Bridge Schools Trust
Bridge Schools Trust opened in November 2013 following an approach from the Department for Education for Wadebridge Primary Academy to sponsor another large primary school in Cornwall. Since then the Trust has grown to include 14 primary schools and is managed from a centrally located office on the Lanhydrock estate just outside Bodmin by:
- An independent Board of Trustees who oversee the strategic management of the Trust.
- Chief Executive with 30 years’ experience in education, with 3 headships, who is also a serving Ofsted Inspector.
- A dedicated school improvement team of outstanding practitioners and specialist staff.
- A centralised operations team, specialising in Finance, HR, Administration, Estates, IT management and Health & Safety, providing key support services across the Trust.
Our Values...
Curious
We are inspired by the awe and wonder of the world.
Creative
We are bold and innovative in our approach to find new solutions to the challenges we face.
Excellent
We are the best we can be.
Responsible
We take responsibility for our actions in an environment of mutual respect.
Determined
We overcome all barriers to reach our potential, developing a capacity to improve further.
Enthusiastic
We are passionate about learning.
Our Vision
Bridge is a family of schools committed to high performance. We embrace a universal culture of excellence in the learning communities we build.
Our Aims
- To continue building a Trust that promotes strong values, an excellent education for all children, develops highly effective Teams, is financially secure, and ensures effective governance.
- To nurture, support and encourage aspirations by providing excellent learning opportunities, inspiring teaching environments, and a creative approach to curriculum subjects that secures engagement from all our learners resulting in high levels of academic progress and outcomes.
- To develop outstanding leadership, teaching and support teams by valuing committed, reflective staff, and providing rigorous and challenging professional development for continual School Improvement.
- To develop hubs as centres of learning excellence to disseminate best practice, firstly within and then beyond, the Trust.
- To successfully engage and communicate with parents/carers in our local communities, supporting pupil progress, well-being and achievement.
Meet the Team
Adrian Massey
Chief Executive
Louise Gilbert
Area Executive Head Teacher
Sarah Sanson
Area Executive Head Teacher
Dani Towe
Trust Lead for English and Sustainability
Stephanie Bass
Trust Operations Officer
Wendy Delf
School Improvement Consultant
John Wareham
Trust IT Services Manager
Matthew Symonds
Chief Finance Officer
Sue Pollington
HR Manager
Ian Batty
Estates Manager
Rhian Roberts
Estates Manager
Tracey Snell
Data Protection Officer
Achievement through Teaching and Learning
Leadership is critical to success and is about securing the best outcomes for children.
Academy leaders can focus on academy improvement thanks to the work of our Central Management Team. The removal of routine management tasks releases academy leaders to concentrate on issues which impact on progress.
Senior Leaders can demonstrate success in our academies with improved opportunities for pupils, increased attainment and accelerated progress. Membership of a wider senior leadership team, led by an experienced Chief Executive, brings a wealth of expertise as well as enhanced personal development for senior leaders.
Links to our external academy improvement partners mean any areas of expertise which need additional support can be bought in quickly and are able to be deployed effectively across Bridge Schools. This boosts capacity wherever it is needed.
An experienced Board of Trustees allows academy governing bodies to seek support and guidance where necessary to ensure consistency of approach across all academies. All joining academies can expect a bespoke approach to supporting their situation following a thorough needs analysis. Mutual partnership and support engender a positive culture of success.
Bridge Schools has dedicated a lot of time and resources to achieve the sustainable position it currently enjoys. The journey has been difficult at times and has been a steep learning curve but we are now in a position to offer a strong and secure partnership to any school wishing to join the team.
We all know there will be challenges for education to face in the coming years, but we believe by working together with our schools, we are in a much stronger position to succeed.
Our Achievements
- Proven track record of school improvement with 7 schools graded as Good since the Trust started and a commitment to helping all schools within the Trust to achieve high standards.
- 3 Executive leaders who have previously moved their schools up an Ofsted grade.
- An improvement in outcomes in all schools.
- Access to a network of independent external advisors in all areas of operations management who can offer tailored advice to any school within the Trust.
- Through successful bids, we have secured over £4M of additional funding for all our schools, who have benefited from major improvements to their premises and IT provision.
- A programme of collaboration across the Trust with both staff and pupils joining in training, sharing ideas, experiences and best practice.
- Track record of working collaboratively with school partners outside of the Trust.
- Experienced HR support in dealing with complex staffing issues.
- Co-ordination of a Trust wide IT initiative introducing iPads into all areas of the curriculum.
- Expertise in project managing academy conversions. Utilising the economies of scale in procurement available to a Schools Trust saving £800k across the schools.
- Accountancy qualified Finance Team working with schools throughout the Trust.
- Opening a training hub, offering a variety of training and CPD opportunities.
- A team of classroom practitioners who are outstanding in their field, working collaboratively to build confidence and increase knowledge across all the schools.
- Introduction of Visible Learning Programme across all schools.
© 2021 Bridge Schools trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Registration number 7736425. It is an exempt charity.