culture.
Each academy is represented by a designated Trustee, known as a Regional Trustee, who helps ensure that the views and perspectives of individual schools are heard and considered when Trust-wide decisions are being made. Regional Trustees work closely with the Chair of the Local Governing Body, with agendas and minutes routinely discussed between them.
How does the Trust work with school governing boards?
The Trust places great importance on maintaining strong and productive relationships with Local Governing Bodies.
As outlined above, Regional Trustees provide an important link between each academy and the Trust Board. In addition, the CEO works closely with both the Headteacher and Local Governing Body, ensuring that there is a direct and ongoing connection between the school and the Trust’s executive leadership.
At least one Trust Officer (CEO, Deputy CEO, and/or CFO) attends Local Governing Body meetings, helping to maintain effective communication and support.
School Improvement Plans and Self-Evaluation Frameworks are developed collaboratively between Headteachers, Local Governing Bodies and the CEO. Similarly, school improvement activity and outcomes are regularly discussed with, and reported back to, governors.
How do you ensure parents have a voice in the running of the school?
We value the role that parents and carers play in the life of each school. Through Parent Governors and established school engagement processes, we expect Headteachers to maintain strong relationships with their parent community and ensure that parental views are listened to and considered.
What is the impact on budget setting and purchasing decisions?
For schools operating within a balanced budget, the impact is minimal.
Each academy retains a notional reserve equivalent to 4% of its General Annual Grant (GAG) to provide protection against unforeseen circumstances or uninsured liabilities. Beyond this, reserves remain available to support school priorities, with flexibility for Headteachers to access additional support from wider Trust reserves where appropriate.
Our approach is designed to provide both financial security and local flexibility.
Would we retain any charitable funds raised by our school community or by renting our facilities?
Yes. Funds raised by a school’s community, including charitable income and revenue generated through facility hire, remain allocated to that school and continue to be used for the benefit of its pupils and community.
Related Documents
Finance
What benefits will we see from a services and financial point of view?
We have invested significantly in strengthening our central support functions. For example, our CFO is a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit experience, bringing significant financial expertise and rigour to the Trust.
Our Finance and Operations teams work closely together and have the capacity and expertise to support schools joining the Trust. As we continue to grow, we expect this capacity to increase further through the addition of colleagues with complementary skills and experience.
The benefits of joining Sussex Learning Trust are not solely about reducing costs. In many cases, schools may not see immediate reductions in expenditure, but they should expect improvements in the quality, consistency, and resilience of the services they receive. We believe the greatest value comes from combining professional expertise with a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Just as our educational leaders work together to improve outcomes for children, our operational teams work together to continually enhance the support provided to schools.
How would economies of scale work in practice, and how will the school be better off financially?
Whilst economies of scale can deliver financial benefits, we believe the greatest value of joining a Multi-Academy Trust lies in becoming part of a culture focused on improving schools for the benefit of children and young people.
Where opportunities exist to reduce costs and redirect resources into teaching, learning, or improving the school environment, we will actively pursue them. As the Trust grows, we expect to secure increasingly favourable contracts and purchasing arrangements. We are also developing our capacity to identify further efficiencies and opportunities for collective procurement.
The Annual Partnership Contribution is reviewed regularly to ensure that the services provided continue to represent excellent value for money.
How are the resources and services paid for?
Schools contribute to the Trust through an Annual Partnership Contribution, which is set per pupil.
As the Trust grows and economies of scale are realised, we anticipate this contribution reducing over time. Our intention is to ensure that schools receive high-quality support and services while maintaining excellent value for money.
How are large projects and capital work funded?
Historically, larger capital projects have been funded through competitive bidding processes. However, from the 2024–25 financial year onwards, Sussex Learning Trust receives an annual allocation of capital funding.
This enables the Trust to develop a clear, strategic programme of investment, supported by a long-term capital plan that prioritises projects across the Trust estate over a five-year period and beyond.
