Trust school partners can play a huge role in the success of a trust school. Trust status is about offering more schools greater opportunity to secure the support of external partners to raise standards, strengthen their leadership and develop their own ethos.
Trust schools partners come from a variety of sectors, and can include:
Many organisations are already working in partnership with schools in their local community. However, the unique nature of trust school partnerships means that schools and organisations can build a more collaborative and strategic partnership to achieve the unique needs of the school, the trust and the local community.
The trust unites the partner organisation and schools in a sustainable partnership and signifies a longer term commitment to work together – regardless of changes in personnel. The trust also creates the opportunity for a range of organisations to come together as partners to support the school in a specific way. This collective approach creates new innovation and energy and has a much greater impact than schools working with partners individually.
The trust must appoint at least two governors to the governing body. Schools value the specific management and professional expertise which governors from external organisations can bring. Working through a trust offers the opportunity for external organisations to put in place a coordinated and common approach to school governance.