Proud Traditions | Wide Horizons | High Achievement SIGN UP FOR NEWS HOME ABOUT US SCHOOLS JOIN OUR FAMILY CONTACT NEWS CAREERS FUNDRAISING ADMIN JOIN OUR FAMILY Join Our Family We welcome Outstanding schools who want to have a far reaching impact without total legal responsibility for others. Very successful Heads looking for a wider challenge whilst staying with their school community have real choices within GST. If you are outstanding and considering your future options, contact us for a confidential and objective discussion. Good schools who are looking for extra impetus on the journey to outstanding and who are keen to offer and receive support from others, keeping fresh perspectives and constant stimulation. If you are looking to belong to a professional community whilst staying in control of your destiny, talk to us confidentially. You can apply to convert to academy status with the Griffin Schools Trust as your chosen sponsor by downloading a form from the DfE website. We will then work on the legal transfer process with you, which takes about three months or one term. Schools in Ofsted categories of concern who know there’s a great deal to be done and recognise the need for both scale and pace of change. If you have the courage to see objectively and resilience to stick with the challenges, tell us what you think you need and what you have to offer. We’ll be honest about the match of vision and values. You will be paired with the Griffin Schools Trust by a DfE broker who advises you about becoming an academy. If you have done your research and are interested in us, tell your broker. S/he may mention us to you as a good improvement partner. The Secretary of State must approve the proposal by issuing an academy order and then the legal transfer process can begin. The Process The process demands time and thought, ensuring communications with your school community are transparent and open, your staff records are accurate and your financial position is clear. We help you all the way through and share a project plan with you, regularly reviewed and updated. The Benefits You will have the greatest possible control over your finances, freedom over your curriculum and flexibility and creativity in deploying and developing your staff. Because the Trust family is small, you have direct access to the team at HQ to advise you and your Trust lead will offer you a good level of strategic support and guidance as well as practical help to progress your vision. And because it is a family of schools and not a local competitive group, you have easy access to other Heads with the same issues, different ideas and a wealth of experience to share. The Challenges Running an academy means operating a small not for profit business with all the financial planning, accounting and reporting that that entails. Public money comes directly to you (not via the LA) and you must account for its use. Heads need to be interested in, in control of and knowledgeable about the whole of the business, not only teaching and learning, so that you can see the connection between the staff you recruit and manage, the curriculum you design and resource, the environment you create and maintain and the impact every one of your spending decisions makes on children’s development and success. Because the Trust family is small, your relationships with us are open and also revealing. There is no big organisation to hide in or blame for errors or delays. Brave and honest Heads thrive in this environment. Others may not. News Remembrance 12/11/21 Commemorating Armistice Day together as a family of schools is a proud tradition that brings our communities together. This year, Nicholas Chamberlaine School proudly welcomed friends from their local Gurkha and Sikh communities, as well as serving and retired … SEE MORE Read about OUR GOVERNANCE Our Schools The Midlands The South East Choose an area on the map to find one of our schools. SEE MORE © 2016 Griffin Schools Trust - All Rights Reserved Registered address: The Talent Factory, 4-14 Barmeston Road, London SE6 3BH Griffin Schools Trust registered in England and Wales no. 7893665 Web design by topright design Privacy Policy Site map