How do you ensure that you prioritise the good of the pupils over financial efficiency in your decision-making?
The interests of children and young people are at the heart of every decision we make.
We believe there is an appropriate balance between maintaining prudent financial reserves and investing resources directly in the education and wellbeing of pupils. Whilst it is important to ensure financial sustainability, we do not believe that accumulating excessive reserves serves the best interests of children. Our approach is to manage public funds responsibly while ensuring that resources are used to maximise opportunities and outcomes for the pupils we serve.
What health and safety or building management services are provided by the Trust?
The Chief Operating Officer oversees health and safety, estates management, and site operations across the Trust.
We are currently exploring opportunities to deploy site staff more flexibly across geographically aligned clusters of schools, enabling us to make better use of expertise and resources while maintaining high standards across the Trust estate.
The Operations & Estates team also monitors compliance with statutory requirements and policies, whilst schools continue to manage day-to-day operational arrangements locally.
What technology services are provided by the Trust?
Technology support is tailored to the needs and existing capacity of individual schools.
The Trust maintains a central team that provides strategic oversight and specialist support, with capacity growing alongside the Trust. Schools can expect access to advice, technical expertise, and regular support from appropriate colleagues, depending on their requirements.
In addition, Warden Park Secondary Academy is one of circa 400 schools worldwide to have achieved Apple Distinguished School status, reflecting the expertise and innovation that exists within the Trust’s digital learning community.
Related Documents
Trust Academy Partnership Contribution
Staffing
What are your ambitions for staff, including opportunities to work in other schools or remain within their current school?
We believe that every colleague should have the opportunity to grow professionally while remaining valued within their own school community.
Staff are never required to move from their “home” academy unless they choose to pursue a professional development opportunity elsewhere within the Trust. Whilst some colleagues have transferred temporarily to support projects or, more occasionally, moved permanently between schools, this is relatively uncommon.
More frequently, colleagues collaborate across academies through school improvement work, professional networks and specialist support. These opportunities are highly valued by both the colleagues providing support and the schools benefiting from their expertise.
Our ambition is simple: that every member of staff is better at their job at the end of the year than they were at the beginning. The Trust’s role is to create the conditions, opportunities and support that enable that professional growth to happen.
How do you support the leadership and management of the school?
School leaders benefit from both support and challenge through a strong network of experienced colleagues and Trust leaders.
The CEO works closely with Headteachers and Local Governing Bodies, providing professional support, strategic challenge and accountability. Headteachers attend fortnightly Executive Team meetings alongside fellow Heads and senior Trust leaders. These meetings provide opportunities to share best practice, discuss strategic priorities, agree policy, and explore educational developments at both local and national levels.
Headteachers consistently describe these meetings as some of the most valuable professional development opportunities available to them.
The majority of school improvement work is developed collaboratively between Trust leaders and school leadership teams, ensuring that support is tailored to each school’s context and priorities. Leaders also benefit from regular informal contact with colleagues across the Trust.
In addition, we invest in the development of future leaders through targeted professional development programmes and leadership training. Recent work has included supporting line managers in implementing our Review, Development and Progression (RDP) model for staff development.
How will joining your Trust affect the staff of our school?
Joining Sussex Learning Trust provides staff with access to a wider professional community whilst retaining the benefits and identity of their own school.
Staff benefit from:
- Increased opportunities to learn from colleagues across the Trust
- Access to professional networks and specialist expertise
- Greater collaboration between schools and phases
- Opportunities to contribute to school improvement beyond their own setting
- A stronger sense of belonging to a wider educational community
A key feature of our approach is our Review, Development and Progression (RDP) model, which replaces traditional appraisal systems. Through RDP, staff identify how they can continue to develop professionally and work with leaders to access appropriate training, coaching and development opportunities.
The emphasis is on meaningful professional growth rather than compliance, and the model has been very positively received by colleagues across the Trust.
How do you ensure staff wellbeing?
