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Brooke Hill Academy Trust Strategic Plan 2026 - 2029 Aspirational Futures for All Children
OUR MULTI ACADEMY TRUST OUR TRUST VISION STRATEGY - 3 YEAR PLAN GROWING TOGETHER GROWTH PLAN Table of Contents Aspirational Futures for All Children
Brooke Hill Academy Trust was established in 2016 and currently comprises of three primary schools in Rutland (Edith Weston Academy/ Brooke Hill Academy) and Lincolnshire (South Witham Academy). Although, bonded together through our collective responsibility to provide the very best education and extracurricular opportunities for every child across the Trust, it is important that our schools retain their own individual character and serve each of their unique communities. Our Multi Academy Trust Our schools work very closely together with the Headteachers, small central team and staff working collaboratively across the Trust. We share curriculum, resources and our expert teachers work across the Trust to support school improvement. Professional development and support are at the heart of all we do, underpinned by the belief that nurturing our staff to grow will have the greatest impact on providing the best educational experience for our children. By working together, we share best practice which will improve life chances and opportunities for all children, who remain at the centre of everything we do. Along with our internal culture of collaboration, we have a belief in proactively networking and working with others outside of our Trust, including other schools, trusts, local authorities and other professionals. We are always eager to work with other organisations and individuals on a formal or informal basis and believe in openly sharing to benefit all children both within and outside of our Trust.
Our Trust Vision Our Trust's Mission of 'Aspirational Futures for All Children' is achieved through our Vision (below). We believe that our Trust should be 'greater than the sum of its parts', being ambitious for every child and ensuring that collaboratively we have a collective responsibility to ensure all of our schools rise together.
Quality First Teaching We believe that the biggest difference we can make to provide aspirational futures for all children is in the classroom. Inspiring teaching, engaging learning, and adults who nurture children to be the best they can be. Our focus is to ensure that children have strong starts at the beginning of their school journey, make strong progress throughout, building to a strong finish and preparing them for success at secondary school and beyond. Flourishing First 20% Aspirational futures for all children so no child is left behind. We have a deliberate focus on disadvantaged children as individuals ensuring they are given the care and support to succeed and achieve along with their peers. We believe that if we get it right for disadvantaged children, then we get it right for everyone. Curriculum Over the past two years we have redesigned our curriculum to provide a strong foundation for children to learn and be inspired. A strong pedagogy for teaching and learning underpin our curriculum experience and carefully planned enrichment brings learning to life. Challenge and Opportunity We believe that education is more than just the taught curriculum. All children are encouraged to find what they love, discover their aptitudes and be challenged to make great progress, whatever their starting point. During their primary school journey, we provide a wide range of experiences and opportunities that allow them to grow as people as well as educationally. These involve events, trips, visitors and residentials, each one creating lifelong memories and enriching their school experience. Core Principles
Professional Development To provide aspirational futures for all children in our care, our staff are our greatest asset. We believe in building a culture firmly rooted in improving teaching and leadership through self-growth and continuous professional development, impacting positively on children’s outcomes. Collaboration and Networking Collaboration is a strength with our schools work closely together so that our expert teachers, leaders and staff can have a bigger impact on the most children. It reflects our commitment to working for and with our families and stakeholders. We are also committed to working with others outside of our Trust including our local communities, other schools and trusts, professionals and providers, local authorities and the DfE. Well-Being and Accountability For our children to flourish they need our staff to flourish too. We have a range of opportunities to support well-being including an Employee Assist package to provide a vast range of support for our staff, and their families. Everyone who works in our Trust plays an important role in ensuring aspirational futures for our children and hold themselves and each other to the highest standards. Behaviour and Attendance To ensure our children grow as amazing citizens and succeed in school we have high expectations of behaviour and learning. We work closely with families to ensure that children are in school and able to learn every day. Enabling Principles
Strategy: 3 year Plan Year 1 : 2026 - 2027 Strategic Priorities Tracking systems for disadvantaged children are robust and consistent across the Trust and focus on each individual child to raise attendance, attainment, progress and ambition (December 2026). Create and agree a trust wide inclusion strategy, following DfE requirements as part of the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund. Trust strategy to be personalised by each school and published, in line with the DfE guidance by the deadline of 31 December 2026. st Embedding the new curriculum now that all subjects are in place. Triangulating monitoring to ensure that the implementation is consistent and is impacting on long-term learning (termly). Seek and engage with DfE RISE initiatives and support in targeted aspects that support our schools. Attendance, EYFS and KS2 to be prioritised. Continuing staff development on delivering high quality teaching and learning and embed the pedagogy of ‘hard thinking’ and ‘active learning’ (termly). Headteachers demonstrate effective leadership evidenced through performance management, training and leadership coaching (July 2027).
