PROSPECTUS 2016/17 LEIGH SHAPING LIVES, TRANSFORMING ...longfieldacademy.org › ... › 09 › LAT-Prospectus-2016_17.pdf · 4 Leigh Academies Trust Prospectus 2016/17 Leigh Academies

SHAPING LIVES,TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

LEIGHAcademies Trust

PROSPECTUS 2016/17

Simon BeamishChief Executive

Welcome to our Trust Prospectus for 2016/17. Please take time to browse through these pages, which will give you a sense of what Leigh Academies Trust does. We are already one of the country’s most successful multi-

academy trusts. We are incredibly proud of our achievements – we hope you will see why.

We are developing ‘clusters’ of academies across the South-East. Each cluster is no more than a thirty-minute drive from end to end. Geography is important to ensure strong collaboration.

Our clusters contain all phases of education, from nursery to Post-16. Each one has a passionate commitment to inclusion. For example, Milestone Academy, in our North-West Kent Cluster, is one of the region’s largest special schools. Across many of our mainstream academies, both primary and secondary, we have designated centres for children with special educational needs.

Our academies are like siblings, not clones. We believe that innovation, creativity and autonomy are vital. These qualities cannot thrive in an environment where everyone is forced to do the same thing.

However, like all siblings, our academies share certain core values and ways of operating. You can learn more about the things our academies share in common over the next few pages.

More than anything, we are about shaping children’s lives for the better through high- quality education and care. In doing so, we aim to transform the communities in which they live as children and will live as adults, so that the life chances of future generations are enhanced by a strong legacy handed down from those who have gone before them.

If you are interested to find out more about us, please do get in contact. Whether you are a current or prospective parent of a child in one of our academies, an employer keen to forge links with schools, a member of the community interested in becoming a governor, a potential employee or an educational establishment interested in partnership with an already successful multi-academy trust, we would liketo hear from you.

Welcome to

Leigh Academies Trust

3Leigh Academies Trust Prospectus 2016/17

What we stand for:• High ideals, strong moral values

and boundless ambition to achieve excellence for all;

• Strong collaboration and teamwork so that we are much greater than the sum of our parts.

What we value:• A ‘can-do’ attitude towards

continuous improvement and innovation;

• Creating confident young adults with high levels of resilience and integrity.

What makes us distinctive:• Small-school, ‘human-scale’

education to personalise the educational experience;

• An enterprising culture to create close partnerships with industry and other educators.

4 Leigh Academies Trust Prospectus 2016/17

Leigh Academies Trust is dedicated in its aims to remove barriers and provide opportunities to achieve academic excellence for all. It has significant experience in running schools and today includes both sponsored academies and schools which have chosen to convert to academy status.

Our values

In order to achieve its aims, Leigh Academies Trust embraces a series of core values. Each value helps to shape the decisions we make and is integral to the vision of the Trust.

Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities


The Leigh City Technology College (CTC) opened in 1990 as one of the original 15 City Technology Colleges, through the generous personal sponsorship of Sir Geoffrey Leigh. He became the first Chairman of the College in 1990 and retired in 2006.

When the CTC was first formed, Sir Geoffrey was Chairman and Managing Director of Allied London Properties PLC, a company quoted on the Stock Exchange, engaged in the development of commercial, industrial, office buildings and housebuilding. Through his charitable work in education, business, and health, both in the private and public sectors, he has helped organisations to grow, to become more effective and to raise large sums of money for the benefit of their communities and the country.

Bob Findlay was born in Canada, but has lived in the UK since 1965. He joined Morgan-Grampian in 1969 and later became Managing Director of its main operating subsidiary and a Director of the public- holding company. In 1974, he left Morgan-Grampian to start Findlay Publications.

A strong desire to help address manufacturing’s greatest constraint, its skills shortage, through persuading young people to pursue careers in engineering, led him in 1989 to donate £400,000 and lead a £1.6 million project developing new curriculum programmes for the fledgling City Technology Colleges Trust. Concurrently, he helped found and build the Kent TEC into a £30- million success, delivering government-training programmes. In 2006, he became Chair of Governors at The Leigh City Technology College in Dartford, which became Leigh Academies Trust in 2008.

Sir Geoffrey LeighFounding Sponsor

Bob FindlayChairman

London

Ashford

CanterburyMaidstone

Dartford

Royal Tunbridge Wells


CENTRAL KENT CLUSTER

NORTH WEST KENTCLUSTER

Academy

DartfordPrimary Academy

6secondary academies

7primary

academies

1special

academy

SOUTH EAST LONDONCLUSTER

Our academies

London

Ashford

CanterburyMaidstone

Dartford

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Each year, we hold six Principals’ Forums, allowing Principals from all of our academies to ‘openly’ discuss and share ideas and successes, helping the Trust to evolve and improve.

The Trust was formed in 2008, when The Leigh Technology Academy and Longfield Academy were linked under one governing body. It currently encompasses more than 10,000 students, between the ages of 2 and 19, in fourteen primary, secondary and special academies.

The latest academy is Langley Park Primary, which opened in September 2016. Cherry Orchard Primary Academy - the first school in the Ebbsfleet Garden City - will open in September 2017.

The Trust has chosen to remain local and medium-sized. We believe in ‘earned autonomy’ for our academies. Those academies with a strong track record of improvement receive less monitoring and intervention than weaker ones. All of our current academies can be accessed within a one-hour drive of one another. We want to keep it this way. We are developing self-managing, self-improving ‘clusters’ of academies across the region.

The first cluster was in North-West Kent, centred around Dartford, and is almost complete. The other two existing clusters are in South-East London (Greenwich and Bexley) and Central Kent, between Maidstone and Tonbridge.

When this project is finished, each of our clusters will include around ten schools, serving approximately 6,000 students from ages 2-19, and all will have a highly-inclusive approach to education. They will be semi-autonomous groupings with their own identities, but which subscribe to the core values and distinctive features of the Trust. Each cluster has its own Executive Director, who leads the cluster’s team of principals and reports directly to the Chief Executive of the Trust.

Geographical proximity between sites and their location along key transport routes ensure that each Leigh Academies Trust academy is within one hour’s drive of all the others.



The Trust is strongly committed to primary education. A successful primary education generally leads to a successful life afterwards. If things go wrong in primary school, some children never recover.

All of our primaries are linked to a nearby secondary academy. Strong collaboration is encouraged at the outset to provide additional opportunities for staff and students. These links help to break down the artificial divide between phases, so that students’ transition is as smooth as possible. Our secondary academies allow preferential access under their admissions arrangements for students attending our LAT primary academies.

Our governing bodies are also linked. Whilst primary academies all have their own development groups, they are governed by an Academy Board, which brings together primary and secondary governors around one table. This enables governors to understand the process of education from age 2 through to 19 and is a powerful driver of collaboration between phases.

Wherever possible, our primary academies have their own nurseries. Currently, the Trust has six nurseries, but this is likely to grow over the next eighteen months. This helps us to get children’s development off to a successful start from the moment they enter formal education.

The Trust operates seven primary academies. In the next two years, we have approval from the Department for Education to open more primary academies to meet the need for school places.

Primary education ‘I was delighted to see that Hartley Primary Academy

has been judged to be ‘outstanding’ in all areas by

Ofsted.’

Dominic Herrington,Regional Schools‘

Commissioner

The Trust has six secondary academies, one of which is a UTC. Most of its schools have benefitted from significant rebuilding programmes over the last decade and enjoy splendid, new, state-of-the-art facilities for learning. Environments are technology-rich, flexible and welcoming. Academy staff take a business-like, yet caring, approach to achieve successful outcomes for young people.

We believe in fostering entrepreneurship in our students. That is why we have developed our own initiative called “LAT Working With

Business” across secondary academies, to link our schools firmly into the world of work. Our secondary-age students enjoy a business-mentoring scheme and work placements and we are about to launch our first set of advanced apprenticeship qualifications.

We have enjoyed much academic success at secondary level. Despite the fact that most of our secondaries are high schools which operate in selective areas, our results are well above national averages. This is in no small part due to the hard work and dedication of our talented team of

well-trained staff. Our students leave school well qualified, ready to take their next steps into work, training or further study.

Our secondary academies are organised around a ‘human-scale’ education model in which each academy is organised into smaller ‘college units’ with 350-500 students in each one.

Secondary education


Unlike its peers, The Leigh UTC did not stand alone, but was developed by a highly-successful group of existing academies that could provide education and back-office support from the outset. A recent change in government policy has determined that this is now the preferred route for all existing and forthcoming UTCs. In that sense, Leigh Academies Trust has led the way in this important innovation in English education.

The Leigh UTC specialises in engineering and computing. These specialisms reflect the fact that the future success of the British economy depends upon highly-trained young people in these fields. The Leigh UTC

works very closely with industry and university partners to create work-based, engaging, relevant opportunities for young people aged 14-19. The Trust is now planning to broaden the reach of The Leigh UTC by opening up access to all secondary-age pupils from 2017.

The Leigh UTC was the first university technical college to be part of a multi-academy trust.


The Leigh UTC

‘The Leigh UTC demonstrates a progressive attitude towards technical education as well as its links to the business community.’

Andrew HodgsonChief Executive Officer Beck & Pollitzer

This is another ground-breaking, national initiative, which will allow students to follow a broad, balanced curriculum with enhanced provision for STEM-based subjects.

Inspiration Academy and The Leigh UTC will enjoy a symbiotic relationship, sharing expertise and resources, as well as ensuring that all students benefit from working with many local and national businesses.

In addition, this development and that of adjacent land will provide indoor and outdoor sports facilities for the benefit of both The Leigh UTC and the local community.

This development will greatly enhance Leigh Academies Trust’s drive to encourage more young women to access the opportunities available through careers in engineering and computer science.

Inspiration Academy @ THE LEIGH UTC

‘Leigh Academies Trust offers excellent educational opportunities for local children so I am really pleased we should now see The Leigh UTC expand.’

Gareth JohnsonMP

In February 2016 Leigh Academies Trust was given permission to develop the UK’s first 11-14 extension to a UTC.


inspirationacademy @ THE LEIGH UTC

LAT16 students have access to a wide range of opportunities:

• Appropriate range of academic and vocational courses;

• Flexible learning programmes;• Development of skills and attitudes

prized by employers;• State-of-the-art facilities;• 24/7 learning;• Enrichment and work-related learning

experiences;• Excellent employer and university links;• Bespoke pastoral programmes;• Personalised support, mentoring and

guidance.

Building upon our success and as part of our ongoing commitment to delivering an outstanding educational experience to our post-16 students, Wilmington, The Leigh and The Leigh UTC have registered their candidacy to become accredited International Baccalaureate World Schools with a view to delivering the International Baccalaureate Careers-related Programme (IBCP) from September 2017.

The IBCP is a flexible post-16 programme offered in 17 countries around the world, which combines academic, vocational and practical learning skills. Students must follow a career-related course and between 2 and 4 IB diploma courses at standard and higher level in a wide range of subjects. The core curriculum is fundamental to the development of students academically, personally and socially, combining the skills valued by employers with excellent qualifications.

This year, LAT16 students can choose from over 50 different academic, vocational and technical qualifications, studying at more than one campus if necessary. No other group of local schools or academies in Kent can offer such a wide range of choices. LAT16 students have the benefits of a flexible, independent, college-style education, while retaining the personalised support, advice and guidance needed to help them succeed and achieve their goals.

Through our LAT Working With Business initiative and careers service, all academies work closely with a wide range of

Leigh Academies Trust Post-16 offer comprises four campuses in Kent: The Leigh Academy, The Leigh UTC, Longfield Academy and Wilmington Academy. L A

T 16


Post-16 education

A large number of LAT16 students progress on to university, including Russell Group universities, with others taking jobs and apprenticeships in fields such as engineering, accountancy, medicine and leisure.

Find out more at www.lat16.org.uk

businesses, universities and other organisations to ensure that our students have the opportunities and advice they need to follow their chosen path.

The Trust is committed to inclusion and creating opportunities for all students, regardless of their circumstances. In fact, one of our core values is to remove barriers to success, whatever they might be.

Milestone Academy joined the Trust in 2012. It is one of the largest special schools in the region and was again rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2016. It has nearly 300 young people from ages 2-19 with profound and multiple learning needs. Milestone gains much from its interaction with the Trust’s other mainstream academies. It also gives much in return through its highly- talented, knowledgeable and skilled group of staff.

In 2014, Milestone Academy developed an off-site, Post-16 centre at Wilmington Academy. This is an excellent example of how working together can create more opportunities for vulnerable youngsters and staff collaboration.

Milestone Post-16 students now enjoy greater autonomy and independence through access to the different approach to learning in a mainstream setting provided at Wilmington.