Staff wellbeing is a high priority across Sussex Learning Trust and is embedded within our culture and leadership practices.
We seek to remove unnecessary workload and focus our efforts on activities that have a direct impact on children’s learning, safety, and wellbeing. We recognise that supporting staff wellbeing is essential to creating successful schools and improving outcomes for pupils.
The Trust has colleagues trained in Emotional Health and Wellbeing First Aid, and we have invested in training opportunities that support both staff and the wider educational community.
Each Local Governing Body also has a nominated governor with responsibility for staff wellbeing. Alongside Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, this is one of the key areas of focus expected by the Trust Board.
How is teacher performance and underperformance managed?
Where performance concerns arise, the Trust follows established informal and formal capability procedures.
However, our philosophy is that performance management should focus primarily on support, development and early intervention. We believe that if a colleague is struggling, leaders should identify this early and provide appropriate guidance, coaching and support before issues escalate.
Our Review, Development and Progression (RDP) model reinforces this approach by encouraging regular professional dialogue and continuous development rather than relying solely on traditional appraisal processes.
What training, career, and development opportunities are available for staff, including support staff?
Professional development is available to all colleagues, regardless of role.
Through our Review, Development and Progression process, staff identify their own development priorities and work with leaders to access appropriate learning opportunities. Wherever possible, we seek to provide high-quality development opportunities from within the Trust, drawing on the expertise that already exists across our schools.
Opportunities include:
- Trust-wide INSET and conference events
- Twilight professional development programmes
- Leadership development programmes
- Coaching and mentoring
- School-to-school visits
- Subject and phase networks
- Specialist training tailored to individual roles
We actively encourage colleagues to learn from excellent practice both within and beyond the Trust.
Will contracts, terms and conditions, including pension contributions, continue?
For teaching staff, existing terms and conditions, including pension arrangements, continue.
For support staff, Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) membership continues through TUPE arrangements. Pay structures for newly appointed support staff are aligned closely with NJC frameworks, ensuring consistency and fairness across the Trust.
In practice, these arrangements have not given rise to significant concerns from staff.
Please describe the selection process you would use to identify candidates for new consolidated roles within the Trust. Without understanding the specific circumstances of an individual school, we would not assume that joining the Trust would lead to the consolidation of roles.
As partnerships develop over time, opportunities may naturally arise to review structures, particularly when vacancies occur or where there is a clear benefit to schools and pupils. Any consideration of alternative structures would be undertaken collaboratively and carefully.
Our starting point is always the same: what will best serve the interests of children and young people?
Any potential changes would only be considered where:
- There is a demonstrable benefit to the school and its pupils;
- The Headteacher believes the proposed approach would add value;
- The Local Governing Body is fully involved in decision-making; and
- The school’s financial position and operational needs are properly considered.
When reviewing any role, we encourage leaders to ask a simple question: What would be the impact on children if this role were not filled? That principle helps ensure that decisions remain focused on educational benefit rather than organisational convenience.
Related Documents
School Improvement
What are the principal values and vision of your Trust? What drives the Trust?
The question that drives all of our work is simple:
“What is best for the children?”
Everything else flows from that principle.
Our vision, mission and values provide the framework for our decision-making and strategic direction, but our focus remains constant: creating the very best opportunities and outcomes for children and young people.
Our Strategic Plan sets out our vision, values, and priorities in greater detail and can be found in the Related Documents list at the bottom of this section.
What are your priorities for your schools?
Our ambition is for every school to be outstanding in all that it does.
Whilst Ofsted provides an important framework for accountability, we recognise that every school has its own context, strengths and priorities. As a result, improvement priorities will differ between schools, and one of the strengths of being part of a Multi-Academy Trust is that expertise and support can often be found from within the partnership itself.
Our first priority is always the safety and wellbeing of children. Alongside this, we strive to ensure that every child achieves the very best academic, personal and social outcomes of which they are capable.