Create a ‘People Strategy’ including well-being foci and access to high quality support. Talent development through increased opportunities for staff, particularly through leadership development and cross Trust working opportunities such as STRIVE teams (March 2027). Continue to build and develop networks with professionals, schools, trusts and organisations outside of the Trust. With a specific aim of building reciprocal networks and partnerships to build capacity and expertise (also see 5 – Growth Plan) (July 2027). Develop and implement Digital Strategy. To including a 5- year investment plan to review and replace systems and hardware; to ensure children have high quality, reliable access to the ICT curriculum, and Trust wide systems are fit for purpose and sustainable.With a priority in the first year that cyber security is strong and effective. (October 2026). Develop and implement Climate and Sustainability Strategy.Focus on promoting sustainability education through the taught and wider curriculum, reducing carbon footprint, promoting sustainable practices and reducing energy costs (December 2026). Update, review and improve all condition surveys and practices for premises management. Seeking better value for money through whole Trust systems, personnel and practices.From this develop a premises strategy for key repairs and maintenance over the next 5 years (July 2027). Proactively engage with local area SEND reforms, securing cluster working and working with the local authorities on expanding SEND provisions. Alongside this working with the local authorities on the planning for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) anticipating the strategic impact of this. (responsive and ongoing).
Strategy: 3 year Plan Next 3 Years : 2026 - 2029 Strategic Priorities Aspirational Futures for All Children is implicitly embedded, understood and lived throughout all aspects of the Trust. Continue to maintain a deliberate focus on disadvantaged children. Ensuring that they are the core focus of monitoring and improving outcomes as the foundation for getting it right, changing life chances and providing aspirational futures for every child. A coordinated marketing approach utilising technology is formulated to create a long-term strategy to promote the schools and Trust to attract new families and staff.Developing shared marketing principles and activities to ensure year-round promotion, not just focused on new intakes. Review the new curriculum (following two years of full implementation) to ensure that it is effective and raising standards for all children. Alongside this, ongoing induction, staff training and pedagogy is consistently embedded. Be fully immersed and engaged in the SEND directives and evolving expectations of the 2026 White Paper.Work collaboratively with other schools and trusts in the local area so that shared resources and support are utilised to provide greater value for money to impact on inclusion for all. To proactively work with the local authority (and new LA following LGR) with the aim to be a potential base for the ‘experts at hand’ in the area. Navigate the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) by working closely with Rutland and establishing local area and authority links with the new authority as soon as this becomes clear what this will be. Throughout and beyond the process of reorganisation, the Trust must be aligned and work collegiately with them. Building the people strategy to embed common values and expectations for all leaders and staff. Staff well-being as a core of our offer as an employer. Define and communicate the benefits of being part of the Trust, including professional development and career pathways, to build reputation as an employer of choice.
Continue to seek and embed effective sustainability measures to reduce cost and improve practice.Reviewing the Climate and Sustainability Strategy annually to ensure that new developments and practices are being sought, evaluated and integrated into the plans. As part of the Digital Strategy to update/ replace all children’s devices over this three-year period.To be reviewed annually and new information and changes to legislation are updated and included within this. (Also see 5 - Growth Plan) By September 2028 the Trust must be in a position to secure its future.To do this, during the next two years it must be proactive in seeking partnerships and developing links.Priority will be focused on actively seeking potential schools who may be appropriate partners in joining our Trust; and proactively seeking and engaging with similar small trusts who may potentially merge to create a larger more sustainable Trust. Beyond 2029 Monitoring, progress and outcomes data identify long term impact of high-quality teaching and learning on children completing their primary journeys through the Trust. Attendance and statutory assessment benchmarks against national, local and similar schools demonstrate this progress. As part of an expanded Trust all schools collaborate through established systems of interconnected working to continually share, support, develop and improve high quality teaching and best practice.Active part of a wider network of schools, trusts, local authorities and other educational professionals and organisations to continually build expertise and opportunities for children and staff. Each school as a community hub for local services and professionals to support children and families, working in partnership.The Trust will provide a wider network for facilitating shared services and joint working across schools. Particularly focusing on SEND services and ‘experts at hand’ wherever possible, the schools will provide spaces for professionals to be based in order to provide localised support for children and direct access into the school communities for families. Developing further the people strategy as part of an expended Trust, working with external providers and universities to provide qualifications and career pathways for staff. Ongoing review and future planning to ensure that premises and digital strategies are being invested in appropriately to maintain standards, and are proactive in anticipating and planning spending and maintenance.
