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31 Mar 08Montacute is First Special Trust School
A Poole special school is to become the first in the country to acquire Trust School 
status.
Joining the Government’s Trust School programme, Montacute School in Canford Heath will be supported by a charitable trust, to gain opportunities to build long-term relationships with partners and other schools.
The school’s charitable trust is made up of partners Langside School, Dorset Scope , Borough of Poole Children’s Services, Bournemouth University , Bournemouth and Poole College , Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust and JP Morgan , who it believes have the skills and expertise necessary to support the school’s leadership and direction.
The trust aims to improve the education and lives of pupils with severe and complex learning and health needs, and their families, by providing an integrated local service in the context of the wider community. The Government believes that a trust will enable the school to harness outside experience and talent.
Montacute School’s board of governors voted unanimously to acquire Trust School status. The high achieving Foundation special school, described by Ofsted in their last inspection as ‘exceptional’ and ‘outstanding in every area,’ will operate as a trust school from April 1 2008.
Montacute School is the first lead special school in the country to establish a single school trust. The trust will open avenues for partnership working with other schools, the health sector, social services, higher and further education, voluntary bodies and the business community, following the Government’s belief that schools do best when they work in partnership and collaboration with others.
John Nash, Strategic Director for Children’s and Young Peoples Services, Borough of Poole said: “The granting of trust status to Montacute is an exciting venture for all of us involved in children's services in Poole. Working in partnership we will have the opportunity to create new ways of improving services for children and their families. It is a terrific prospect.”
Marion Sammons, Headteacher of Montacute School, said: “By becoming a Trust School, Montacute will be able to sustain and develop the positive partnerships that we have with a range of organisations. We will be able to harness the energy and enthusiasm of partners, from the health services to further education and the voluntary sector, to support the vision and direction of the school and broaden opportunities for our pupils and their families. Trust School status signals the next exciting phase for our school.”
Pam Henderson, Chair of Governors at Montacute School, said: “Trust status is a natural development for a Foundation School. It means that we share our vision for the future of the school with partners who also want the best for our children and that we are all committed to providing services to them in a joined up way.
“Montacute is already an outstanding school but we believe that it can work even more effectively with its trust partners.”
Trust Schools are maintained by the Local Authority but supported by a charitable trust made up of partners who the school believes have the skills and expertise necessary to support the school’s leadership and direction.
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