Schools benefit from a wide range of support, including:
Educational Improvement
- Progress data reviews
- Self-evaluation support
- Academy Development Planning
- Teaching and learning reviews
- Pupil Premium reviews
- SEND reviews
- Safeguarding reviews
- Governance support
- Leadership mentoring and coaching
- Curriculum reviews
- Subject and phase networks
- Fortnightly Headteachers’ Forum
- Trust-wide leadership development
Strategic and Operational Support
- Budget setting and financial monitoring
- Strategic financial planning
- Risk management and compliance
- Health and safety support
- Human resources advice
- Estates and premises management
- ICT strategy and digital safety
- Procurement and contract management
- Grants and fundraising expertise
- Identification of operational efficiencies
What evidence do you have that the Trust has made a difference in other schools?
There are many examples across the Trust. Some notable examples include:
Warden Park Primary Academy (formerly Heyworth Primary School) experienced significant improvement after joining the Trust. Previously judged by HMI to be an unsafe school, it has since secured successive Good Ofsted judgements, and become a valued and successful school within its community.
The school also saw Key Stage 2 attainment increase significantly (RMW increased by 25% in year 1) following targeted school improvement support, helping the school move from a position of relative stagnation to one of sustained improvement.
At Warden Park Secondary Academy, collaboration with Trust primary colleagues transformed approaches to the teaching of reading and language development. This cross-phase work contributed to improved literacy provision and stronger outcomes for pupils.
These examples illustrate the value of collaboration, shared expertise and collective responsibility across the Trust.
Do you make internal quantitative comparisons between schools within the Trust?
Benchmarking can be a valuable tool for identifying strengths, opportunities and effective practice.
However, we recognise that every school operates within a unique context. Factors such as pupil demographics, local challenges, finances and community circumstances all influence performance and priorities.
Rather than creating league tables, our approach is to use comparative information constructively, enabling schools to learn from one another’s successes and challenges while maintaining a strong culture of professional dialogue, support and challenge.
How do you benchmark progress for schools within the Trust?
For schools that are securely performing well, we typically use FFT5 benchmarks to inform academic targets and monitor progress.
Alongside this, each school’s improvement priorities are reflected within its development plans, with additional measures and success criteria agreed according to local context and need.
What are your ambitions for our children?
We want every child to be safe, successful and prepared for life beyond school.
Our ambition is that children leave our schools with strong academic foundations, excellent personal development, confidence in their abilities and the character strengths needed to thrive in modern society.
We want young people to be healthy in mind and body, curious about the world around them and ambitious for their futures. Above all, we want them to develop into responsible citizens who contribute positively to their communities.
How do you support and improve teaching and learning?
Collaboration is at the heart of our approach.
When one school develops an effective approach or identifies new research and evidence, that knowledge is shared across the Trust so that all schools can benefit. Our Headteachers, middle leaders and staff regularly work together through professional networks, reviews and development activities.
This creates a culture in which expertise is shared openly and improvement is everyone’s responsibility.
Do you have a structured and planned approach to school improvement?
Yes.
Alongside formal improvement planning, review processes, and performance monitoring, we operate a highly valued Peer-to-Peer model. Through this approach, Headteachers invite colleagues from across the Trust to review specific aspects of their school and provide professional feedback and challenge.
This model promotes collaboration, distributes leadership and ensures that schools benefit from a wide range of expertise.
Each academy is also supported by a designated senior Trust leader, maintaining regular dialogue and support throughout the year.
What do your schools do best and what can they do better?
We are proud of the strengths that exist across our schools, whilst maintaining a culture of continuous improvement.
Particular strengths include:
- Strong examination and assessment outcomes
- High-quality enrichment opportunities
- Robust self-evaluation and improvement planning
- SEND and inclusion provision
- Character education
- Curriculum development
- A child-centred culture
- A relentless commitment to improvement
Like all successful organisations, we continue to identify opportunities to improve and believe that there is always more we can learn from one another.
