CBAT represents a coming together of like-minded academies who subscribe to the same educational and community values, and share a vision for our young people.
Each Academy within the Trust retains its own identity, but works collaboratively with other members to provide a greater wealth of opportunities than is possible for any single, individual school.
Unlike many Single Academy Trusts (SAT) that convert into a MAT, CBAT was formed from the outset as a joint initiative between Marling School and Berkeley Primary School. We set out to create a trust that was fit for purpose for both primary and secondary schools and our collaboration gave us an invaluable perspective on how best to determine strategy and policy and create opportunities for our students and staff to raise aspirations and inspire excellence.
As a strategic partner of the Cotswold Edge Teaching Alliance (CETA), CBAT also has extensive experience of working in partnership across the primary and secondary sector. Through CETA we can share skills, experience, capacity and talent with a diverse partnership of schools. CETA comprises large and smaller, single gender and mixed, urban and semi-rural secondary and primary schools, each of which brings value to the collaboration in an alliance that is built on trust, respect and professional generosity and is committed to developing talent and improving outcomes for all students.
A personal letter from the Headteacher of Berkeley Primary School.
Dear Colleague
I would like to share with you our exciting journey to becoming an academy and joining a multi academy trust.
The governors and I worked together to explore the many benefits and opportunities that come with being part of a multi academy trust before we took the final decision in 2016/17.
We joined with Marling School to form Cotswold Beacon Academy Trust in September 2017. From the outset we wanted to create an ‘all through’ trust that was fit for purpose for primary and secondary academies.
Collaboration was key to success, so a steering group of primary and secondary governors worked with senior leaders to develop a vision and set of values that reflected what we truly believed in.
As with all of these journeys, the many discussions highlighted the degree of shared common values that we held for the education of our children and students. From here, our confidence grew to enable us to move forward knowing we had a consistent approach and high expectations for our own school performance, but also that of the multi academy trust and all other schools that came on board.
Each of us has aspirations for all of our students as learners, but also as leaders of our communities. We want our children and young people to be energised by excellent teaching that provides pace, challenge and support for all in a curriculum that is broad, ambitious and personalised to their needs.
Equally we recognise the value of our staff and we have a commitment to their continual professional development.
As time passes, the benefits are becoming more and more obvious.
Many of the distractions that take us away from the teaching and learning are supported and streamlined through the MAT. On a personal level, I find I am now free to concentrate on what I came into this profession for.
Support for developing teaching and learning, particularly in upper key stage 2, has benefitted our learners. Governors have a clear role and can focus on what is important to our schools whilst being supported to ensure they perform to an optimum level.
As a Headteacher, I feel that I am supported in the many areas I need to fulfil whilst retaining the autonomy to lead and develop my own my school and retain its identity.
If you are considering whether to become and academy and/or join a multi-academy trust and would like either me and/or Stuart Wilson (Head of Marling and CEO of CBAT) to come and talk with you, your leadership team or governors about CBAT please don’t hesitate to ask.
Mrs Deborah Marklove
Headteacher
Berkeley Primary School (2016/17)