Over the past three years we have been on a journey of change and rapid school improvement. All three schools have secured Good Ofsted gradings and we have transformed curriculum, teaching and learning and our central services offer. We now have a firm foundation and are looking to grow our Trust with schools looking to build together with us. As a small Trust we are seeking schools who want to belong, share our vision and be an important part of shaping our shared future. Growing Together
In the next five years the education sector will continue through a period of significant structural change following the 2026 White Paper, and the likely outcomes of the Local Government Reorganisation. To ensure the Trust adapts and evolves to meet this changing world we are committed to, and embrace, the need for growth. Between 2026 – 2028 the Brooke Hill Academy Trust is seeking to build partnerships with the intention of securing growth to five schools being underway by the end of the 2027-28 academic year. Growth Plan: 2026 - 2028
Actively seek potential schools who may be appropriate partners in joining our Trust Using the developing networks (Point 1) engage in conversations with school leaders who may be seeking Academy options. Engage with the DfE and local authorities in identifying potential partners and engage our DfE representative in the progress of our Growth Plan. Develop a quality offer package that can be shared with potential partner schools on the benefits of joining our Trust. To continue to seek links with the Dioceses’ of Peterborough and Leicester. The Trustees have agreed in principle to adopt Church articles should a Church school wish to join the Trust; therefore to also seek potential Church school partners. During the first two years the Growth Plan Priorities are: To develop working partnerships with other schools, Trusts and Local Authorities outside of BHAT. The aim of these partnerships is to develop shared practice, shared services and networks that BHAT both contribute to and benefit from. These partnerships are not a pre-requisite for joining our Trust, but are essential in ensuring that our Trust benefits from broader expertise and opportunities. To include taking a lead role in developing local ‘cluster’ work for SEND in line with the White Paper SEND reform expectations. Promote the Trust in the wider educational arena by engaging in activities conferences and opportunities through the DfE, RISE and Confederation of Schools Trusts. Proactively Seek and engage with similar Small Primary Trusts Seeking small trusts or federations within the Rutland, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Peterborough, Leicestershire Local Authorities. Primarily to find potential partnerships but with a long-term aim of considering an appropriate merger, should the Trust not be able to increase its number of schools.
As a Trust our ambition is to grow within our locality, to maintain our small Trust ethos, partnerships and collaboration as our strengths. The map below highlights Rutland as our base and our target growth area, where schools within would be geographically able to link effectively with the existing Trust schools. The target area roughly sits between the major town centres of Melton Mowbray – Grantham - Peterborough – Oundle – Market Harborough. Target Growth Area
Growth Plan: 2028 - 2031 Our target is to grow with a minimum of an additional two appropriate partner schools within the next three years (to be actively progressing by the end of the 2028 academic year); with the potential to grow to seven to nine schools over the next five years. The Trust Board understand that it is unlikely that in the current educational climate, small Trusts like ours and standalone schools will remain viable in their current forms over the next five years. Therefore, the next two years will be important in preparing the foundations for the future. By the end of 2028 the Trust Board will review progress and consider whether the priority from 2028 – 2031 will be to pursue growth, facilitate a merger with a similar Trust* or, if those two options are not viable, to seek an appropriate larger Trust for the current three schools to assimilate into. * A ‘similar Trust’ is considered to be a small Primary Trust of three to six schools.
Brooke Hill Academy Trust Brooke Road Oakham Rutland LE15 6HQ B R O O K E H I L L A C A D E M Y T R U S T