What opportunities do you see to improve educational outcomes for our children?
We believe schools are stronger when they work together.
By bringing together teams of experienced professionals, schools can access a wider range of expertise than would be available working in isolation. Cross-school collaboration enables leaders and teachers to share resources, curriculum approaches, professional knowledge and effective practice.
The result is that schools can continue to improve, even when they are already performing strongly.
How would the school experience differ for our children?
In many respects, pupils would notice very little change because we value the individuality and identity of each school.
However, they may benefit from additional opportunities created through Trust-wide collaboration, including shared projects, enrichment activities, and learning experiences involving pupils and staff from other schools.
Where additional capacity or expertise strengthens a school’s provision, pupils may also experience improvements in the quality and breadth of opportunities available to them.
What is your approach to behaviour management?
Our approach combines high expectations with a therapeutic and relational understanding of behaviour.
We believe that clear boundaries, consistency and strong relationships create the conditions in which children can feel safe, succeed academically and develop positively as individuals.
What is your approach to pupil attendance?
Attendance is fundamental to educational success and personal development.
We work proactively with families, schools and external agencies to support good attendance and address barriers where they exist. Dedicated attendance and welfare expertise is available within the Trust, and we continue to explore opportunities to strengthen this support across all our schools.
How do you assess what the school needs and identify priorities?
We know our schools well.
A combination of improvement planning, self-evaluation, performance data, safeguarding information, stakeholder feedback, financial information and estate condition assessments enables us to build a comprehensive picture of each school’s strengths, challenges and priorities.
This allows support to be tailored to the specific needs of each academy.
How will you ensure that collaboration among the schools means less work rather than more work?
Headteachers remain in control of what is adopted within their schools.
Collaboration should add value, not create unnecessary workload. Schools are encouraged to share resources, approaches, and expertise, but leaders determine what is most appropriate for their context and priorities.
Can you provide examples of how Sussex Learning Trust schools share resources and expertise?
Examples include:
- Cross-phase research projects focused on language development
- Subject and curriculum networks
- Fortnightly Executive Team meetings for Headteachers
- Trust conference planning groups
- SENDCo networks
- Shared staff training and professional development
- Peer-to-peer school reviews
- Collaborative procurement of management information systems
- Collaborative procurement of CPOMS and other software platforms
- Shared access to specialist services, including Educational Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy
These collaborative approaches help schools benefit from collective expertise whilst retaining their individual identity.
Related Documents
Our Approach to School Improvement
SEND
What services do you provide for SEN and disadvantaged children across the Trust?
Collaboration is one of our greatest strengths in supporting children with SEND and those facing disadvantage.
Our SENDCos meet regularly and work closely together, creating a highly effective network of expertise and support. This collaborative approach means that schools can draw upon a wide range of knowledge and experience, ensuring that no school is working in isolation when addressing complex needs.
We are proud of our inclusive reputation. Warden Park Secondary Academy’s new Additional Learning (AL) building reflects our commitment to supporting children with a broad range of needs and providing high-quality provision within mainstream settings wherever appropriate.
In addition, Trust schools benefit from access to commissioned Educational Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy services. By procuring these services collectively, we are able to secure consistent support from professionals who know our schools well and can respond quickly to emerging needs.
What is your definition of inclusion, and what would it look like in our school?
Our belief is simple: every child should be known, valued and supported as an individual.
We are committed to creating school environments where every child feels welcomed, included and able to succeed, regardless of their background, starting point or individual needs. We recognise that some children face barriers to learning and personal development, and we believe it is our responsibility to work tirelessly to help overcome those barriers.
Our approach to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is embedded across the Trust through clear policies, robust procedures and a strong culture of belonging. We have been recognised through external accreditation for our commitment to this work and continue to place inclusion at the heart of our educational provision.
How do you manage Pupil Premium?
Our approach to supporting disadvantaged pupils is built on relationships as much as resources.
