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Consultation Proposal

Please click here for the statutory proposals regarding Fearnhill School, The Highfield School and Letchworth Garden City Education Partnership

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What are Trust Schools?

Trust schools are local authority foundation schools which are supported by a charitable foundation – a trust.  Our trust is called The Letchworth Garden City Education Partnership.

Foundation trust schools are maintained by the Local Authority but have charitable status, own the land and assets, employ the staff and are responsible for admissions. In this way it is similar to a voluntary aided school.

The trust is made up of The Highfield School, Fearnhill and partner organisations working together for the benefit of the trust.

The trust holds the land and assets in trust for the benefit of the school. The governing body of each school retains full powers over the strategic direction and governance the school.

Letchworth Educational Partnership

The Highfield School is in a Co-operative Trust with Fearnhill School as part of the Letchworth Garden City Educational Partnership. The Partnership was set up to support the education of all young people in Letchworth and the surrounding area and to reflect the core co-operative values of the Garden City’s founders. These are self help, responsibility, democracy, solidarity, equality and equity.

What is different about a Co-operative Trust?

A co-operative trust operates in the same way as an ordinary trust but is underpinned by the Co-operative values of:

• Self-help
• Self-responsibility
• Democracy
• Equality
• Equity
• Solidarity

All involved have a shared interest in promoting and supporting these values.

Our Vision:

Our vision is to support the young people of Letchworth Garden City to help them develop as life-long learners and responsible, active citizens; raising aspirations; and contributing to the well-being and cohesion of our community.

The specific focus of the Letchworth Garden City Education Partnership will be to work to support the advancement of learning across the local community and reduce barriers to achievement.

It is our belief that it is only through the active engagement of communities that the aspirations and expectations of educational achievement can be transformed and that we put the community at the heart of education provision.

The trust will act as a catalyst for improvement at the heart of the community.

Our core priorities are:

• Raise attainment of students
• Improve education progress routes for students post-16, reducing NEETs to zero
• Raise basic skill levels, particularly in literacy and numeracy
• Support vulnerable students and their families through early intervention, multi-agency integration and inclusive practices
• Engage the community in working co-operatively to help the development of the local area.

Our Partners are:

• The University of Hertfordshire
• The Co-operative Group
• The Local Authority

Trustees:

The Trustees of the Letchworth Garden City Education Partnership Trust are: