The South Craven Learning Trust

Developing partnerships for vibrant 14 to 19 programme, with particular emphasis on increased attainment and participation for post-16 students.

South Craven School is a single school trust, a large 11 to 18 technology and engineering school in North Yorkshire, situated near Keighley, serving urban and rural areas.  It has been a foundation school since April 2006 but acquired trust status in June 2008.

Partners: Craven College, University of Bradford, Leeds Trinity University College, Leeds College of Music, Airedale NHS Trust, The Ogden Trust and Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

There were a number of reasons for the choice of partners.  It was important for them to support the school’s aims of improving students’ employability and their participation in further and higher education.  The school had already established positive links with Craven College and The Ogden Trust; the latter had sponsored the school’s specialist status.  Links with partners are supporting aspects of the school.  Its specialist areas of technology and engineering are supported by the University of Bradford and The Ogden Trust and its creative areas are benefiting from links with Leeds College of Music, whilst teaching staff are able to pursue Masters Degrees through working with Leeds Trinity University College.

The trust is having an impact in a number of areas:

• When it adopted foundation status, the school indicated that it was outward looking; trust status has given an impetus to the changes that were already taking place.
• The school had already seen improvements in examination results, the achievement of specialist status and introduction of a wider range of student options.
• Trust status has created more opportunities for students, for example, through the opening of a new 14 to 19 skills centre in 2009.
• Students have been provided with more extra-curricular experiences and the school feels that parents are more confident in its vision of the future.
• There has also been an increase in the number of students progressing to level 3 courses.

The school and its partners have undertaken a review of the impact of trust status in 2009.  Plans for the future may include changes in governance as well as the involvement of other schools.  The school feels that the trust has provided an additional dimension to its development – ‘Trust is not about baking the cake, it is about putting the icing on the top’, Andrew Cummings, Headteacher at South Craven School.