FAQs
What is a multi-academy trust?
A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) is a group of academy schools overseen by a charitable trust, and governed by a board of trustees. Rather than being financed by the local authority, a MAT is directly funded by, and accountable to, the Department for Education. While the schools that make up the trust are still firmly part of their community, the trust is there to support the schools and help them work together for the benefit of all children.
Why are schools grouped in a multi-academy trust?
Grouping schools within a multi-academy trust affects the quality of education we can provide for your child in a beneficial way. Improved learning outcomes are behind everything we do. The MAT provides collaboration opportunities for pupils and staff and an efficient Central Team and effective Executive Team to provide challenge and support.
What other benefits are there to a multi-academy trust?
Facilities can be shared across schools within the trust. For example, Redmarley has a beautiful outdoor swimming pool, that all member schools can take advantage of. Similarly, Hartpury and Staunton & Corse have superb outdoor learning facilities. Highnam has a state of the art ICT suite and a wide range of mobile technology for all to benefit from. Pupils regularly meet for: a Year 4 residential, a poetry recital, the maths 24 challenge, trips and music and sporting festivals.
Children can benefit from a wide range of specialist staff; a particular feature of the trust is that it employs many qualified and experienced teachers who share expertise across the Trust. This allows us to deliver both a broad curriculum and a range of enriched extra-curricular activities to children across all the schools. Quality professional development is provided for our staff. We work with external consultants to ensure our standards are high and school improvement is robust. We are also able to appoint Trust-wide staff. Currently, we have a family support worker, music teacher and SENDCo working across our schools.
We are a community school can we join Primary QuEST?
Yes - the trust has been setup as a mixed MAT. This enables church, community and foundation schools to join. The values that underpin many community schools are values such as: Friendship, Courage, Perseverance, Trust, Respect, and Forgiveness. These values are interwoven in to all aspects of school life and provide the foundations for creating the positive and supportive learning environment that allows all children to succeed. There is clear synergy between these values and the vison and values of Primary QuEST.
Do Primary QuEST academies have to follow the national curriculum?
Although academies are not required to follow the national curriculum, Primary QuEST Multi=Academy Trust fulfil all the requirements of the national curriculum. The Trust provide a curriculum which is, relevant, exciting and dynamic way and tailored to each local setting.
Are the schools still inspected by Ofsted?
Yes, academies are still subject to Ofsted inspections.
