If you are considering joining a Multi-Academy Trust, we would be delighted to talk to you about Trinitas and all that we offer.

To arrange an informal conversation with Simon, our CEO, please contact him by emailing enquiries@trinitasacademytrust.org

Trinitas believes that the strongest outcomes for young people are delivered by highly accountable and locally led trusts. Trinitas has a strong and unique identity, as a faith-based MAT that contains a blend of faith and non-faith schools, across all sectors of education (Primary, Secondary & Special Schools). This blend enables us to share a wealth of expertise across the Trust as we continue to support one another to achieve our vision. Whilst we celebrate individual school distinctiveness, we are however a single organisation working collaboratively to achieve the very best outcomes for every member of our Trust family.

Growth is driven by our values, particularly our ‘unrelenting desire to improve society’.  Having spent 10 years consolidating and strengthening our existing schools, we are now at a stage where we plan to extend our reach, share our expertise and drive improvement in other schools, particularly within the local geography. Our experience, and the resources we have put in place, mean that we have the capacity to support both thriving and improving schools. 

Our ambition is to ensure that Trinitas Academy Trust is the MAT of choice for schools serving a diverse intake of children and young people aged 3 to 18 within Bexley and the surrounding boroughs. Furthermore, we aim to be the employer of choice as a result of our commitment to our vision that all staff deserve to be valued and developed. 

We recognise each academy will have its own unique context and community, and will, therefore, consider potential new schools on a case by case basis in line with the growth commitments below.  

Our strategy is based on the following principles:

• Alignment with the values of Trinitas Academy Trust
• Appreciation of our Anglican faith
• Sustainable geography

Trinitas Academy Trust will apply these principles in context, and therefore not rule out schools that do not meet all criteria. We recognise that advancements in technology and working practices, and opportunities for ‘Clusters/Hubs’, may enable schools from a wider geographical area to become a successful and valued member.

Once a decision is made to join Trinitas, we will enter into a partnership which reviews structures, systems and resources to assess their alignment and subsequently identify a transition path into the Trust.

Why join Trinitas? 

Trinitas is a true family of schools. We work collaboratively, supporting one another to achieve our overarching vision. We celebrate and communicate our successes, share good practices, and promote a culture of continuous learning from one another. We provide high quality central services that allow school leaders and staff to focus on providing the best possible education for children in their care. 

Complementing our vision, Trinitas works to an agreed set of Trust Expectations. Each expectation is underpinned by key behaviours that frame and guide the work we undertake within our schools. They are:

Innovation

We get excited and creative; we are inspirational; we use our initiative; we are forward thinking 

Reflection

We regularly and constantly review; We keep what works and let go of what doesn’t; We look for learning opportunities; We are adaptable 

Interdependence

We share responsibility for all the children in all the schools; We communicate confidently and appropriately; We use standardised ways of presenting reports and information; We share what we want to achieve and work together as much as possible

Responsibility

We are all role models for the Trinitas community; We delegate down, never delegate up; We adopt the ‘Tell me once’ approach; We are able to manage the work/life balance of ourselves and others

Accountability

We follow policies and procedures; We hold each other to account; We trust but verify; We justify our actions by their impact

Trinitas recognises that school leaders have an acute and insightful understanding of their school communities, and are therefore best placed to make decisions about their schools. As a result, our schools retain their own identity and strengths whilst still benefiting from the shared knowledge and expertise that we build together as a family. This partnership is underpinned by a number of common approaches, policies, and activities which assist each school’s continuous improvement. We know from our own experience that schools working together can bring multiple benefits for everyone, and we understand how to deliver these effectively. 

School Improvement

As stated in our vision, we believe all children deserve the very best education. Central to achieving this is a continuous journey of school improvement. As part of Trinitas, you will receive tailored and high quality support from our School Improvement & Development Director, working alongside leadership teams to ensure that improvement is both effective and sustainable. We ensure we truly understand our schools well, and do this through professional conversations, quality assurance and self-evaluation. Working with school leaders we support the establishment of priorities, and identify areas of strength that can be shared more widely across the Trust. Our school Improvement model would aim, and expect, to move a school up a category of Ofsted judgment within a three year period. 

Safeguarding Support

Working alongside our School Improvement & Development Director, our Trust Safeguarding Lead works with schools across all remits of Safeguarding. They provide a strategic overview and a high quality range of safeguarding and child protection services to schools. This includes writing safeguarding policies and ensuring that the school is compliant with safeguarding statutory and mandatory information, as well as delivering bespoke training to meet the needs of the school. As well as strategic support, the Trust Safeguarding Lead offers ongoing advice and guidance to schools, drawing upon a wealth of experience, and provides emergency assistance when needed, building additional capacity into school safeguarding teams. 

Professional Development & Peer Networks

Trinitas is committed to developing all of our staff - so much so that it is stated in our vision. Central to this is professional development, and we regard this as an entitlement. This philosophy underpins our ‘Career Pathway Programme’, mapping out the journey from ECT to Senior Leader and the tailored PD that supports this journey. PD is prioritised for all staff, not just teaching staff, as we know that our staff teams having the most up to date knowledge, skills and understanding enables them to be the best in the profession and results in pupils having the best experiences.  

