While all schools in The Corinium Education Trust physically closed to most pupils for the foreseeable future on Friday 20 March 2020, we are delighted that children of all ages have already begun to engage in our new online learning communities.

 

The initial response has been tremendous and pupils and parents have been sharing photographic evidence of the progress being made!

 

Leaders across the Trust took the decision to prepare pupils, parents and staff for the event of a nationwide closure well ahead of Friday 20 March. We shared our plans and we all took care to set out our expectations; we recommended timetables and signposted resources. This foresight has ensured that many families have already begun to establish new routines and make a smooth transition to learning together at home.

 

‘I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all for how you are dealing with such a difficult and unprecedented situation. I have two children, one in Year 7 and the other in Year 11. It’s been an extremely emotional and challenging time for everyone. As a school you have shown support to the Year 11s and continue to do so. My Year 7 has been doing all the work which has been set by her teachers. To think this all just happened a few days ago, it’s amazing that you have got everything up and running already. I just wanted to show our appreciation and say a huge well done to you all.’ Parent, Cirencester Deer Park School.

 

'I used the timetable sent out by school to make my own timetable for each day with times and subjects. I’ve also included some breaks. This has really helped me to organise myself and to know what I need to do each day. Accessing the work on SMHW has been really easy and all the instructions and explanations that teachers have given have been really easy to follow. I’ve been able to chat to some of my friends as normal and we have been helping each other. I’ve enjoyed being able to keep busy every day, otherwise it would get really boring!' Year 8 pupil, Cirencester Deer Park School.

 

Since Monday 23 March, pupils in each of our schools have been able to access a comprehensive range of learning tasks set and assigned by their class teachers. These are purposeful and relevant to the curriculum they would have been following. They promote curiosity and creativity; they provide challenge and support. These ‘lessons’ include new learning which will extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding and revision tasks that will enable them to practise and refine their skills.

 

Cirencester Deer Park School has reported that over 800 pupils and 300 parents are currently logging onto Show My Homework daily and communications are frequently exchanged between pupils and their teachers about the tasks they have been assigned. This is impressive. It is a great start! Significantly, many pupils in Year 11 have chosen to continue their learning with the school. This continuing commitment to their studies will help ease the transition and bridge the gaps between now and when they begin their new courses. While the school is currently using Show My Homework to assign tasks, teachers are planning to move pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 to learning remotely in real time from Monday 20 April. A new timetable will include scheduled lessons in Microsoft Teams. Read more...

 

Our younger learners are also responding positively to the challenge: ‘Our son is so enthusiastic and excited about all the activities and that he can keep in touch via the blog. He was desperate to log onto Kodable and has enjoyed doing an ‘hour of code’ as part of his learning.’  Parent, Kemble Primary School.

 

At Chesterton, Kemble and Siddington C of E Primary Schools each child was given a special exercise book to work in and teachers in each primary School have worked together to create a range of home learning. These include daily Maths and English challenges, Science, research and creative tasks linked to their class topics and links to many websites to keep them fit and healthy.

 

‘The activities are brilliant - really fun and easy to follow. They have been a lifesaver and it’s only day one!’

 

Parents have across the Trust have valued the quality of the information they have received and feel well informed:

 

‘Thank you so much for inspiring the children to make the most of this time and continue their learning journey.’ ‘I just wanted to say a huge thanks for all the work you and the team have put into the home learning packs and to keeping the children so calm and secure in such challenging times.’

 

Carol Dougill, Executive Headteacher of Kemble and Siddington C of E Primary Schools stressed. ‘It is so important that parents and staff work closely together during this unsettling time.' She and her team plan to 'keep in touch', regularly refresh tasks on the class pages of the schools’ websites and provide extra activities.

 

Karen Venner, Headteacher of Chesterton Primary School, has been impressed by her pupils’ continuing engagement in learning and echoed these sentiments too. She commended the strong sense of team work across The Corinium Education Trust and the support headteachers and their wider school teams are giving each other and our families: 'You have made life so much easy for us as a family. The learning online has been brilliant and knowing that the children are well cared for when we have to work eases the worry.'

