Futura Learning Partnership has received formal approval from the Department for Education to join forces with Clevedon Learning Trust.
The planned merger will create a trust comprising 27 schools – one special, 20 primary and six secondary – across North Somerset, Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
The new organisation will be called Futura Learning Partnership, the name adopted by the former Wellsway Multi Academy Trust last year, and will adopt the Clevedon Learning Trust strapline ‘Children, Choice and Collaboration’.
Chief executive Andrea Arlidge said the two trusts had common vision and values and were both committed to developing an inclusive, all-through organisation based on a powerful understanding of the educational journey from age three to 19.
She said: “We are all delighted that the DfE Advisory Board has recognised the strengths of our proposal, which was unanimously supported by both trusts. This merger will bring improved opportunities for more than 10,000 young people and 1500 staff. Each of our schools will retain its own identity, reflective of the community it serves, while also benefiting from the support of a strong trust.”
The proposal is in line with the Government’s ambition for every school to be part of a strong trust by 2030. Staff and governors will have the chance to find out more over the coming months. The target date for the merger is February 2023.
Malcolm Broad, Futura’s chair of trustees, said: “This is an exciting step forward in our move to secure a confident future for our family of schools. It is our belief that the merger with CLT will help to ensure the new Futura Learning Partnership has the capacity and resilience to provide the best education for our pupils alongside high quality support and wider opportunities for our staff.”
Alister Christopher, chair of the CLT board, said: “The Advisory Board was very impressed with the proposal and shared our view that joining forces with Futura will create a strong and sustainable new trust, which will benefit current and future pupils and staff. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to bring this about.”
The schools in Clevedon Learning Trust are:
Secondaries – Clevedon; Chilton Trinity, Bridgwater;
Primaries – All Saints, Clevedon; Chestnut Park, Yatton; Mary Elton, Clevedon; Northgate, Bridgwater; Puriton; St Nicholas Chantry, Clevedon; Tickenham; Westover Green, Bridgwater; Willowdown, Bridgwater; Woolavington; Yeo Moor, Clevedon.
