26 September 2023
Questions and answers we have considered over many months of due diligence:
Who are The Black Pear Trust?
The Black Pear Trust; a home of learning where we grow excellent learning communities together. Honeybourne Primary Academy and The Black Pear Trust have been working together successfully for several years.
Established in 2014, The Black Pear Trust is guided by their vision: ‘In unity; we broaden horizons, raise aspirations and impact generations’. Every member of The Black Pear Trust is deeply committed to making a difference to every child, every family and every community served.
They currently comprise 5 primary schools across Worcestershire, all serving distinct communities – every school unique; delivering education that makes a difference to the specific children and young people they serve.
Every school within The Black Pear Trust is committed to creating inspirational homes of learning that enable every pupil to move on and achieve whatever they want, to the absolute best of their ability. They are united by a common purpose: to open the windows of the classroom and bring the world to life, to enable every pupil to find their place in the world and to leave us knowing that they matter and can make a difference.
Whilst working towards their vision they stay true to their core values; believing that strength and impact are maximised by working collaboratively as one team growing excellent learning communities together. Their mission and vision are underpinned by four core values:
- Pride – in all we do
- Excellence – in learning for life
- Achievement – for all
- Respect – for the world
Their mission, vision and core values are threaded through Black Pear schools and the central team; they consider them and stay true to them to ensure that they deliver the best that is possible for every member of the Trust community.
What are the advantages of joining The Black Pear Trust?
By Honeybourne Primary Academy joining a well-established multi academy trust with whom there is a shared vision, principles and culture our school will benefit from collaboration in the following ways:
- Sharing a Trust vision that underpins everything that we do, preserving the educational ethos of each school to achieve the best possible outcomes for the wellbeing, progress and personal development of children and young people across the Trust
- Supporting each other, to protect excellent schools in a rapidly changing educational, social, political and financial climate
- Recruiting, training, growing and retaining the best teachers and support staff within the Trust
- Enabling teachers to collaborate and share best practice for the benefit of all the pupils within the Trust
- Protecting the delivery of wellbeing services for pupils across the Trust
- Controlling our own destiny by protecting, growing and preserving what we cherish
- Benefiting from access to capital funding from central government to improve the facilities for our school.
Will the Trust continue to support the Friends of Honeybourne School and the school’s wider community links?
Yes, the Trust will fully support the Friends of Honeybourne School and community links. The Trust believes that each of the schools within the Trust should play an active role within their local community. We would work with the school to support this work.
Will joining the Black Pear Trust have an impact on school relationships in the local community?
Joining Black Pear Trust will not negatively impact the school’s relationships with the local community. Our school will continue to be an active and valued member of the local community, maintaining connections with local churches and other schools. We will still work closely and collaborate with other schools not in the Black Pear Trust where it is in the interests of our children to do so. The Black Pear Trust collaborate effectively internally between schools but also work effectively with many external schools, they are committed to being outward and forward looking. We will still collaborate with groups we use now such as Severn Arts, Empower and Beanstalk.
Can Honeybourne Primary Academy have freedom to set its own curriculum?
The Black Pear Trust follows the National Curriculum and believe it is imperative that all schools within the Trust provide a balanced and broad curriculum which meets the needs of the children within each school. The Trust has developed a comprehensive curriculum package to support teachers to deliver high quality sequences of learning.
Honeybourne Primary Academy already have full access to the Trust curriculum documents and have opportunities to collaborate and plan with teachers from all Trust schools.
Will our school’s extracurricular activities and plans for wrap around and nursery care be affected by joining the MAT?
The Black Pear Trust will support and enhance the extracurricular activities that our school currently offers. By joining the Trust, we may have opportunities to expand and enrich our extracurricular provision through collaboration with other schools within the trust, sharing best practices, and accessing additional resources. Our choice of activities and plans will be enhanced and supported.
How will the Black Pear Trust ensure that our child’s individual needs and well-being are supported?
The Black Pear Trust are committed to providing high-quality support for the individual needs and well-being of every child. Through shared expertise and resources, together we can enhance the provision of special educational needs and disability (SEND) support, pastoral care, and well-being initiatives. Each school retains their own SEND practices, policy and offer.
Can you provide an overview of the Trust SEND offer?
The Academies Act 2010 requires Academies to follow the same statutory framework for special needs as local authority schools.
At The Black Pear Trust, all pupils are equally valued by having access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is matched to meet individual needs and abilities. They have effective management systems and procedures for SEND, considering the current Code of Practice (2014). The Trust has an Inclusion Lead and a Specialist Leader of Education for SEND who are available to support schools and families within the Trust.
All stakeholders communicate regularly, this includes teachers, classroom support professionals, children with SEND, parents, specialist support and outside agencies. They acknowledge and draw on parents’ knowledge and expertise in relation to their own child to inform their support. Children are encouraged to take an active role in their review cycle to ensure that their voice is heard.
The Trust are committed to developing the knowledge and skills of all staff to manage the range of needs in the school and to ensure that all support is of high quality. They have an effective review cycle that allows them to monitor, review and plan for next steps of development.
