What's a Trust School?
A Trust school is a local authority maintained school which is supported by a charitable Trust which appoints some of the governors.
It operates within the same frameworks as other maintained schools: it will teach the National Curriculum, follow the School Admissions Code and be inspected by Ofsted. Teaching staff will be employed under the terms of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. The local authority will fund the school on the same basis as all other local authority schools and will retain its intervention powers if there are problems at the school.
Trust schools differ because their charitable Trust establishes a long-term relationship with external partners and involves them in the school’s governance and leadership.
Our Trustees
Organisations that are part of our Trust represent our aim to encourage lifelong learning. They include pre-school providers as well as providers of the routes one can take beyond school.
The Ashington Children’s Centre (Sure Start)
The Children's Centre provides parenting support and coordinates early years multi-agency support services for the community. There is a wide programme of activities including story time, classes on pregnancy and birth, a nursery and first aid training. Their involvement in the Trust adds a true 'lifelong' learning dimension.
The Wansbeck Business Forum
The Wansbeck Business Forum's Vision is to harness the pride, passion, skills, knowledge and expertise of the business community so they can play a key role in the regeneration of this area as a place to live and work. They aim to be the voice and representatives of the Wansbeck business community.
Northumberland College
Northumberland College aims to serve the whole community. One of its major aims is to provide everyone with educational opportunities - especially those who, either because they need particular help or because they missed out when they were younger, still feel they need some basic education. Provision ranges from beginners' classes right up to post-A Level and covers a huge range of subjects. They aim to have something for everyone and offer expert advice and tuition in a friendly, adult and stimulating environment.
Northumbria University
Northumbria University is a large metropolitan university, first established as a polytechnic in 1969 and inaugurated as a university on 1 September 1992. The curriculum is delivered to just over 23,500 students. The University has strong links with Ashington as large numbers of our students choose to take their degree courses there. Additionally, as a highly respected provider of teacher training, our schools have strong links with the university as part of the training programme.
The Local Authority
Trust Schools will still remain part of the Local Authority's 'family' of schools. The Director of Children's Services and his team have been pleased to support this project as a creative way of striving to get the best provision for our learners and to respond to their particular, local needs. A Trust School is defined for the purposes of this document as a foundation school with a foundation acquired under the provisions of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. |
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