 

For children who are coming to school, staff are working with the children in PE, Forest School, Sport coaching and supporting their online learning. The staff are having as much fun as the children and there is a holiday club feel.

 

While home learning is currently a novelty, it is very important we all continue to work together to establish new routines and maintain the rhythm and momentum of learning into the foreseeable future. We cherish our pupils’ young minds and we want to ensure they remain curious and develop as active resilient and resourceful independent learners.

 

All schools in The Corinium Education Trust are following the advice and guidance provided by the Government and Public Health England.

 

I am extremely grateful to the staff of all of our schools for their determined efforts to help us keep our pupils’ learning and wellbeing at the forefront of all we do.

 

While keeping our schools open we are also preparing a curriculum for our pupils to follow in the event of full school closures.

 

‘It is important that all children remain active and curious about the world around us. We want them to continue to engage in rich learning opportunities such as reading, research and self-support study. This can be achieved at home through discrete tasks or creative projects.’ Chiquita Henson, CEO.

 

We are keen to ensure that if we need to take this drastic step all of our pupils are able to continue their education with us. Therefore we are planning for staff and pupils to work and learn remotely. This will focus on carefully assigned activities and, in some cases, virtual lessons.

 

To help us achieve this we will be using a range on online tools and resources across The Corinium Education Trust.

 

In the short term Cirencester Deer Park School has drafted a provisional interim timetable as a guide for pupils to follow.  This is based on a minimum of 3 hours a day for pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 and a minimum of 4 hours a day for pupils in Years 10 and 11.  It covers the breadth of the school’s curriculum and reflects pupils option choices in Key Stage 4.

 

In addition to this, pupils in Year 11 will be expected to focus on their revision and prepare for their exams.  They will be welcome to contact their teachers by email regarding the areas where they feel less confident.  This will help teachers provide more precisely targeted support. 

 

The school will initially use Show My Homework. Pupils, parents and staff are familiar with this platform and we are proposing to exploit a wider range of its functions. Teachers will provide relevant and meaningful tasks for pupils in their classes to complete independently and will signpost appropriate resources.  These may include textbooks and revision books and websites such as Kerboodle, Seneca and BBC Bitesize.

 

Should the school close for an extended period of time, Cirencester Deer Park School is exploring the use of Microsoft Teams which will enable teachers to work directly with groups of pupils in real time.

 

In our primary schools, headteachers and school staff plan to use their existing school websites (Chesterton Primary School, Kemble Primary School, Siddington CofE Primary School) to assign work. They will also expect pupils to do a minimum of 3 hours a day. This will be done through their class pages and blogs and parents will be advised to check these daily. Activities and tasks will be appropriate and each school has provided parents with a list of the types of learning their children will be asked to undertake.

On Thursday 5 March 2020 pupils and staff across The Corinium Education Trust celebrated World Book Day by sharing their current or favourite reading books in a variety of different ways.

 

This year Chesterton Primary School challenged pupils and staff with a creative task: rather than dress up themselves, they were invited to turn potatoes into their favourite fictional characters. These potatoes were then put on display for all to see. They were incredibly imaginative and reflected the fun everyone had had. Headteacher Karen Venner said, ‘Our World Book Day was a tremendous success. The children brought in fantastically decorated potatoes, it was so difficult to choose only one winner per class.' She commended everyone on their efforts before confirming the winning potatoes: one of the ‘Ten Little Pirates’, the Ladybird from ‘What The Ladybird Heard’, Ariel from ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’, ‘The BFG’, Olaf, ‘The Christmasaurus’, ‘Elmer’, a pair of Oompah Loompahs from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and Harry Potter. Winning pupils were each given a book token and were taken to Octavia’s Book Shop in Cirencester to purchase a book of their own choice.