The Academy is now developing primary satellite provision at Dartford Primary, which was launched in September 2016.

Leigh Academies Trust also has a number of designated special provisions in its existing mainstream academies for students with an Education and Health Care Plan. These centres provide the Trust with even more expertise in special educational needs, including speech, communication and language needs, hearing impairment, autistic-spectrum disorders, visual impairment and moderate learning difficulties.

The Trust is opening more new ‘basic need’ primary academies in Kent shortly. All will have their own designated specialist provisions.

Special education

‘Milestone continues to be Outstanding.

The strategic influence of Leigh Academies Trust has

had a significant impact on the culture at the school.’

Ofsted, 2016



Our annual conference, held each year in February, brings together teachers from across the Trust for a day of high- quality training. Each day includes an address from the Chief Executive, followed by workshops run by our own staff and trusted external facilitators.

Leigh Academies Trust has its own pay scale for teachers, which enables annual progression based on good performance. Activity and development allowances enable academy leaders to recognise the best teachers and to provide enhanced responsibilities and salary.

The Trust has also introduced its own recruitment and retention bonuses to enable it to compete for the very best teachers.

We are committed to high-quality training for all teachers. The Trust is the lead school for Kent and Medway Training, which trains over 100 teachers every year. More than 60% of these were judged to be ‘outstanding’ by the University of Brighton in 2015/16. Many of these trainees choose to start their careers in LAT academies.

Leigh Academies Trust is proud to attract only the best, most highly-qualified and dedicated teachers to its staff and is committed to offering excellent career paths and opportunities to those seeking this environment.

Opportunities for teaching staff

The Trust holds Principal and Senior Leadership Forums six times per year, bringing together all key executives from across the Trust to share best practice, address challenges and contribute to Trust development.

In addition, the Trust has launched its own middle-leadership programme to develop our best aspiring leaders for senior roles. The programme is led by our own staff, in association with the Institute of Education, and includes

workshops from leaders in other sectors.

Middle leaders already collaborate strongly across our academies, with regular opportunities to meet and share good ideas with like-minded colleagues.

The Trust believes in a ‘grow-your- own’ philosophy of leadership. We are fortunate to have a large number of highly-talented staff and work hard

to create opportunities for career progression within and across our academies.

Opportunities for leaders

It is quite normal for staff to move between our academies as they develop their careers and take on new challenges.


‘A high level of challenge and support, which come in equal measure, leaves no room for complacency. It creates a culture of high aspirations and a desire to improve year on year.’

Simon BeamishChief Executive


All Trust academies enjoy high-quality support in a range of educational and ‘back-office’ services. This includes human resources, finance, IT, estates management and procurement. This means that support is highly responsive and tailored to the needs of individual academies. It allows the Trust to access best value and more efficient ways of supporting academies to deliver these services to the standard they demand.

In addition, the Trust has developed a range of educational support services for its academies. This includes the Academy Improvement Team, which contains high-quality senior experts in a range of subject areas who support and challenge academies on a weekly basis.

The Trust also recognises the importance of a range of other educational services to support academies to meet the needs of their young people. That is why we have also developed our own Inclusive Services Team, who work across the Trust.

All academies within the Trust experience regular modular reviews with the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director. This enables full discussion and accountability of all educational improvement matters at least six times per year.

We are also launching our new Academy Challenge Partners initiative this year, putting our academy leaders together with tried and trusted experts as they move towards excellence.

The Trust has an effective programme of annual peer review for its academies. This brings together trained external inspectors and academy senior staff and provides excellent training for our leaders as well as robust challenges for our academies.

