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SWISS Partnership to become SWISS Trust?

After 5 years of successful and exciting collaboration the SWISS Partnership Schools are exploring the benefits of becoming an educational Trust.

The governing bodies of the individual schools consider that the plans to develop the SWISS Partnership into a SWISS Trust represents a natural progression to the collaborative work that has already taken place. The Trust will enable the development of a more formal, sustainable and legal partnership between the schools and introduce an exciting range of external partners.

We asked the questions, you answered & now proposals are on the table.

You gave us your feedback about SWISS Partnership forming a new educational trust.

Each school governing body has decided if it wishes to proceed to the next stage of becoming a Foundation School and acquiring a Trust.

Click here to view the schools statutory notice and proposal.

The purpose of the Trust would be to:

• Promote inclusive and inspirational learning
• Raise aspirations and improve opportunity
• Increase participation and raise achievement

The SWISS Trust will do this by:

• Tackling barriers to learning
• Developing breadth of choice, diversity, parity of esteem and value for money
• Promoting continuity through transitions and clear progression routes at all levels of achievement
• The schools planning to become founder members of the SWISS Trust are highlighted in the box and the end of this flyer. The remaining institutions named intend to be associate members of the Trust.

What does it involve?

Each school would become a Foundation school and be supported by a Charitable Trust. The school will have greater autonomy in employing staff and securing services. However, it will still remain part of the Local Authority family of schools and continue to serve its local community.

The schools will join with other local organisations and businesses to work for the educational aims outlined above. The Trust would hold the assets of the schools in Trust for the benefit of those schools. No actions concerning those assets could be taken by the Trust without the total agreement of the school concerned.

Each school will benefit from having additional governors from the trust on their governing bodies.

The Governing Body of each school will continue to run the school and be responsible for its performance and Headteachers will continue to lead and manage individual schools.

What do we gain?

• The commitment, interest and experience of external partners
• Greater opportunity and improved access to learning and development opportunities for young people
• Stability and continuity in the Partnership
• Greater autonomy and flexibility in meeting the needs of our students
• Opportunities to apply for funding streams and establish practices not open to Community Schools
• Equal membership of a larger organisation that can raise the profile of it members and have greater local and national impact

Who are our Partners?

• Suffolk Primary Care Trust
• University Campus Suffolk
• Local Authority

In addition, five business organisations with a real interest and contribution to make in this area of work have been invited to join the Trust.

The businesses are:

• East of England Cooperative Society
• Ipswich Town Football Club
• ISG Jackson
• SNOASIS
• Willis

These partners have been carefully selected to ensure we are able to cover a wide range of vocational areas and bring in a unique blend of skills and experience from all levels of each organisation. This will form the SWISS Trust giving it a credible and dynamic base and a broad range of skills and experience.

To find out more about trust schools visit www.trustandfoundationschools.org.uk