Salterlee Primary School set to join the growing Polaris Multi-Academy Trust

The decision to join the trust was welcomed by school staff, parents, and governors.

Mark Scott, Headteacher of Salterlee Primary School, said: "By joining the Polaris Multi-Academy Trust, our staff will share their expertise, knowledge and skills to collaborate with other schools and improve education even further. As a small, independent primary school, being a part of a trust further enhances and benefits the education of our children.

The Polaris Multi-Academy Trust will further support and nurture our school’s identity which means, our school will still stay the same as it was yesterday, our teachers are still and will continue to provide the same high-quality education as they always have been, but the support from the Polaris Multi-Academy Trust will allow us to thrive in ways we could not have previously imagined."

In a white paper published in March 2022, the government has set out its plan for achieving its vision to see “all children benefit from being taught in a family of schools, with their school in a strong multi academy trust by 2030”

The government recommends schools to join a multi-academy trust or MAT as it provides the support that a school needs to thrive as well as more power when it comes to negotiating services and getting better value.

Steve Evans, CEO of the Polaris Multi-Academy Trust said: “We are delighted to welcome Salterlee Primary School into our family of schools. We are looking forward to working with the school, pupils, parents, and the wider community.

“The Polaris Trust is centred on providing children with the very best education through supporting staff with high-quality training and development opportunities. We provide an infrastructure for schools that enables the very best financial guidance, procurement and support services to be utilised. This allows for more income to be used to support and challenge the Salterlee pupils.

“The Trust will support and nurture Salterlee’s individual identity, to ensure that the school’s individual DNA is used as a platform to secure and build on the enjoyment and academic success of the pupils.”