A culture of improvement


Academy Ofsted grade on joining the Trust Latest Ofsted grade

The Leigh AcademyJoined September 2008

GOODGOOD with

OUTSTANDINGleadership

Longfield AcademyJoined September 2008

SATISFACTORY GOOD

Wilmington AcademyJoined September 2010

INADEQUATEGOOD with

OUTSTANDINGleadership

Dartford Primary AcademyJoined April 2012

INADEQUATE GOOD

Milestone AcademyJoined September 2012

OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING

Hartley Primary AcademyJoined June 2013

GOOD OUTSTANDING

Tree Tops Primary AcademyJoined March 2015

INADEQUATEREQUIRES

IMPROVEMENT withGOOD leadership

Molehill Primary AcademyJoined March 2015 INADEQUATE

REQUIRESIMPROVEMENT with

GOOD leadership


Academy

DartfordPrimary Academy

Ofsted ratings

Academy Ofsted grade on joining the Trust

The Leigh UTCJoined September 2014

Not yet inspected

Stationers’ Crown Woods AcademyJoined September 2014

GOOD

Oaks Primary AcademyJoined March 2015

GOOD

Mascalls AcademyJoined September 2015

GOOD

Eastcote Primary AcademyJoined February 2016

GOOD

Langley Park Primary AcademyJoined September 2016

Not yet inspected

Academies not yet inspected as part of the Trust


AllLAT academies

inspected by Ofsted since joining the

Trust have improved

10of our academies

are graded ‘good’ or better

by Ofsted

4of our academies aregraded ‘outstanding’

in leadership by Ofsted

2of our academies

are graded ‘outstanding’

by Ofsted


We value the individual identity of each of our academies. While each academy is part of the LAT family, we recognise that all have a unique ethos and history.

Results 2016


Primary

% of children achieving a good level of development in the Early Years (national average = 66%)

70%% of children who pass the phonics test in Year 1 (national average = 81%) 79%% of children who achieve national standard at Key Stage 1 in reading(national average = 74%) 75%% of children who achieve national standard at Key Stage 1 in writing(national average = 65%) 70%% of children who achieve national standard at Key Stage 1 in maths(national average = 73%) 74%% of children who achieve national standard at Key Stage 2 in reading(national average = 66%) 64%% of children who achieve national standard at Key Stage 2 in writing(national average = 74%) 84%% of children who achieve national standard at Key Stage 2 in maths(national average = 70%) 69%% of children who achieve national standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling at Key Stage 2 (national average =72%)

75%

Secondary

% of pupils who achieve A*-C in English and maths GCSE (national average = 56%) 63%Attainment 8 score (national average = 48.1) 48.9 Progress 8 score (national average = 0.0) 0.0% of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (national average = 24%) 20%Average academic grade at A Level (national average = C+) C- Average vocational grade at A level (national average = Distinction-)

Distinction+


Our community-facing initiatives across Leigh Academies Trust include:

• Telescope Bistro, Longfield Academy. Open twice per week to the local community, serving high-quality cuisine, prepared by Post-16 students following City & Guilds diplomas in professional cookery and hospitality services.

• Dartford Football Academy, The Leigh Academy. Students taking A-Level courses at The Leigh can access professional football training at Dartford Football Club.

• Sports Centre and Hydropool, Milestone Academy. Available to Milestone young people and members of the local public – open daily.

• Horticulture Centres, Wilmington Academy and Milestone Academy. Run by students and servicing local businesses with high-quality fruit, vegetables and flowers. Both have won awards at Chelsea Flower Show and are members of the Royal Horticulture Society.

• Play 4 Ages and MegaCamps, secondary academies and Milestone Academy. Provide holiday clubs for children across the local areas during academy closure periods.

Transforming communities

Our core philosophy says it all: ‘shaping the lives of young people through high-quality education and transforming the communities in which they live’.

The unique aspect of LAT Enterprises is that it exists solely to raise income to enhance the education of the students within Leigh Academies Trust.

LAT Enterprises is able to offer a variety of venues, including lecture theatres, theatrical space, boardrooms, halls, a hydrotherapy pool, sports halls, classrooms, fields, floodlit artificial playing surfaces, tennis courts and much more.

Each building is unique and our services range from simple space hirings for meetings or sport to fully-serviced events. With many repeat clients, who

have benefitted from our venues for years, we know it’s about establishing a relationship.

The company operates from each academy within Leigh Academies Trust under the direction of the Trust Business Director. LAT Enterprises welcomes approaches from organisations willing to work in partnership. Contact details can be found on the website. LAT Enterprises is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leigh Academies Trust.

Find out more at www.latenterprises.org.uk.

Over 40venues for hire


LAT Enterprises


Working with Businesses

Leigh Academies Trust values partnerships with local businesses for mutual gain. We are passionate that each and every student within the Trust should benefit from significant business engagement to prepare them for their future after leaving education. Understanding how the world of employment works and the key skills needed to be successful, over and above academic qualifications, encourages our students to strive to achieve.