Collaboration across our family of schools is also central to our success. Trinitas utilises extensive peer-to-peer support and collaboration across a range of different groups, including but not limited to Assessment Leaders, SENDCOs, Subject Leaders, and Phase Leaders. These networks enable our staff to share expertise and resources across our schools, thus learning from one another, sharing best practice and in many instances reducing workload. It also provides many opportunities for joint training that a single school would not have access to. 

Human Resources (HR) Directorate

We provide an effective and comprehensive in-house  HR service, which enables schools to strategically manage its Human Resources to the best effect, for the benefit of the school, its employees and the Trust. The HR Director and HR Team liaise with senior leaders to provide informed HR advice and guidance which ensures compliance with employment law, relevant education legislation and efficiency through good employee relations. Schools benefit from the vast experience on the team, and importantly the speed at which schools are supported with what can often be challenging and sensitive issues. 

Finance Directorate

The Directorate provides financial administration services for schools and the Trust Central Services Team as well as financial planning and management across the Trust. The CFO ensures that schools financial practices are compliant with and adhere to Academies Financial Handbook regulations. In addition, the team advises on all matters relating to the financial strategy of schools, working with leaders to ensure that pupils receive the very best education. 

Each school within the trust has a dedicated Finance Assistant that provides support to schools by taking full responsibility for processing all financial transactions for the school as well as responding to all financial administration queries in relation to their allocated school. Typical tasks include processing requisitions, placing orders, processing invoices for payment, arranging BACs payments and some month end journals and dealing with suppliers’ enquiries.   

Business Directorate 

The Business Directorate provides an effective and comprehensive in-house support service enabling the school to manage its Business operations to the best effect, for the benefit of the school, its employees and the Trust. 

Support from the Business Directorate covers a wide remit, including:

• Health and Safety Training, advice and inspection 
• Strategic and local estates and property management compliance
• Contract review, negotiation and management 
• Procurement, tendering and driving trust-wide efficiencies
• Construction and capital bid preparation and project management
• Data Protection Officer function and freedom of information advice 
• Risk and Insurance Management 

By supporting schools across the range of areas identified above, schools are able to focus their energies and efforts on ensuring the standards of education are as high as can be and, as a result, pupils have the richest educational experience. 

Governance

Our Trust Lead for Governance ensures we maintain the highest standards of Governance across each of our schools. They ensure the smooth running of the local governing bodies, including management of membership, preparation of agendas, collation of papers, and acting as the main point of the contact for the school and governors.

The Governance Lead also supports school staff and governors on queries relating to matters of governance and compliance, whilst coordinating the Trust’s policy schedule which ensures that statutory policies, and other key policies, are reviewed on a timely basis and at the right level of governance.

Having this level of expertise ensures Governors are well equipped to carry out their role, focussing their efforts on activities that ensure pupils are receiving the best possible education and achieving the highest possible outcomes. Training is also provided, and includes both in-house and external provision. 

Will Trinitas impose schemes and processes on me?

Much more important than schemes or processes, joining the Trust makes a commitment to the total ‘family of schools’ working towards our Trust vision. We work on a model of collaboration, not prescription, and all of our schools feel the benefits of autonomy. The ability to maintain a high degree of autonomy is a key reason to join the Trust; our aim is to provide the challenge and support needed to become an even better school. 

In order to support school leaders and staff, we utilise a range of common approaches and tested processes across the Trust. Furthermore, the expert central team prescribes a suite of operating procedures (budgeting, financial management, estate management, safeguarding, HR processes, reporting to LGBs & Trustees) that existing Principals within the Trust will tell you make the running of their school easier. There are also agreed approaches to teaching and learning, underpinned by evidenced based research and pedagogy, and schools are expected to adopt this practice. However, the Trust does not have standardised ways of delivering the highest quality of education, believing that individual schools know the needs of their pupils better than anyone else can. Schools are free to design and implement their own curriculum, with the Trust serving to support this process.  

We believe in nurturing the values of each individual school and keeping the Trust in their service, not vice versa. We are constantly seeking best practice and new thinking and most of this comes from schools within the Trust. We do expect any school that joins the Trust to play an active role in developing this thinking and to be open to sharing their best practices and taking on board the best practices of others. 

Growth commitments

The Board of Trustees’ criteria for growth are:

• Living our vision of ‘improving society’ by supporting schools where there is greatest need, balanced with our strong position to take on Good and Outstanding schools (to ensure capacity for continued progress and improvement). 
• Ensuring growth is sustainable and measured according to a shared commitment to the vision and ethos of Trinitas Academy Trust.
• Planned over a number of years on a ‘case by case’ basis.
• Responsive to any local need to accommodate a growth in academies, both converters and sponsored. 

The Board also commit to ensuring that growth does not:

• Put competition before collaboration
• Do anything that would be detrimental to any young person, staff member or school.
• Put the financial stability or academic reputation of Trust at risk.

Is there an optimum number of schools / pupils that Trinitas are working towards? 

Our first stage objective is to incorporate another secondary school into the Trust. This will strengthen our existing provision and expertise and further progress our collaborative ways of working. 

Future growth will be shaped by the commitments outlined above, being mindful that expansion must be handled in a way that protects our values and current high levels of service to our schools. 

​