Welcome to The Brigshaw Co-operative Trust – Autumn 2013
Our Trust was established on 1 April 2010, building on the very successful partnership of schools previously
known as The Brigshaw Federation. Seven primary schools are partners in the Trust - Allerton Bywater, Great
Preston, Kippax Ash Tree, Kippax Greenfield, Kippax North, Lady Elizabeth Hastings, and Swillington – as is
Brigshaw High School and Language College, and two Children’s Centres – Kippax and Villages East. Other Trust
partners include Leeds City Council, Leeds City College, CapeUK, Carnegie Leaders in Learning and The Cooperative Group.
Our decision to create a Trust as a formal partnership arose from the successful experience the schools had in
working together to provide extended services for children and young people in our communities, and a belief
that this partnership should be secured and sustained in the long term. This decision has been affirmed by the
current government’s policy to encourage all schools to collaborate more effectively as decision-making and
school improvement in our education system becomes more responsive to local needs and priorities.
The Trust does not run the schools – that is the role of the head teacher and governing body – but acts on
behalf of them to ensure that children and young people benefit as much as possible from a strong
partnership which can do much more than individual schools working on their own. We see all of the 4,000 +
children and young people from 0 to 19 in our schools and children’s centres as our collective responsibility.
As the name suggests, Co-operative Trusts are run based on co-operative values: self-help and selfresponsibility, equality, equity, democracy and solidarity (SEEDS!), underpinned by ethical values: honesty,
openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Staff (as well as pupils, parents/carers and community
organisations) can become members and influence the work of the Trust. We currently have almost 2,000
members. There is no charge to join.
The Brigshaw Trust aims to:
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Ensure consistently high expectations across all of our
schools among pupils, parents, carers and staff
Enable pupils to have consistently high quality teaching
and learning experiences by sharing strengths, resources
and staff, and developing creative ways to help pupils
achieve
Work more effectively with parents, carers and the wider
community to promote health and well-being, develop a
more aspirational culture, working more effectively with
health, social care, sport and leisure services
Work with external partners to help us be even more
imaginative and creative in providing opportunities for
family and community learning and wider cultural
experiences.
To achieve the very best for the children, young people and families of our communities by learning and working
with each other and for each other
The Brigshaw Co-operative Trust Vicars’ Court, The Old School, Vicars’ Terrace, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, WF10 2DJ
Tel: 01977 552531
Who’s who?
The Trust Board meets quarterly overseeing a significant amount of work linked to the Trust Development Plan
and the growth of the Trust business activity. The Board is quite large – 25 Trustees in all, as well as associate
members. There is a committee structure, focusing on: Teaching and Learning; Children’s Centres; Community
and Membership; Cluster Activities and Resource Management.
Our Trust is chaired by Pat Cochrane, Chief Executive of CapeUK, a not-for-profit charitable company
committed to enhancing creativity in teaching, learning and leadership in schools. They are working with us on
a range of projects, including the development of a ‘creative curriculum’ across the partnership. Other Trust
partners include Carnegie Leaders in Learning, based at Leeds Metropolitan University, who have supported
the work of the Trust Teaching and Learning Group, worked with Brigshaw to develop student leadership skills,
and facilitated our deputy and assistant head teacher network during 2012-13, and are developing a stronger
ITT partnership with our schools. Leeds City College provides the Trust with considerable expertise and
understanding of adult and family learning. Leeds City Council have continued to support our multi-agency
working, enabling us to develop our ‘in-house’ Targeted Services Leader roles, and encouraging children’s
services staff to be co-located at the Trust base in Vicars’ Court, Allerton Bywater. The Co-operative Group
links us with the wider world of Co-operative Schools nationally and internationally, and keeps us aligned with
co-operative values. We have also worked very successfully with the Castleford Tigers Trust, who made a
great contribution to the Brigshaw Trust Olympic Project, and run a Study Support Programme for primary
pupils at the Probiz Stadium each week.