Our valued business partnerships take many forms and include business mentoring, visits to workplaces, presentations within our academies, projects for students, work experience and much more. Leigh Academies Trust is proud to be developing its own LAT Working With Business initiative.

Careers advice

All of our students have the opportunity to have a careers interview at any stage of their education. As part of Leigh Academies Trust, our academies are all committed to the Investors in Careers award, which demonstrates the comprehensive careers and work-related learning opportunities afforded to our students.

Our alumni community spans six academies and gives

ex-students the chance to reconnect with old friends and

to inspire new generations of learners.

The LAT Alumni website, launched in August 2015 and designed as our shop window for prospective alumni members, provides a gateway for joining the alumni communities for The Leigh Academy, Longfield Academy, Wilmington Academy, The Leigh UTC, Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy and Mascalls Academy. Our alumni members include a whole range of inspiring career and education role models, volunteers, work-experience providers, governors and mentors.

We are looking to all of you for your valuable support to help and guide those now following in your footsteps.

Once signed up, alumni can join our exclusive LinkedIn and Facebook alumni communities to network with old friends and to keep abreast of news and events from their academies.

Visit http://www.latalumni.org.uk for the latest alumni news and to sign up today, free of charge.

Leigh Academies Trust is partnered with Future First, a registered charity, to bring the LAT Alumni community to life. The Trust is keen to foster a thriving community of ex-students, who can bring their expertise back into academies as they progress with their careers.

LAT Alumni



Executive team

Neil WillisDeputy Chief Executive / Executive Director (North West Kent)Neil graduated from Plymouth Polytechnic with a BSc in Geography and gained his PGCE from Goldsmiths College, University of London, before teaching in Surrey and Kent. He was Headteacher at Axton Chase School during its transition to becoming Longfield Academy in 2008 and Principal at Longfield Academy until 2012, when he became Deputy Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust.

Whilst at Longfield, Neil was integrally involved in the design and development of the new academy building, which opened in September 2011. As part of this work he led the introduction of iPads as a

learning device for all students. As the first large-scale scheme in Europe, it has garnered worldwide recognition, winning the national ICT Facility Award and being runner-up as Academy of the Year 2011.

Simon BeamishChief ExecutiveSimon Beamish graduated from York University with a BA in Politics and went on to study for a PGCE in History at Durham University. He gained an MSc in Social and Political Theory from Birkbeck College, University of London, as well as an NPQH from the National College for School Leadership. He has taught at several schools in Kent, Medway and South-East London. In 2009, Simon was appointed Principal of Longfield Academy within Leigh Academies Trust. In the previous year the predecessor school had achieved just over 20% 5+ A*-C grades, including English and maths. By the time that Simon left the school in September 2013 to become Principal of The Leigh Technology Academy, this figure had risen to just under 70%.

Simon was appointed Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust in November 2013, succeeding Frank Green, CBE, who went on to become Schools’ Commissioner for England. In addition to this role, Simon is currently Chairman of Governors of Roseacre Junior School in Maidstone. He is also Chairman of Kent and Medway Training, one of the region’s largest teacher-training providers. Simon sits on the Regional Schools’ Commissioner’s sub-regional board for Kent and Medway and the Executive Board of the Kent Association of Headteachers. He is also a trained Ofsted Inspector. He lives in Kent with his wife Emma and their three children.

Stuart ReevesExecutive Director (Central Kent)Stuart graduated from University College London in 1991 with a BEng in Biotechnology and went on to study for his PGCE at the Institute of Education, London. A teacher of physics, Stuart received an award from The Teaching Awards for excellence in science teaching.

Following a number of leadership roles, his first headship was at Cockermouth School in West Cumbria. He then moved back to the South-East as Headteacher of Mascalls School, Paddock Wood. Both schools are popular, successful and hold ‘good’ Ofsted ratings. Stuart joined Leigh Academies Trust in September 2015

to lead and expand the Central Kent Cluster. A keen cricketer, Stuart lives in Sussex with his wife and two children.

Steve AvisFinance Director

Steve is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and joined Leigh Academies Trust as Finance Director in January 2015. He has over 25 years of experience within finance across the public sector and has held senior management positions in the civil service, including in the Department for Education. He was also head of finance at Partnerships for Schools (now part of the Education Funding Agency). Before joining the Trust, Steve was director of finance and operations at a high-profile new academy in central London. Steve has two daughters and two grandchildren. He lives in Surrey and is a lifelong supporter of Leeds United Football Club.