 

Pupils at Siddington C of E Primary School had also been set a creative task: The Bible on a plate! There were some superb 3-D interpretations of the parables and stories! But on World Book Day itself, many arrived in a school dress as characters in their favourite book. Reception Teacher Mrs Hughes said ‘Pupils dressed up as lots of different characters and brought in the books that inspired their outfits. They showed off their super costumes in our whole school parade.’ Pupils at Siddington C of E Primary School reflected ‘It was very exciting. I liked seeing what everyone had put together’, 'The costumes were amazing' and 'I love World Book Day'. One even asked, 'Can we have World Book Day again tomorrow?'

 

Fairy Tales were the theme for World Book Day at Kemble Primary School. Following an assembly about The Brothers Grimm, teachers told classic fairy tales to their classes and encouraged more story telling. Milla and Ted said this was their ‘favourite part of the day’! Mrs Armstrong, Head of School, also used this special day to launch to launch the school’s first Readathon and, later in the afternoon, parents were invited to join their children for a mug of hot chocolate for a ‘Relax and Read’ session, choosing to share books from home or the school’s library. ‘This was the most wonderful experience I've had in ages. I couldn't make the Relax and Read last year. It's been fantastic.’ Parent of two pupils at Kemble Primary School.

 

Hot chocolate was also served with biscuits during the annual Readthon at Cirencester Deer Park School which took place over two days and involved over 80 pupils who had volunteered to read and raise money for local charity, Read for Good, who take mobile bookcases and storytellers to children in hospitals across the country. Impressively, over the last 13 Readathons at Deer Park, pupils at the school have raised nearly £13,000. Staff at Deer Park also shared the books they are currently reading and Mr Lay, Assistant Head of English, created a great display based on the old Penguin Classic book jacket design.

Our small, but growing multi-academy trust with schools in Cirencester and the South Cotswolds is a great place to learn, teach and lead.  

 

We are recruiting teachers and school leaders across all of our schools, both primary and secondary. Current vacancies include: 

• Headteacher, Kemble Primary School
• Headteacher, Siddington Church of England Primary School
• Head of Upper School, Chesterton Primary School
• Assistant Head of Ethics and Computing, Cirencester Deer Park School
• Teacher of Maths, Cirencester Deer Park School 

 

We hope that aspiring school leaders and experienced teachers, as well as those new to the profession, will consider a career within The Corinium Education Trust and take the opportunity to join us on our journey and, as they develop in their roles, contribute to our future development and improve the learning and life chances of our children and young people.

 

In 2022 The Corinium Education Trust will open a new primary school in Cirencester and we aim to appoint a strong staff team to help us take this exciting project forward.

 

We are looking for creative, enthusiastic and inspiring teachers and school leaders who are open to fresh challenges and support and willing to work collaboratively within one of our current school teams and across our Trust.  

 

We offer: 

• A community of like-minded professionals committed to working collaboratively in the best interests of our pupils and to bring about school improvement; 
• The opportunity to engage in MAT-wide teams and contribute to shaping our future; 
• An induction programme for new staff and support to help you develop as a leader; 
• Cross-phase research and evidence-based continuing professional development; 
• Access to InCET, our virtual staff room that enables teachers and leaders across The Corinium Education Trust to engage in professional discussion, moderate and liaise with each other; 
• Talent identification and comprehensive skills development;
• Career progression and the opportunity to develop further as teachers and/or leaders in one or more of our schools over time. 

 

We are also seeking to appoint new members of our support staff teams who play critical roles in supporting our pupils and contribute to the smooth operation of, and teaching and learning in each of our schools. 

 

For more information about these vacancies, please visit our individual school websites. 

The Corinium Education Trust aims to improve outcomes for all pupils by developing ways of sharing best practice across its schools. The pupil cohort varies across each of our schools and we are committed to providing an inclusive approach to education, providing opportunities for all pupils to thrive and succeed.

 

The Corinium Education Trust is aware of the challenges schools face and the different experiences of families in the South Cotswolds. Focusing on a defined geographical area helps us make a more coherent provision for families who have children in different phases.  

 

The Trust Board has overseen a £2.2m investment in its estates and facilities over the last two years.  

 

As an inclusive multi-academy trust overseeing a Church School we have a good working relationship with the Diocese of Gloucestershire which is supported by all Trustees.

