The Spire Multi Academy Trust was established in February 2016 by St John’s Middle School in order to create a trust that would seek to collaborate with other schools, share good practice and to raise attainment. 

                                                         

This three-fold focus for the Trust is to express the belief that collaboration of learners of any age can bring about greater depth, breadth and impact of learning, allowing those involved in the process to achieve most effectively. The Trust promotes education that provides to children and adults excellence, exploration and encouragement so they can be the best of themselves.

Through collaboration, learners of any age can contribute to something larger - transformative education that enables them to be transforming influences in the world. Within this comes the assurance of inclusivity and appreciation of diversity, acknowledging that interconnectedness has a human dimension.

The core ethos of the Trust can be summarised in three words:

• Collaborate  - The Trust is committed to enabling schools to work together and learning from each other and sharing good practice.
• Learn  - the culture of learning and being outward facing and striving to improve practice is paramount and fundamental to the working of the Trust
• Achieve – in working together and learning from each other we will raise achievement and thereby improve life chances of the children in our care

Our success is underpinned by eight essential features:

1. Shared aims – we are ambitious for all and we pledge to provide the best possible service for all the children in our classes.  We promise to care enough and to challenge enough, so we can say with honesty and pride that every child here is supported to become the best they can be, regardless of their circumstance or starting point.
2. A relentless focus on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – a compelling curriculum, skilful pedagogy and rich assessment
3. A strong belief in the value and potential of every child, no matter what their background – an ethical excellence
4. A deep commitment to professional development across the whole trust - high quality, meaningful learning for children and evidence-based, outward learning for staff.
5. Commitment to the success of other schools in the trust as much as to the success of our own school – one for all and all for one
6. Quality assurance.  That is, rigorous self-evaluation and peer review of the quality of work in all our schools
7. Sharing data and using it analytically to improve our performance – raising standards higher, faster and stronger
8. Using resources where they are most needed in the Trust.

This includes being a member of The Spire Trust Learning Partnership (STLP). The mantra of this partnership is quality school to school support across the Spire Trust family of schools. As a team of leaders, middle leaders, staff and governors, we are all striving to provide the best possible learning opportunities and outcomes for the children in our care. By supporting each other across the trust, we are able to ensure that our staff are up to date in terms of knowledge and understanding, as well as pedagogy and practice and pupils receive the best education possible.

Catshill Middle School is a member of The Spire Church of England Learning Trust, Watt Close, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 7DH.  Telephone 01527 832376.  Website www.thespirelearningtrust.co.uk.  Please follow the following link for the audited annual report and accounts, memorandum of association, articles of association, names of charity trustees and members and the funding agreement The SPIRE CofE Learning Trust - Finance for The Spire (thespirelearningtrust.co.uk).