NET & TMAT MERGER

NET Academies Trust is a family of six academies: Latton Green Primary Academy, Katherines Primary Academy, Longwood Primary Academy and Nursery, Jerounds Primary Academy, Abbotsweld Primary Academy and Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy.

Across the trust and all our schools, our over-riding focus is on ensuring the children get the best possible education and care, and our decision-making is always guided by that objective. Our collaboration as a network of academies, and the benefits that come from that, has been really important in our success, and this success has been a team effort, with everyone playing a key part – pupils, governors, trustees, staff and you, our parents and carers. So we want to thank you for your invaluable support.

We always want to maintain our ongoing improvement and recently have been exploring how merging with another academy trust can help take us to the next level. NET is a small trust, with six schools, and there is much evidence that there are many advantages to being bigger – all, ultimately, in the interest of the pupils.

Therefore, following much careful discussion and extensive consideration, and looking at several options, we are considering a merger with Templefields Multi Academy Trust (TMAT). TMAT consists of three primary academies in Harlow, has the same values as we do and shares the same commitment to high standards. We firmly believe that coming together will mean a number of very important benefits that we already have, will be enhanced:

• Staff will be able to share, and learn from, best practice from new and more colleagues to enrich learning experiences for every child.
• We will be able to offer greater expertise and specialised support for children with special educational needs.
• We will achieve even greater financial efficiencies across shared services like utilities and IT, which means we can invest more in children’s education.
• We will further secure the long-term stability for all schools within the trust.

We want to emphasise that every school within our expanded Trust would continue to retain its ethos and values. The aim of the partnership is to add new opportunities to what we already do.

FAQ's

What benefit is there to the two trusts merging?

The schools across the trusts have served Harlow and the surrounding area for many years. We have a firm commitment to providing the highest level of opportunities and care for all our children. Both trusts benefit from existing partnership working between their schools and this merger will enhance the opportunities for partnership along with access to specialist staff and expertise.

How would governance work in the merged trust?

Schools will maintain their current Local Governing Boards but there will now be one trust board. The trust board will include experienced trustees from each existing trust to ensure that the trust has the necessary skills and expertise to lead the trust effectively. Trustees have strategic oversight for the educational success, ethos and finances of the whole trust with the LGBs working at school level to support this oversight.

What would be the leadership structure of the trust?

The trust will be led by the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Jo Coton.

Schools will retain their existing Headteachers who will continue to make decisions for their school.

Financial Implications

Both trusts are financially secure and some savings will be expected to be generated by even greater ‘buying power’. A trust of the combined size will be eligible for a direct capital funding grant from the DfE and it will not need to rely on individual CIF bids for capital improvements.

What will happen to staff employed within the trust.

All Templefields staff will be TUPE’d and have their employment transferred to NET Academies under the same terms and conditions. Staff who currently have a defined place of work in their contract could not be asked to work elsewhere without their agreement. However, staff will benefit from development and promotion opportunities more widely across an expanded trust.

Would admission arrangements change.

School application processes for reception children will continue to be coordinated by Essex County Council and admissions for other school year places will continue to be dealt with at school level.

Would the name of the school change?

No. Schools will retain their own names.

Will the school uniform change?

The schools will not be asked to change their uniform.

Would the times of the school day and holidays change?

The school day and term dates are discussed and approved by the LGBs and trustees every year. Any proposals to make changes would be subject to external consultation with parents.

Will the school catering arrangements change?

School catering arrangements will remain the same.

What happens next? What is the timescale of changes?

Headteachers and trustees will be pleased to answer any further questions you may have. We will apply for permission from the Department for Education, and if this permission is granted there will be a legal process to dissolve the smaller trust (TMAT) and transfer the schools and their assets into the larger trust (NET). This process would probably take until the summer of 2025.