Are you a Primary, Secondary, All-through School or Academy thinking about joining a Multi Academy Trust?

The ODBST is a fantastic community of Church and non-Church schools I am proud to serve. As CEO of the Trust, invested in advancing education for all Primary and Secondary pupils, I recognise that your people: your staff, your pupils and your communities are precious to you, so joining a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) can seem like a big step into the unknown. What changes? What stays the same? What will joining a MAT mean? How will it benefit everyone? These are just a few of the questions you may be contemplating. Some of you may also feel a sense of excitement and be intrigued about the opportunities and possibilities that lay ahead for your school. When exploring either joining or deciding on which Trust to select, this in itself can be a formidable task. The choice is vast, and no two MATs are the same. 

We are a Church of England MAT serving Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. I would encourage you to contact me to discuss the benefits of joining the ODBST without any obligation. I will ensure that all discussions are confidential. My approach is to consider what is possible and what will be in the best interest for the pupils, parents, and communities you serve. I will be delighted to talk to you about the ODBST and how we work with our schools. 

Our vision is ‘Empowering our unique schools to excel together’. We value all our schools and their individuality. Just like we do with our pupils, we ensure how we serve you is bespoke, tailored to the journey you are on and the destination you want to get to as a school. Some aspects of our work require a consistent approach across our schools, just as you would expect for statutory and regulatory compliance to be met. In other areas, notably in areas to do with curriculum, and personal development, where leaders and governors know their contexts better than we do, there is autonomy for local needs and ambitions to be met. 

The Department for Education are encouraging maintained schools or smaller/empty SATS/MATs to join larger MATS. There are huge benefits to this approach both in terms of efficiencies and in terms of pupil outcomes. We anticipate that in time the direction from the Department for Eduation will gain further momentum.  We recognise the importance of you having the opportunity to select the MAT of your choice and ensuring you join a MAT that has shared values, vision, and aspirations with your school.

Joining the ODBST will create additional opportunities for support staff, teachers, and leaders. We offer something for everyone when it comes to professional learning and development. We want our staff to flourish. There are many opportunities to network, to moderate, and to collaborate, to further improve teaching and learning outcomes for all pupils. There is a wealth of expertise already within ODBST schools, including specialist leaders, special educational needs co-ordinators and moderators.

Our Trustees have an extensive experience in a range of fields and provide leaders supporting our schools with the challenge needed to serve all our schools in the best way they can. 

All our leaders supporting our schools have a wealth of expertise. From an education perspective, we have experienced Primary and Secondary Headteachers, Ofsted and SIAMs Inspectors, National Leaders in Education, Safeguarding and Inclusion experts, as well as both primary and secondary subject specialists. Our team also comprises of qualified accountants, Human Resources, Marketing and Governance experts, and Estates, Health and Safety professionals. 

Being part of a MAT provides opportunities to share skills and expertise as well as to access support.  There is strong evidence produced by the Department for Education that joining a MAT improves teaching and learning standards as well as providing development opportunities for teaching staff.  Being part of a Trust also has financial benefits that include access to consistent centralised services, improved negotiating opportunities, and benefits from economies of scale. 

We will provide oversight and expertise guiding any incoming Schools into our Trust with project plans, communication strategies and due diligence support.

If you would like to discuss joining our Trust or finding out more about us, please contact me at spiesse@odbst.org