The schools within the Trust are all autonomous and able to develop independently to match the needs of the communities that we serve.  In particular we have found the ability to make local decisions really empowering, enabling the school to respond to local needs.  At Sponne we have further developed our ethos so that our students can ‘Dream, Believe and Achieve’, have high aspirations, have courage to persevere and be the best people that they can be.

As a member of the Trust, staff at the school have access to high quality support and challenge, across all levels including the senior team.  This is provided academically through the expertise and advice of School Improvement Directors, employed centrally by the Trust and via the subject networks that have developed across all schools in the last 5 years.  There is CPD available for staff locally through the attached Training School reducing the cost and travelling time and allowing more effective and efficient support for everyone employed by the Trust. In addition the school benefits from the access it has to other forms of support such as for personnel, finance and marketing.

The focus on students’ learning is very powerful and we have been able to work collaboratively with our Trust schools in developing and improving our support for our young people across the curriculum and their wellbeing.  There is a real sense of partnership that creates significant opportunities for our students to share and compete with others and widens their cultural perspective.  The students are at the heart of all that we do and the Trust’s vision for all schools to provide a stimulating learning environment enables them to achieve their potential in all aspects of their lives.

Iain Massey
Headteacher
www.sponne.org.uk

Sponne School, Brackley Road, Towcester, Nothamptonshire, NN12 6DJ