1st September 2021
Welcome from our CEO, Shirley Watson
Beckfoot Trust is a diverse family of 10 schools (4 Primary, 2 Special, 4 Secondary) closely located in the Bradford District. The Trust was formed in 2013 and now educates over 7000 young people and employs over 1000 staff. Our core purpose is to align to our mission of ‘creating remarkable schools where no child is left behind’ and to live our values of enjoy, learn, succeed. I took up position as CEO of Beckfoot Trust in September 2021 following the retirement of the founding CEO, David Horn. I am immensely proud to be leading a multi-academy trust that serves the local area and is so committed to its mission. I am sure, like me, you will find the moral-purpose of every school in our Trust quite simply palpable.
One Trust Where All Belong; 10 Core Features of Our Trust.
- Our core purpose is ‘to create remarkable schools where no child is left behind’. We have clearly set out what we believe makes a school remarkable in our Trust Contract
- We share the same values;
- We enjoy belonging to Team Beckfoot Trust and we are optimistic about our future.
- We learn together in our vibrant, creative and diverse family of schools
- We are highly ambitious for our staff and students and believe that through hard work, all can
- We understand the power of belonging.We know that a deep sense of belonging is an irreducible need for all people. We genuinely celebrate all aspects of diversity and we believe that where staff and students feel an authentic sense of belonging they will flourish. The recruitment and retention of mission-aligned people is absolutely key to our continuing success. Please read our Workload and Wellbeing Pledge to learn more about how we value our employees.
- Beckfoot Trust is founded on the deep-seated principles of equity and inclusion. We understand that people (staff and students) have different needs. If we are to meet our mission, we must acknowledge and dismantle the structural barriers that some groups may experience. We will know we are truly inclusive when our equitable processes mean that we there are no patterns of differential outcomes or progression for students and staff.
- We achieve alignment through collective efficacy.We genuinely collaborate as equal partners across special, primary and secondary settings. As leaders we are all signed up to the same principles set out in our Trust Contract. We fundamentally believe we are only as strong as our weakest.
- We are clear about our principles of alignment We believe that ‘some things work everywhere’ and we are evidence-informed. We value the economies of scale and benefits of scale that working together brings. Through developing clarity on alignment we are able to support each other on our continuous journey to remarkable.
- We respect and celebrate the diversity of all our schools. Although we are One Trust Where all Belong, each of our schools has a distinctive character and we value authenticity of culture. Leadership and personal accountability are founded on ownership and self-determination therefore we do not strive for uniformity. The rich diversity of our Trust means that we can learn from one another and thereby accelerate innovation and improvement for the benefit of the communities we serve.
- Leadership Matters. All our leaders are mission-aligned and values-driven and are proud to belong to our one Trust. They are signed up to our principles of alignment however, we want our leaders to have the power to lead their own unique setting and to create compelling school cultures where all are motivated to achieve. Beckfoot Trust leaders all demonstrate integrity, humility and professionalism.
- Context is understood yet is never used as an excuse. Many of our schools are located in areas where there is a high level of deprivation. In some instances our schools joined the Trust with a legacy of sustained underperformance and community mistrust. Breaking that cycle of deprivation is what drives us forward. We will never use context as an excuse, yet we understand that communities are different and we work positively with those we serve.
- A relentless focus on driving up attainment. The culture and opportunities afforded to the young people that are in our care are hugely important to us, we are celebratory and inclusive schools with a strong emphasis on personal development and team. Ultimately we know that to truly transform lives and meet our mission, we must have relentlessly high expectations. Our aim is for our schools to be in the top 10% of all schools nationally for achievement. To find out more about our ambitions, see our Mission Document.