Merger brings ‘powerful force for good’ to education in the North East
Two multi-academy trusts are merging to create “a powerful force for good for education in the North East.” Northern Lights Learning Trust and Dayspring Trust combined on February 1st and will comprise seven schools and 3,093 children and young people, from the ages of two to 16.
Northern Lights Learning Trust
The new trust, which has schools from Stockton and Hartlepool in Teesside through to Sunderland and Washington, will come together under the Northern Lights Learning Trust name. Chief Executive of Northern Lights Learning Trust, Jo Heaton said:
“This is an exciting opportunity for two strong trusts who have high performing schools with shared values, culture and ethos to combine. It brings together secondary expertise and primary expertise to provide the best outcomes and opportunities for all pupils, students and staff.”
Gill Booth, Chief Executive and Executive Head Teacher of Dayspring Trust, said:
“We have already been closely working over the past six months in our shared central office and are delighted that we have now formally joined together.”
Mrs Booth is to be Executive Head Teacher within Northern Lights until the end of the summer term. From the start of the new academic year in September, she will be Interim Director of Education for the Dioceses of Durham and Newcastle.
Northern Lights Learning Trust’s primary and secondary schools are a mixture of Church and non-Church, small, village, rural, urban and large schools. They are:
Benedict Biscop CE Academy, Sunderland
Holley Park Academy, Washington
Venerable Bede Church of England Academy, Sunderland
Hart Primary School, Hartlepool
St Helen’s Primary School, Hartlepool
St Peter’s Elwick Church of England Primary School, Hartlepool
Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy, Stockton-on-Tees.
Chair of Northern Lights Learning Trust, Mark Stouph, noted:
“The merger of the trusts will provide fabulous opportunities for pupils to achieve their full potential, thanks to collaboration right through both primary and secondary phases. This represents a powerful force for good for education in the North East.”
Neil Williams, Chair of Dayspring Trust, added:
“The board of Dayspring Trust are committed to ensuring that we look for opportunities for all of our young people and staff to grow and have ‘wise and generous living’. Merging two experienced boards of a primary trust and a secondary trust has strengthened our skills and expertise further. We are extremely passionate about working in partnership.”
Northern Lights Learning Trust is recognised by the Department for Education as a Centre of Excellence as a Teaching School Hub and as an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub for the North East. This means the organisation works with teachers and school leaders across the region, providing professional development and expertise for schools and trusts locally.
Mrs Heaton said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our trust to grow and develop cross-phase, with shared strengths, so that we are able to provide the best that we can for our pupils, staff and communities. We are really excited about the future of Northern Lights. As a growing trust experienced in conversions and mergers, we would be delighted to speak to any schools or trusts who would be interested in exploring future possibilities with us. They would retain their own identity, vision and values so that they effectively serve their communities – something we all support and cherish. Consolidating both central teams creates an exceptionally strong offer to support all our schools, including school improvement, Health & Safety, safeguarding, estates management, finance, HR, communications and operations along with specialist support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.”
The merger will provide further opportunities for staff to develop and grow.
Northern Lights Learning Trust is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School Programme click here.
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