Whilst we invest Pupil Premium funding in evidence-informed interventions and support, we believe that the most significant factor in improving outcomes is ensuring that children feel safe, valued, and connected to their school community.
We place a strong emphasis on knowing pupils well, understanding their individual circumstances, and ensuring that appropriate support is in place to help them thrive academically and personally.
Attendance is a key factor in success, and we recognise the importance of helping children feel both safe and happy in school. To strengthen this work, we have invested in dedicated attendance and welfare support to work alongside schools and families.
How do you manage and monitor safeguarding across the Trust?
Safeguarding is our highest priority and underpins everything we do.
The Trust operates a central safeguarding policy aligned with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), and all staff are required to confirm that they have read and understood both KCSIE and the Trust’s Whistleblowing Policy.
We deliberately train more Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) than the minimum required to ensure that every school has a strong safeguarding team and sufficient capacity to respond effectively when concerns arise.
All Trust schools use CPOMS to record, monitor, and manage safeguarding concerns, enabling robust oversight and effective information sharing where appropriate.
Trust leaders regularly undertake safeguarding and policy audits, including dip-testing procedures and practice, to ensure that policies are not only in place but are being implemented consistently and effectively across all schools.
Related Documents
Community
What are your ambitions for the parent community?
We want parents and carers to feel confident that their children are receiving an excellent education within a safe, caring, and ambitious environment.
We value the vital role that parents play in supporting children’s learning and development and seek to build strong, positive relationships between home and school. Our ambition is that parents continue to be active partners in their child’s education and recognise the benefits that being part of Sussex Learning Trust brings to their school community.
How does the Trust engage with stakeholders across the school community?
Our primary relationship is with individual school communities. Parents, carers, and local stakeholders are naturally most connected to their own school, and we believe those relationships are best maintained at academy level.
Headteachers and school leaders continue to engage directly with parents, staff, governors, and local partners through established communication channels, consultation processes, and community events.
Alongside this, Sussex Learning Trust is continuing to develop its wider profile through digital communications and social media, helping to share successes, celebrate collaboration, and communicate the impact of our work across all Trust schools.
Does the uniform change when a school joins the Trust?
No. Schools retain control over their uniform arrangements and joining Sussex Learning Trust does not automatically result in changes to school uniform.
Would the school change its name?
No.
Schools retain their identity and place within their local community. Whilst we generally prefer schools within the Trust to include the word Academy in their name, this is not a requirement and would not be a barrier to joining Sussex Learning Trust.
Our priority is preserving the character, culture, and reputation of each school whilst enabling it to benefit from being part of a collaborative family of schools.
Conversion Process
Is any school permitted to join Sussex Learning Trust?
Not every school will necessarily be the right fit for Sussex Learning Trust.
When considering potential partnerships, we look carefully at factors such as geography, school context, improvement needs and, most importantly, alignment of values and culture. Successful partnerships are built on shared ambition, mutual trust, and a commitment to collaboration.
Our growth strategy is increasingly centred around geographical clusters of schools. We believe this approach enables schools to work closely together, share expertise, and build strong professional relationships whilst benefitting from the wider resources and support available across the Trust.
The result is a model in which schools enjoy the benefits of belonging to a close-knit family of local schools, whilst also being part of a larger organisation with greater collective capacity and resilience.
What is the Trust’s growth plan?
Our growth strategy is guided by a simple principle: growth should enhance outcomes for children and strengthen the Trust’s ability to support its schools.
Our vision for growth includes:
- Remaining relentlessly focused on the safety, wellbeing, and achievement of children and young people.
- Building the capacity to deliver world-class school improvement support for both existing and future academies.
- Developing a family of high-performing schools led by exceptional leaders who feel responsible not only for their own pupils, but for every child across the Trust.
- Welcoming schools that share our values and contribute positively to our collaborative culture.
- Growing sustainably through excellent recruitment, retention, and professional development.