During 2013-14, three heads will take responsibility for leading different strands of Trust activity. These roles
are rotated annually. Barbara Clark (Kippax North) is seconded to the Trust for two days a week, and has
responsibilities for co-ordinating the ‘school improvement’ functions of the Trust as well as providing some
Trust leadership capacity. Kirsty Moleele (Kippax Greenfield) is the Cluster Chair on the Area Inclusion
Partnership, and Cath Lennon (Brigshaw) is Chair of the Trust Head teachers’ Group.
The Trust Development Team, based at Vicars’ Court, includes Shelagh Tompkinson (Cluster Manager); Adele
Dempster (Guidance and Support Manager); Maria Milner (Deputy Guidance and Support Manager), Martha
Bentley (acting Trust Administrator) and Peter Laurence (Development Director). The Guidance and Support
Team (GST) includes two Counsellors (Delyth Burch and Rowan
Imolc), Family Support Adviser (Kate Machell), and Attendance
Improvement Officer (Margaret Hudson). Additional support is
provided by Tracey Jones (Membership Development), Jo
Mason and Sue Hebden (Business and Finance), and Philip
Matthews (Company Secretary).
Further to the above
mentioned, each school has two pupil membership champions,
who meet regularly at Vicars’ Court to contribute ideas
regarding membership benefits.
To achieve the very best for the children, young people and families of our communities by learning and working
with each other and for each other
The Brigshaw Co-operative Trust Vicars’ Court, The Old School, Vicars’ Terrace, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, WF10 2DJ
Tel: 01977 552531
Our Priorities for 2013-16
Our Trust Development Plan focuses on four core areas: Guidance and Support; Teaching, Learning and
School Improvement; Leadership and Workforce Development and Curriculum Enrichment, Community
Engagement and Membership. A number of objectives arise from our cluster development plan and reflect
city-wide priorities, supported by funding allocated for these, and focus on work led by our Guidance and
Support Team and multi-agency partners, including work linked to the ‘Families First’ agenda.
Other objectives are set by our Trust schools, in consultation with Trust partners, and are funded directly by
the schools as well as through a range of grants and other sources. Schools themselves take on responsibilities
for leading these work streams on a collective basis. Each objective or ‘work stream’ will be supported by a
Trust Development Team member, with links to Trust partners and other appropriate agencies etc.
Schools identify lead staff in their own school and agree appropriate roles and some ‘protected’ time, working
with the Trust team to identify any training needs etc; where appropriate, there are links to ‘whole education’
or other cross-Trust activity. Schools commit to retaining leadership of the work stream even if ‘expertise’
leaves, and will either recruit appropriately or broker expertise from within/beyond the Trust
Quality assurance is carried out in partnership with the Trust Development Team, peer review, and reporting
arrangements through our committee system, relatively small groups who provide strategic direction, support
and challenge to the schools/teams leading the work streams. They are chaired by a Trustee, supported by an
appropriate Trust Development Team member, and will include senior and governor representation from
schools leading on relevant work streams, as well as a Trustee or representative from an appropriate Trust
partner, with 2-3 key representatives from appropriate partner organisations. Where/if appropriate,
committees will invite a wider audience for briefing, updates and group planning – to include relevant staff,
parent/carer, and pupil representation.
The role of the Trust Development Team is to provide on-going co-ordination, manage communication,
support, add capacity and advise on work stream activities.
