24th April 2013
Dear Parent/Carer,
Re: East Cleveland Co-operative Learning Trust
The governing body of Badger Hill Primary School is considering becoming a foundation
school and acquiring a Trust whose proposed name is East Cleveland Co-operative
Learning Trust. This is a new type of trust being a mutual schools co-operative
membership trust, which is the fastest growing type of trust school nationally.
August 31st 2013 is the proposed implementation date, i.e., the likely date – if the
proposals run their course and are implemented, when the legal changes in school
category take effect and the Trust would come into existence.
What we would like you to do: we would like to know what you think of our plans, so
we invite you to take part in our public consultation. You can do this by:
 Reading this letter and accompanying leaflet. For additional information you can
also read the detailed consultation Booklet One: (you may also wish to read
Booklet Two, which provides answers to a number of commonly asked
questions. Copies of this will be available at each school as well as on each
school website.)
 Completing the attached Response Form and returning it to your school.
 Attending one of the consultation meetings – these will be held at all schools.
Why are the Governing Bodies considering this? East Cleveland Schools share
similar visions and values. The schools serve communities with similar social and
economic settings and work positively to combat the impact of social deprivation. All
schools are used to working with a range of agencies who share our visions, values and
good practice to promote school improvement.
Having worked hard, during recent years, to tackle underachievement, we always seek
to ensure that all learners achieve their maximum potential. They raise attainment by
providing good or better teaching and a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes
enjoyment and achievement. They provide learning environments which seek to raise
aspirations of all - the children, their families and the communities served by the schools.
Over recent years, all schools have separately sought to deal with challenges and as
evidenced by their Ofsted inspection reports, have made real strides under strong
leadership. Over the last ten or more years, firstly as East Cleveland EAZ and then East
Cleveland EIP, the Schools have worked increasingly closely to promote their common
aims and values. Guisborough schools have collaborated as GEL (Guisborough
Extended Learning) - families will be familiar with schools working together in this way,
and the benefits it has brought to the local community. Head teachers meet together
regularly to share ideas, identify similar areas of school improvement and to plan and
share training.
We wish to strengthen our rate of progress and believe that we would have a greater
capacity to do so by working more formally in collaboration with a range of strong
partners. The proposed Trust will enable all schools to benefit from the skills of our
partners to deliver enhanced learning in the classroom.
By acquiring a mutual co-operative trust, supported by a range of partners and
stakeholders, who are united behind our vision, we hope to not only transform the life
chances of every learner that passes through our schools, but also to have a lasting
positive impact on our wider communities. We aim to provide the best education for all
our learners by working together to provide a personalised education for all.
Becoming a shared Trust will help us to clarify our vision and aims, continue to raise
expectations and standards across the partnership, and make our existing collaboration
and associated school improvement strategies, more sustainable. We believe that to
meet the needs of our communities we need to work together as a community,
promoting community cohesion.
We know that we can achieve more by working together than we can by working alone.
A shared Trust would help to make that belief a reality.
Trust schools are a new kind of school – part of the local authority system, but supported
by a charitable co-operative trust which will appoint two or three governors. Each
Governing Body will continue to run its own school and be responsible for its
performance. Staffing arrangements will not change as a result of these proposals.
Consultation Meetings: details of the proposals and the dates and times of
consultation meetings can be found in the summary leaflet which accompanies this
letter. You are invited to attend the parent/carers meeting which will be held on
Thursday 2nd May 2013 at 7pm. If you cannot make this, a public meeting will take
place at Huntcliff School on Thursday 2nd May 2013 at 5.30pm.
We hope that you will contribute your views to the consultation. Details of how to make
comments on the proposals are contained in this booklet along with a Response Form.
Full details of the implications of the proposals and the reasons for considering them are
set out in Booklet One ‘Changing from Community School to Foundation School
Category and Acquiring a Charitable Trust. You may also want to read Booklet Two
Questions and Answers which provides a series of commonly asked questions together
with answers which have been collated from the Department for Education (DfE)
sources.
Copies of Booklets One and Two and further copies of the Response Form can be
obtained from our school office or downloaded from the website:
www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/badgerhill
Yours sincerely
On behalf of the Head and Chair of Governors
Badger Hill Primary School