A fourth Plymouth school has joined Exeter鈥檚 ambitious Ted Wragg Trust. Lipson Co-operative Academy follows Marine Academy Primary, Marine Academy Plymouth, and All Saints Academy Plymouth in becoming part of the multi-academy trust (MAT).
The trust said it aims to 鈥渟trengthen communities through excellent education鈥 and has 鈥渢he highest expectations for every child, every day, with social justice at its core鈥.
The addition of - which says it believes in 鈥渧aluing young people, putting them first, insisting in the highest quality in everything they do, with an emphasis on achievement as a core purpose鈥 - will further strengthen the growing MAT.
Lipson will be the 13th school to join the Ted Wragg Trust which also consists of Isca Academy, Cranbrook Education Campus, St James School, Exwick Heights Primary School, West Exe School, Whipton Barton Infant School and Nursery School, Whipton Barton Junior School, St Luke鈥檚 Church of England School, and Queen Elizabeth鈥檚 School, in addition to its Plymouth schools. It has more than 8,000 pupils in the compiled schools.
The trust鈥檚 most recent accounts, for the year to the end of August 2020, showed it made a surplus of 拢675,992, from incoming cash of 拢35,192,081 during the year. It had fixed assets of 拢46,184,425, and reserves of 拢2,074,355, but a pension liability deficit of 拢20,125,000
Academy trusts run academies, schools which receive funding directly from the Government. Although academies have to follow the same rules on admissions, special educational needs and exclusions as other state schools and students sit the same exams, they have more control over how they operate and do not have to follow the national curriculum and can set their own term times.
Some schools choose to become academies. If a school funded by the local authority is judged as 鈥渋nadequate鈥 by Ofsted it must become an academy.
Academy trusts are not-for-profit companies. They employ the staff and have trustees who are responsible for the performance of the academies in the trust.
Moira Marder, chief executive of the Ted Wragg Trust, said: 鈥淚 am so incredibly excited to welcome Lipson to our ambitious and inclusive trust of schools.
鈥淭he trust continues to grow from strength to strength, we have gained real benefits from positively collaborating with our ever-growing network of schools and links to local and national organisations.鈥
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In December 2021, after a two-day visit. The school had been told that it required improvement in an inspection in 2019, but was praised during the monitoring visit for having 鈥渕ade strides in improving the quality of teaching鈥.
Martin Brook, headteacher at Lipson, said: 鈥淎lthough Lipson will be joining the Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust from January, we have been working really closely together for the past six months, during which the experience has been extremely positive. I can see only good things coming from the partnership and I think the relationship will benefit Lipson and the Trust as a whole.鈥