If a learner is identified as having SEND, they will provide support that is ‘additional to’, or ‘different from’ the matched approaches and learning arrangements normally provided. This support is set out in the Local Authority document ‘Ordinarily Available’.
When providing support that is ‘additional to’ or ‘different from’ they follow the ‘Graduated Approach’ for supporting children with SEND. Through the ‘assess, plan, do review’ cycle they ensure they are identifying the best way of ensuring they meet the needs of all of learners.
This additional support, ‘intervention’ is tailored to meet the child’s needs and will target the area of difficulty. This support may be provided in class or in another area of the school on a 1:1 basis or as part of a small group of learners with similar needs. These ‘interventions’ may be run by a teacher or a trained teaching assistant. The support provided, and its impact in class, will be monitored and shared with the child and with their parents or carers.
If throughout this process it is determined that a child has a Special Education Need (in consultation with parents), children will be placed on the schools SEND register and will receive SEN support. If a child continues to require significant individualised support then an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) may be requested.
There are two levels of SEND:
- SEN support
- Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
For further information regarding the SEND offer provided by Trust schools please follow the link below:
What does Governance look like at The Black Pear Trust?
Governance is vitally important within The Black Pear Trust; effective governance supports them to always act in the best interests of children and young people, to hold true to their vision and values and to consider them in all decisions made. It assures them of financial probity and holds Executive leadership to account.
All people involved in governance within The Black Pear Trust are united in their commitment to delivering our vision and transforming the life chances of all their children and young people, regardless of background, ethnicity or gender.
The Trust governance function and the actions of their Members, Trustees and Governors within that is a key component of achieving the Trust vision, they work tirelessly to ensure that the Trust and each school within it upholds the highest standards and delivers the best and most aspirational education to each and every one of their pupils.
Members and Trustees
There are 5 Members of The Black Pear Trust, Members are akin to the shareholders of a company. They have ultimate control over the Multi-Academy Trust, with the ability to appoint some of the Trustees and the right to amend the Trust’s Articles of Association.
Members are responsible for holding Trustees to account and meet annually. They delegate responsibility to the Board of Trustees who are the accountable layer of Governance.
The Board of Trustees are responsible for governance functions such as setting the direction of the Trust, holding the CEO to account and ensuring financial probity.
Academy Trusts are limited companies with charitable status and the Trustees are company directors so must comply with both charity and company law requirements.
Trustees are required to regularly attend meetings, manage conflicts of interest, seek information from the CEO, executive team and school leadership teams to ensure that all schools within the Trust deliver an excellent standard of education and have appropriate procedures in place for reporting financial information.
The Trust Board has delegated some responsibility to board committees, for example the Finance, Risk and Resources committee.
Local Governing Bodies
The Black Pear Trust has Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) in every school.
The details of what has been delegated from the Board of Trustees to LGB’s is detailed in their Scheme of Delegation. Even though some functions have been delegated to LGB’s, Trustees remain accountable and responsible for these functions.
Governance For New Schools Joining the Trust
New schools who join The Black Pear Trust will work within the existing Scheme of Delegation, they have previously welcomed existing Governors of maintained schools and Trustees of SAT’s and worked with them to both learn from them and support them to become part of the strong governance function of the Trust. Trustees of our school will be invited to become governors – a vitally important role in ensuring consistency in strategic leadership and in supporting that school on its journey into the Trust.
Will there be any changes to staffing?
There will be no changes to staffing at Honeybourne Primary Academy. All colleagues will TUPE over on their current terms and conditions maintaining continuous service with its associated legal protections.
The school leadership alongside the local governing body will remain responsible for staffing structures.
Trade Unions would continue to be recognised and the Trust would welcome their support for their members. There will be no expectation for colleagues to work at other schools within The Black Pear Trust, contracts of work remain based at Honeybourne. There will be opportunities for colleagues to work together as part of professional development such as on training days and colleagues may choose to apply for opportunities within the Trust.
Are there any costs to join the MAT?
There is a small cost relating to legal fees, however this will be offset by the school immediately by benefiting from financial efficiencies of being part of a larger organisation. Due to Honeybourne Academy primary already being a SAT, there are a number of duplicate costs, such as auditing fees. Honeybourne will not need to pay the full cost independently, instead the costs will be shared across six schools. Therefore, there will be additional funds available within the school budget.
How do the finances of a MAT work?
Funding streams into Honeybourne Primary Academy will remain the same and the school will continue to have ownership of the design of their own budget. The Black Pear Trust encourage schools to use a zero-based budget model which is curriculum led and activity based. On a day-to-day basis, Headteachers continue to approve orders and can purchase goods in line with the Trust Finance policy.
What is the timescale if the proposal goes ahead?
Subject to due diligence, legal work and confirmation from the Department for Education the intention is for Honeybourne Primary Academy to become part of The Black Pear Trust either on 1st December 2023 or 1st January 2024.
Will the admissions policy remain the same?
Yes, the school will remain responsible for its own admission policy.