 

Our plans for the future

 

The Trust Board is looking to recruit three additional non-executive directors/trustees to increase our capacity to fulfil our strategic ambitions and plans for the future:

 

• Improving outcomes - especially within the sponsored primary school. All other schools have been rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted, and SIAMS where appropriate. The board’s ambition is for all schools to be in the top 20% of all performing schools in England over time.
• Developing staff – the Trust uses some in-service days to enable whole staff learning and development. We promote cross MAT peer reviews as well as good practice reviews. The Trust is keen to develop its leadership and talent management programmes to provide clear career pathways which would not otherwise exist in a stand-alone school. This will enable The Corinium Education Trust to attract and retain high quality staff.  
• Sustainability and growth – the Trust aspires to grow to around seven schools over the next two years in line with its focus on values and locality (to facilitate effective collaborative working across schools in the Trust).

 

Our trustees – or non-executive directors – are both charity trustees and company directors of the academy trust. The core functions of their roles are: ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding executive leaders to account for the educational and financial performance of a charitable company funded by the public purse. The board of trustees oversees the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the trust in compliance with its charitable objects, company and charity law.  

 

In the interests of safeguarding and in accordance with Department for Education requirements, all trustee appointments will be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

 

Every trustee is expected to abide by the Trust’s code of conduct and the seven principles of public life set out by Lord Nolan: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

 

The Competency Framework for Governance (DfE) 2017 details the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective governance.

 

The strategic expertise required for Role 1 includes:  

 

The strategic expertise required for Role 2 includes:  

 

 The strategic expertise required for Role 3 includes:  

 

Time commitment

 

The Corinium Education Trust is an ambitious and growing multi academy trust. The new non-executive directors/trustees will join the board which meets formally six board meetings per year plus appropriate committee and/or time-limited task and finish groups to optimize the use of individual areas of expertise as well as any relevant professional development events/activity.

 

Our registered office address is: Cirencester Deer Park School, Stroud Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 1XB. Board meetings rotate around its school locations in Cirencester (6-8pm).

 

The Standards Committee enables cross MAT oversight as part of its local governance arrangements and is chaired by a trustee with educational expertise. The Board also has an Audit Committee which meets four times per year; a Remuneration Committee which meets twice per year plus ad hoc panels and task and finish groups.

 

More information about our Trustees can be found on Who Are We.

 

Background on academy trusts

 

Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 74% of state secondary schools and 31% of state primaries – and their number is growing all the time.

 

Many of these schools are grouped together as multi-academy trusts (MATs). There are currently 900 multi academy trusts of 3+ schools. If the schools are to fulfil their potential, the trusts need non-executives (known in charity law as trustees) to bring a wide range of skills and experience to help guide strategy, ensure their ambitions can be soundly financed and keep their schools up to the mark delivering for their pupils.

 

“Boards must be ambitious for all children and young people and infused with a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. Governance must be grounded in reality as defined by both high-quality objective data and a full understanding of the views and needs of pupils/students, staff, parents, carers and local communities. It should be driven by inquisitive, independent minds and through conversations focused on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience and determination.”   
Source: Governance Handbook, Department for Education (2019)

 

Trusteeship is a voluntary, unpaid role for people who have the energy and skills to make a real contribution to shaping the future of our schools. You do not need to have any specialist knowledge of education.   

 

Applications

 

If you are interested in applying to be one of our trustees, please complete the Corinium Education Trust’s application form and a short expression of interest, detailing which role you are applying for, and send to academyambassadors@newschoolsnetwork.org. Academy Ambassadors is a non-profit programme which recruits senior business leaders and professionals as volunteer non-executive directors onto the boards of multi-academy trusts.

 

Please also read The Corinium Education Trust’s Code of Conduct. Please note: candidates should live within reasonable travelling distance of the trust and/or have a link with the region. For more information, please call Academy Ambassadors on 0207 952 8556 or visit the Academy Ambassadors website. Alternatively contact Chiquita Henson, CEO Corinium Education Trust.

 

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 14 April 2020