Guidance and Support
The Trust works to support our most vulnerable children and families. Members of our Trust Guidance and
Support team are now helping local families to cope with the consequences of the Welfare ‘Reforms’, for
example organising a Food Bank (thanks to the generosity of school staff, local churches and the local
community) to provide emergency supplies for families who have no other source of income. They are working
with families to help them understand changes to the benefits system. The team, based at Vicars’ Court, works
closely with other agencies – Children’s Social Work Services, the police, school nurses, and local GPs, to
provide swift and skilled support for children who need specialist advice or counselling, and can provide a
quicker and effective response. We have recently been asked to pilot a pioneering partnership with local GPs
where they can directly refer children to the Trust team for counselling, guidance and support where their
needs are not specifically medical and would not meet the threshold for the Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Service
To achieve the very best for the children, young people and families of our communities by learning and working
with each other and for each other
The Brigshaw Co-operative Trust Vicars’ Court, The Old School, Vicars’ Terrace, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, WF10 2DJ
Tel: 01977 552531
Teaching, Learning and School Improvement; Leadership and Workforce Development
A major focus over the last year has been on working together to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Networks of subject co-ordinators have grown, and as well as continuing our focus on literacy and numeracy,
we have developed a SENCO network and are now establishing a stronger Early Years focus in partnership with
our Children’s Centres. In the coming year, each of our schools will take on a leadership role for aspects of
Trust development, with Brigshaw engaged in providing a secondary dimension. This will involve an increasing
number of school staff, strengthening their own expertise as well as providing opportunities to share good
practice to benefit all of our children. We are beginning to explore what a ‘0-19 curriculum’ could look like
across our partnership – so that all of our children and young people can have access to exciting and relevant
learning experiences that will prepare them for life and work beyond school. A priority is to agree what
opportunities we should provide in the creative arts area – music, art, drama, film and media.
Many staff are now involved in joint training and professional development on a regular basis, ranging from
health and well-being sessions, to Ofsted awareness-raising, Middle Leader Development programmes and
support for Newly Qualified Teachers.
Curriculum Enrichment, Community Engagement and Membership
Last year, our Trust Pupil Forum generated ideas to help promote
membership development and understanding of the Trust. The first
event was ‘Dancing on Ice,’ where we held an indoor ice rink at
Vicars’ Court. 50 pupils from each school were invited during two
school days, to come along to the rink for a minimal cost of £3.50
which included transportation to and from each school. This was
hugely enjoyed by both pupils and staff. The ice rink was then also
opened up to the community for two evenings after school and all
day Saturday. To tie in with the ice rink, we organised an open day
at Vicars’ Court on the Saturday, where we invited local businesses
to come along and display some of their goods, held a tombola, an indoor café, raffles and a fantastic art
display from all our schools, ranging from Foundation stage to 6th Form High school students. We were further
supported by a £500 grant from the council. Over 200
members were recruited over those few days.
Last term, our ‘Trust’s Got Talent’ Grand Finale was
attended by over 200 parents and children from all of
our Trust schools, who witnessed a wide range of acts
– dancers, singers, magicians, comedians, a rapper –
and the winner – Oscar, a Year One pupil from Kippax
North, who entertained us all with his hula-hoop skills!
To achieve the very best for the children, young people and families of our communities by learning and working
with each other and for each other
The Brigshaw Co-operative Trust Vicars’ Court, The Old School, Vicars’ Terrace, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, WF10 2DJ
Tel: 01977 552531
We are steadily building up a directory of local businesses who offer discounts to trust members and are
looking forward to welcoming even more.
Priorities for the year ahead are to further develop membership, concentrating on parents and carers, staff
and the community, helping them to engage more fully in the life and work of the Trust.
Vicars’ Court
We are fortunate to have Trust accommodation at Vicar’s Court, in Allerton Bywater. Funding from Caird
Bardon has now helped us to landscape our community garden and make further refurbishments to our
conference and training centre. This is becoming increasingly popular for use by our own schools and partners
for meetings and training events. A priority for us over the coming year will be to ensure the sustainability of
Vicars’ Court by attracting more funding and encouraging wider use of the facilities.
How Is The Trust Funded?
Our cluster of schools receive funding from the local authority which is mainly used to staff the Trust
Guidance and Support Team and its work. Each school contributes 1.25% of its overall budget to fund our
shared ‘school improvement’ and teaching and learning priorities: funding goes further in a partnership. As a
charitable company, the Trust has successfully bid for external funding and grants. We generate some income
through Vicars’ Court Conference and Training Centre lettings, hire of our hall for parties etc, as well as
providing external consultancy support to a range of partnerships and organisations.
If you are interested in hiring our hall please contact us here at Vicars’ Court on 01977 552531.
To achieve the very best for the children, young people and families of our communities by learning and working
with each other and for each other
The Brigshaw Co-operative Trust Vicars’ Court, The Old School, Vicars’ Terrace, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, WF10 2DJ
Tel: 01977 552531