Sue CrockerBusiness Director

Sue has worked in the education sector since 1996, including both the primary and secondary sectors, and was appointed Leigh Academies Trust Business Director in 2008. Sue has led the Trust throughmajor capital-building programmes totalling £54.9m, the most recent of which, Langley Park Primary Academy, phase 1 opened in September 2017. Current projects include Cherry Orchard Primary Academy, Inspiration Academy @ The Leigh UTC, both opening September 2017 and the new Jupiter College at Wilmington. Sue is integrally involved in all aspects of business and operations and has been instrumental in bringing new schools into the Trust. Other areas of strategic leadership include health and safety,

estate management and administration.

Stephane VernouxIT Director

Stephane joined Leigh Academies Trust in 2012 to transform, develop and deliver the Trust’s IT strategy. Much emphasis is placed on growth, mobility, innovation, risk and exposure management, and achieving outstanding educational outcomes. Before moving to the UK, Stephane began his career as a biomedical engineer. He then turned his focus to IT, with over 15 years’ technical and management expertise. Most recently, Stephane worked as the Head of IT for the largest indoor ski-slope operator in Europe, prior to which he held various IT roles within a specialist property company.

Richard TaylorHR Director

Richard joined Leigh Academies Trust in 2014 to develop the Trust’s HR strategy and drive improvements in our people practices. Richard is a chartered member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and has devoted his career to building successful HR teams that add real value to the organisations they serve. Over the last decade, Richard has held a number of HR leadership roles across a variety of sectors, including engineering, construction, facilities management and oil and gas and he brings to the Trust a commercial, pragmatic and creative approach to people management.



A brief history of the Trust

• Wilmington Academy joins LAT.

• Simon Beamish appointed CEO.

• The Leigh UTC opens in brand-new £10m building, specialising in engineering and computing.

• Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy joins LAT, starting the South-East London cluster of academies.

• St Albans Infant Academy joins LAT.

2009 2010 2011

2012

2014

• York Road Juniors joins LAT as its first primary provision.

• Milestone Academy joins LAT as its first special school.

• The Leigh Technology Academy gains an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating.

• Longfield Academy rated ‘good’ by Ofsted with ‘outstanding’ leadership.

• Longfield Academy moves into its brand- new, £26m building.2008

• Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) begins under Frank Green, CEO.

• The Leigh Technology Academy opens its brand new £35m building.

• Longfield Academy joins LAT.

2013

• Hartley Primary Academy joins LAT.• Wilmington Academy rated ‘good’ by Ofsted with

‘outstanding’ leadership.• Wilmington Academy moves into its brand-new, £13m

building.• LAT signs agreement with The Stationers’ Company to

sponsor a South-East London secondary academy.

2015

• LAT gains approval to open a new secondary free school in Greenwich.

• LAT gains approval to operate the brand-new Langley Park Primary Academy in Maidstone and Cherry Orchard Primary Academy in Ebbsfleet.

• St Albans Infants and York Road Juniors merge, creating Dartford Primary Academy.

• LAT takes on three primary academies in Maidstone from another multi-academy trust: Molehill, Oaks and Tree Tops Primary Academies.

• Mascalls Academy joins LAT, starting the Central Kent cluster of academies.

• Eastcote Primary Academy joins the Trust.

• Hartley Primary Academy gains ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating.

• Milestone Academy regains ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating.

• Langley Park Primary Academy opens.• LAT gains approval to develop an 11-14

extension to the UTC, called Inspiration Academy.

• LAT gains approval for construction of a third college at Wilmington Academy, taking the pupil admission number to 240 per year.

Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities2016

Our partners



‘The Leigh Academies are transforming communities across South-East England.

We are shaping education for young people so that they will have a variety of

opportunities and a far better future.’

Sir Geoffrey LeighFounding Sponsor

Be inspired at Leigh Academies Trust


LEIGHAcademies Trust

Chief Executive: Simon Beamish BA (Hons) MSc PGCE NPQH

Green Street Green Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1QEt: 01322 620586 | f: 01322 620401

e: [email protected] | w: www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk

Leigh Academies Trust is a registered company, company no 2336587. An exempt charity.Designed and produced by Trust Design, t: 01322 626 609 e: [email protected] | v3. 10/2016

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