Trust Schools

The first secondary School in Plymouth to achieve Trust status was announced recently and is one of 120 Trust schools in England. Many more will make the change in the future. Why?

For some schools Trust status gives access to commercial experience and expertise, for others it gives greater influence in the local community.

The reasons driving schools to Trust status are varied, as are the different structures under the umbrella ‘Trust’ heading. A school’s ability to tailor a Trust to meet its own specific needs offers significant flexibility and avoids the ‘one size fits all’ approach. Every school has its own personality, ethos, needs and aspirations. If it feels that Trust status can enhance its offering to its students, the school can effectively write its own ‘wish list’.

A trust school is one that has entered into a formal relationship with a trust. The trust is made up of individuals or organisations, the school’s chosen partners. Trustees are appointed from the members , who will have responsibility for the day to day running of the trust. Members, not necessarily the trustees, will be appointed to the school’s governing body. A school can set up a trust where the members form the majority of the governing body. Few schools have taken up this option.

For most, the trust contributes a minority of governors to the governing body. The Trust does not run the school nor do the trust partners have a financial stake in or contribute to the school financially. What it does do, where the trust partners are commercial entities, is provide specialist knowledge.

One of the first schools to apply for trust status in 2006 was Monkseaton Community High School in Tyneside. One of its partners is Microsoft who give the school access to the expertise and experience of a big business.

Dell Corporation UK, is another example of a trust partner for a secondary school in Berkshire.

However, not all trusts are formed with commercial partners. A trust is tailored to fit individual needs. Some schools have created a formal arrangement between themselves e.g. The Canterbury Campus which is a secondary school, a primary school, the city council, Canterbury Christchurch University and an independent financial advisor.

Alternatively a number of primary schools might form a trust to give them a louder voice than they would have individually.

A co-operative trust school is another option. The first of these, appropriately, is in the North West where the pupils, staff and local community have formed the charitable trust. The pupils currently form about a fifth of the membership. The trust has two seats (the minimum) on the governing body and as a financial body independent of the school can apply for public funds unavailable to the school.

What all Trust schools need is a clear vision of the purpose of the trust and the energy to ensure it delivers. Stoke Damerel Community College has evidenced both these and will undoubtedly make the most of its new status. 

For more information or advice contact Julia Green, associate on 01752 675504 or visit our Education: Trust Schools website pages.

Published 05/01/2009. The author of this article is Julia Green