Exciting News About our Future

Dear Parents/Carers and Friends,

Today I am pleased to share some significant news related to the school's strategic direction. 

As we all know, All Saints has received two consecutive Requires Improvement judgements from Ofsted. Because of this, we have been receiving support from the Local Authority which is proving very valuable for teachers and leaders in terms of school improvement. However, at the end of this year, this support will stop completely. This is because Staffordshire, in line with government expectations, are expecting all school to move toward becoming part of an Academy Trust.

The Governing Board and I feel that it is the right time to explore academisation, and that we would rather we do this pro-actively, as opposed to waiting and then being forced to convert by the DfE. 

The Governing Board and I have explored several local academy chains with key criteria in mind. For example, we wanted a mature MAT with a proven track record of raising standards. We wanted a MAT who would respect our Christian Distinctiveness. We wanted a MAT with robust central systems. We wanted a MAT that would allow us to retain our All Saints' Alrewas identity. We wanted a MAT that prioritises staff development and collaborative working.

As such, I am pleased to share that we are in the early stages of exploring becoming a part of the John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust. We felt that the JTMAT was an excellent fit in these respects, and meetings the governors and I have had with the JTMAT Directors have confirmed this.

At this early stage, we are in no way committed to a decision, and it is vital we allow all stakeholders an opportunity to voice their concerns and queries. Furthermore, JTMAT have to complete their due diligence on us, in order to ascertain we are a good fit for them! 

In due course, we will be opening up consultation periods for both staff and parents, so that these can be correctly addressed. 

I am more than happy to discuss any part of this and welcome any thoughts you may have. As soon as we have dates for the consultation period, I will inform you of these. 

Kind regards,

Miss E Wilson

Headteacher