What is a Trust Partnership Offer?
A Trust Partnership is a time-limited arrangement, allowing schools to partner with an academy trust. It does not deliver the full benefits of joining an academy trust but is a time-limited way for a school to benefit from trialling membership in an academy trust and explore how a permanent arrangement might work. Archway Learning Trust is committed to providing opportunities to schools to partner with us before any permanent arrangement.
Archway Learning Trust’s Partnership Offer is a readily available school improvement tool providing quick and accessible support to schools. Our arrangement is governed through a service level agreement that we create with each school as part of the offer. The Partnership offer is a true partnership and we ensure both parties set terms and conditions that work for your school and our Trust.
Trust Partnerships are not a replacement for converting to academy status or a routine preliminary step before academy conversion takes place.
There is no single model of Trust Partnership, however the Department for Education recommends:
- The partnership should be time-limited, typically 12-18 months. It is imperative that none of the parties involved considers Trust Partnerships as a long-term solution, or a replacement for conversion.
- During the partnership, the governing body of the school gives due consideration to academisation/merging through formal consultation where required.
- Activity undertaken as part of the partnership should focus on teaching and leadership. Trust Partnerships are usually focused on activities such as academy trust-wide training opportunities, headteacher mentoring and support, and cross–trust data benchmarking of data.
- All arrangements should be recorded through formal documentation. Whilst documents may vary, academy trusts have expressed the importance of each party being clear from the outset about the terms, any costs, expectations, and objectives of the arrangement.
To discuss a Trust Partnership with Archway Learning Trust, please contact: joinus@archwaytrust.co.uk
