Telford Priory School today became the fourth secondary school to join the fast-growing Learning Community Trust.
The Telford-based Trust already runs more than a dozen primary and secondary school sites across the county including Hadley Learning Community, Charlton, and Ercall Wood.
Telford Priory School opened in September 2015 in a new campus, following the merger of Wrockwardine Wood Arts Academy and Sutherland Co-operative Academy.
The Trust has been working closely with the school’s leadership team over the past few weeks to ensure a seamless transfer, and held consultation meetings with parents.
“We are delighted to officially welcome Telford Priory School into our family of academies,” said Trust chief executive Jane Hughes.
“We will be reaching out to families in the next few weeks, in further consultation, to outline more of our potential proposals for the school.
“We welcome and appreciate all feedback and insights, and encourage families to help us gather as many views from our community as possible.”
She added: “I’d like to express my gratitude to parents, students, staff and the wider community for the continued support and engagement throughout the transfer process, and look forward to working with them all as we continue our journey of school improvement together.”
The Trust’s chief operating officer Paul Jones added: “We’re so pleased to be taking over a school with such huge potential.
“It fits so well with the Learning Community Trust’s local footprint and profile. There is work to be done, but a good team is already in place here to move the school forward in the right direction.”
David Hubbard, Telford Priory School’s business manager, said: “We’re pleased to be moving to a very local trust, which has similar community values to our own.
“We’re very much looking forward to the journey ahead of us, working closely with the Trust to support our students and staff.”
Head teacher David Barber added: “The Learning Community Trust has an enviable reputation locally and regionally for meeting the needs of the communities they serve, and for improving the life chances of the young people in their care.
“We are delighted to be joining LCT because of the opportunities it will provide for our children and our community.
“Their expertise, commitment to young people and their communities, and their vision for sustained improvement is what the school and all associated with it deserve.”
The Learning Community Trust has over 5,000 students and more than 1,000 staff.
In addition to its secondary schools, it also runs special schools including Queensway in Telford and Severndale in Shrewsbury, plus primary schools in Wellington, Crudgington, Hadley, Ketley Bank, and the newly opened Allscott Meads.
Newport’s Burton Borough School is set to officially become the fifth secondary school to join the Trust when the transfer process is completed in the coming weeks.
