Doncaster school takes steps to join a larger education system that could change the day to day running of the institution

Ridgewood School in Scawsby however has remained with the Department For Education model as they have wanted to remain autonomous.

That is until now, in a letter sent out to parents the head teacher Andy Peirson explained that the school is looking into joining a small MAT.

In the letter he said: “As many of you will be aware, there is an appetite from the DFE for all schools to become part of a MAT.

“Although we do not want to join a MAT just because it is the DFE’s preferred educational model, we have decided that there are many benefits associated with joining one and, therefore, in recent months we have carried out research into various options.”

The headteacher has insisted that the identity of the school will not be lost and that they are not considering changing the things that make them unique.

He said: “We have narrowed our search and, following lengthy discussions with senior leaders and governors, we have decided to explore an opportunity to form a partnership with Leger Education Trust (LET).

“LET is a small, local trust whose ethos and values closely align with ours.

“They currently have five schools which include primaries, a secondary and an alternative provision for students aged 14-16.

“Initial discussions suggest that our staff and governors would be involved at an executive level respectively, which means that we would maintain a significant amount of autonomy and be able to keep our identity.

“We believe that this would give us all the advantages of being in a partnership without the top-down prescription often associated with a MAT.”

The school is now in discussions with LET before the final decision is made.

In the letter the headteacher welcomed opinions on the change from parents and carers and suggested using their website to get in touch.

They are opting for conversations over email or the phone as new restrictions have been suggested by the government due to the rise in Covid-19 cases and the discovery of the new Omicron variant.

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