Introduction

Education has been changing dramatically for the past ten years and will probably continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Aspire is a family of academies who are not fearful or cynical of the changing educational landscape; rather, we are unfailingly optimistic and eager to embrace new opportunities ... not to build an Aspire empire, but to impact positively on young lives.

Aspire - as an approved academy sponsor - welcomes academies of all types and in all circumstances to share in the journey, committing to the Aspire family whilst retaining their much-cherished freedom to genuinely lead and innovate at academy level. Aspire can support with the academy conversion process and offers academies the opportunity to be equal partners in determining both their own future and that of the Aspire MAT.

Aspire is governed by a board chaired by Peter Golightly, whose experience of senior management and strategic leadership in the NHS, together with many years of successful governance, has equipped him for this key role. Peter is supported by board members with similarly impressive credentials from industry and education.

The operational leadership of Aspire is the responsibility of CEO, Kate Watson, supported by Heather Detheridge, Chief Financial Officer, and Lisa Hampson, Company Secretary. Kate has a track record of impacting positively on schools through strong leadership, personal engagement, team building and a passion for school improvement. Heather and Lisa both bring a wealth of experience to their respective roles - Heather as an accomplished chartered accountant and Lisa as a successful school business manager.

Ethos and Guiding Principles

All academies within the Aspire MAT share a common vision and ethos, striving to uphold the highest standards of achievement and behaviour, whilst helping our pupils 'aspire' to make a wonderful, tangible difference to society ... and the world! Although our vision is based on strong Christian principles, the Aspire MAT is open to all schools - church and non-church - who can 'buy into' our vision and who want to share what is proving to be a very exciting journey.

Our Vision

We believe in outstanding education and outstanding opportunities for all young people. This should be offered in local academies, rooted in local communities and allowed to develop their own distinct identities. Aspire is committed to securing excellence by supporting academies and delivering a caring, compassionate and fulfilling learning environment. We offer high quality education to pupils of all faiths and none.

Working Together

At the heart of Aspire is a belief that we are stronger and better together: sharing a vision for outstanding education and sharing a 'take care' ethos. Teaching and support staff have expertise in many areas and we want to facilitate the sharing of excellence throughout the MAT. Where one member of staff has, for example, outstanding IT leadership, then it is of potential benefit to all our academies.

As part of our work in this area, we have created many MAT-wide groups to share expertise and engage in collective trouble-shooting! Groups include the following:

• Subject leader groups for every subject
• Headteachers
• Deputy and Assistant headteachers
• Early Years
• School Business Managers
• Data Protection Officers
• Early Career Teachers
• Chairs of Governors

We are now at the stage of looking for more opportunities for our children to work together on a variety of projects, building friendships and developing skills.

Aspire's Aims

• To maximise the opportunities for all our pupils, raising their aspirations to help them succeed and thrive in our academies.
• To provide strong support to help our headteachers and their staff focus on pastoral and academic excellence.
• To provide an environment in which all of our pupils, colleagues, parents, volunteers and members of the wider community feel valued.
• To ensure our 'take care' ethos ["taking care of ourselves, each other, the world and with our work"], based on core Christian values, is embedded in everything we do and is reflected in all aspects of the curriculum offered.
• To focus on the academic development of our children within a curriculum framework that also pays close attention to their personal development.
• To develop pupils' abilities to make informed choices, solve problems and make decisions.

In terms of specific, measurable objectives, we set ourselves high standards and expect to deliver the following:

1. All of our children should make good or better progress across all year groups so that most are at age-related expectations and many will exceed this.

2. All of our lessons should deserve to be graded 'good' or 'outstanding', ensuring that all pupils are fully engaged and behaving appropriately.

3. All of our academies should be well-led and governed.

4. All of our academies should be self-improving organisations that work to sharply focussed improvement plans, striving for ever higher standards in behaviour and achievement.

5. All of our academies should be judged good or better in Ofsted Section 5 inspections and, where appropriate, SIAMS Section 48 inspections.

Summary: what Aspire has to offer

The Aspire Multi-Academy Trust, first established in February 2014, offers a distinctive model for schools wanting to be part of a progressive and innovative MAT with an exciting and expanding future. The main features on offer include:

• A partnership of equals, sharing a common vision and Christian ethos, and sharing the responsibility for driving the development of the MAT;
• A MAT that expects the best educational and overall learning experience for the children in its academies, which are held to account to achieve a ‘beyond expectation’ outcome;
• A CEO who provides school improvement support, objective assessment of educational standards, training and strategic planning expertise;
• A Finance and Business Manager who provides strategic support, a value-for-money procurement programme for purchasing centralised services for the benefit of all academies, oversight of financial management at academy level and guidance for academy-based business managers;
• A highly experienced MAT Board whose members’ professional skills and knowledge cover all aspects of current education, business, employment and legal requirements of a successful and expanding MAT; and
• A vision for MAT expansion which provides a wonderful opportunity for progressive and ambitious schools wishing to join the Aspire family.

Aspire's Funding

The central costs for the MAT are covered by a charge of 5% of the revenue budget allocation for each academy.This covers items such as some central contracts for services, MAT leadership and administration. This is continually re-assessed as the MAT expands. Currently, each academy’s 5% top slice includes the following:

·school improvement services [e.g.‘Mock-steds’, data analysis, strategic planning support, lesson observations]

·staff training [including leadership, behaviour management, safeguarding and First Aid]

·payroll

·HR support

·legal support

·finance and accountancy support

·budget planning systems

·premises insurance

·headteacher performance management

Our Academies

There are currently around 1500 pupils in the 7 academies of the Aspire 'family'.

• Archbishop Cranmer CofE Primary Academy, Abbey Lane, Aslocton, Notts NG13 9AE
• Gunthorpe CofE Primary School, David's Lane, Gunthorpe, Notts NG14 7EW
• Kirkby Woodhouse Primary School, Main Rd, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts NG17 9EU
• Sir John Sherbrooke Junior School, Flatts Lane, Calverton, Notts NG14 6JZ
• St. Peter's CofE Primary Academy, Kneeton Rd, East Bridgford, Notts NG13 8PG
• Oak Tree Primary and Nursery School, Jubilee Way North, Mansfield, NG18 3PJ
• Winthorpe Primary School, Thoroughfare Lane, Newark, NG24 2NN

Contact

• Kate Watson, Chief Executive Officer: ceo@aspire-mat.co.uk
• Heather Detheridge, Chief Financial Officer: Finance@aspire-mat.co.uk
• Lisa Hampson, Company Secretary: office@aspire-mat.co.uk
• Peter Golightly, Chair of the Board of Trustees: c/o office@aspire-mat.co.uk