- Developing geographically connected clusters of schools, particularly within the primary phase, to strengthen collaboration and local support networks.
As we grow, we remain committed to ensuring that quality, culture, and support keep pace with expansion.
Further information can be found in our Growth Strategy in the Related Documents list at the bottom of this section.
How does geographical location affect the Trust?
Geography plays an important role in how we organise collaboration and support.
For primary schools, we believe that clusters of schools located relatively close to one another provide the strongest opportunities for collaboration, shared professional development and school-to-school support.
For secondary schools, geographical flexibility is often greater due to the scale of staffing and resources available. Our vision is to develop a network of secondary academies that can readily work together through peer review, professional collaboration and shared expertise, whilst serving distinct communities.
Technology also enables schools to collaborate effectively across wider geographical areas when appropriate.
How will you know when Sussex Learning Trust has reached the right size?
There is no fixed number of schools that automatically defines the ideal size for a Trust.
National research has suggested that groups of around ten academies can provide an effective balance between scale and local responsiveness. However, our cluster-based model means that the quality of relationships and collaboration between schools is ultimately more important than the overall number of academies.
We will know we are the right size when we can continue to provide excellent support to every school, maintain strong relationships, deliver high-quality school improvement and preserve the culture that defines Sussex Learning Trust.
What happens during due diligence?#
Due diligence is an opportunity for both the school and Sussex Learning Trust to develop a detailed understanding of one another before any decisions are made.
The process typically includes a review of educational performance, governance, finance, staffing, estates, safeguarding and compliance, alongside discussions about culture, values, and strategic priorities.
Its purpose is to ensure that any partnership is well-informed, transparent and in the best interests of pupils, staff, and the wider community.
How long does the process typically take?
Every school’s circumstances are different, so timescales can vary.
In most cases, schools spend several months exploring their options, engaging in discussions and undertaking due diligence before any formal decisions are made. Where a school chooses to proceed, statutory and regulatory processes are completed in accordance with Department for Education requirements and agreed timelines.
What information would we be expected to share?
The information required depends on the stage of discussions, but typically includes documentation relating to governance, finance, staffing, educational performance, safeguarding, estates and compliance.
We aim to make the process as straightforward as possible and will always explain what information is required and why. Any information shared is treated confidentially and used solely for the purpose of exploring a potential partnership.
What role does the Governing Body play in the decision?
The Governing Body plays a central role throughout the exploration process.
Governors are responsible for considering whether joining a Multi-Academy Trust is in the best interests of the school and its community. This includes scrutinising information, asking challenging questions, evaluating opportunities and risks, and ensuring that decisions are taken with due care and diligence.
Any decision to pursue a partnership should be informed by robust discussion and careful consideration of all available evidence.
What costs are involved in joining a Multi-Academy Trust?
There are costs associated with academy conversion and joining a Multi-Academy Trust, although these vary depending on the circumstances of the individual school.
Funding is often available to support aspects of the conversion process, and Sussex Learning Trust works closely with schools to ensure that financial implications are understood from the outset.
Transparency is important, and any anticipated costs would be discussed openly during the exploration phase.
How do we know whether Sussex Learning Trust is the right fit for our school?
Finding the right Trust is about far more than structures and services.
Successful partnerships are built on shared values, mutual trust and a common commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people. We encourage prospective schools to take time to get to know us, ask questions, visit our schools and speak with colleagues across the Trust.
The exploration process is as much about determining whether Sussex Learning Trust is the right fit for your school as it is about determining whether your school is the right fit for Sussex Learning Trust.
What happens after a school joins the Trust?
Following conversion, schools become part of the Sussex Learning Trust family whilst retaining their unique identity and place within their local community.
Support is provided throughout the transition process, and schools gain access to collaborative networks, professional expertise and wider opportunities across the Trust.
Our focus is on building long-term partnerships that enable schools, staff and pupils to thrive, whilst preserving the qualities that make each school distinctive.
Related Documents
