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Grove Academy Joins SEBMAT: A Pioneering Step for Enhanced Education

In a big step to improve education in Slough, Grove Academy has now joined the Slough and East Berkshire Church of England Multi-Academy Trust (SEBMAT). This important decision is all about giving students more opportunities for a better education and extra support.

SEBMAT is like a team of schools working together to make sure that kids in Slough and nearby places get the best education possible.

The first group of schools in SEBMAT includes Slough and Eton Church of England Business and Enterprise Academy, Colnbrook Church of England Primary School, and Eton Porny Church of England First School. Later on, Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy and Lynch Hill School Primary Academy joined in January 2019. And just recently, on November 1, 2022, Woodlands Park Primary School in Maidenhead also became a part of SEBMAT.
 

Empowering Education with SEBMAT

Grove Academy is starting an exciting journey of working together with other schools to make education better for students in Slough and nearby places. SEBMAT includes both primary and secondary schools, and its main idea is to help each other so that everyone gets a really good education.

SEBMAT believes in Christian principles, but it also welcomes schools from different backgrounds. This way, it brings together lots of different values and ideas to make education even better.

The SEBMAT Advantage:

• Strategic Leadership: SEBMAT boasts a seasoned leadership team, including Members, Directors, and a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), all singularly focused on delivering positive impacts for students.
• Driving School Improvement: The trust really cares about making schools better by working together. This means schools help each other, focus on getting better, and find creative solutions to problems.
• Harnessing Technology: SEBMAT uses technology a lot to make classrooms and staff work better. They've learned from the pandemic and use these lessons to improve how things work in the classroom and for the staff.
• Sound Financial Management: The trust is strong because they plan their finances carefully, watch their budget closely, and use a standard system for keeping track of their money.
• Effective Human Resources: SEBMAT offers help with HR (human resources) like advice on day-to-day HR matters, long-term HR plans, and guidance on understanding DBS requirements.
• Governance Expertise: The trust also provides professional clerks to help with meetings, administrative support, and guidance on how to make sure everything is working well. This helps make sure everything is running smoothly.
• Stewarding Assets: SEBMAT does yearly checks to make sure everything is safe and well-maintained, including health and safety, managing asbestos, and looking after the buildings. They're also really good at managing big projects like building work, saving energy, and taking care of valuable things.

SEBMAT's Strategic Plan: Shaping the Future

SEBMAT's mission is crystal clear: "Enabling children to live remarkable lives." This vision is meticulously outlined in the SEBMAT Strategic Plan 2022-2027, a collaborative effort by SEBMAT Directors, Headteachers, Chairs of Governors, and Members. This plan articulates the trust's guiding principles and values.
 

SEBMAT's Five Key Priorities:

In its pursuit of excellence and innovation in education, SEBMAT has identified five key priorities that serve as guiding principles for its growth and development. These priorities underscore SEBMAT's commitment to providing the best possible educational experiences for students and fostering a strong sense of community. Each priority represents a strategic focus area that aligns with SEBMAT's mission to enhance educational outcomes in Slough and the surrounding areas. Let's explore these priorities in detail:
 

1. Growth: Aspires to become a medium-sized Multi-Academy Trust with 8-10 schools or 6000 pupils within a proximity of approximately 30 minutes between schools.
2. Collaboration: Aims to develop a menu of services and expertise to be shared with local partnerships, fostering civic responsibility and innovative exploration.
3. Inclusion: Places a high priority on supporting vulnerable students to excel post-pandemic, driving trust-wide decision-making and spending choices.
4. Technology: Maximizes the advantages gained during the pandemic to improve technology utilization both in classrooms and among staff in all roles.
5. Central Services: Develop a core team independent of any one school to meet diverse needs across the trust, enabling ambitious growth.

What the Community Values about SEBMAT

The community has expressed its appreciation for SEBMAT's contributions:

• Eton Porny, Ofsted, October 2018: "The work of the academy trust has been highly effective. The directors recognize the strength of leadership in the school and have supported leaders to secure substantial funding to improve the site and resources available to pupils."
• Colnbrook Primary School, Parent Open Morning: "This is a great way to see what the children do in class. I enjoyed seeing and working with my child."
• Slough & Eton, Ofsted 2013: "Students have outstanding attitudes to learning. They behave very well in lessons, show high levels of cooperation, respect, and courtesy, and work well with each other and their teachers."
• Colnbrook Primary School, Parent Questionnaire, July 2018: "What I like best about the school is how safe my son feels. It is a loving, learning environment."

Aims and Values of SEBMAT

SEBMAT's core objective is to unite schools in supporting the best possible outcomes for young people. Whether primary or secondary, Church of England or not, SEBMAT nurtures effective education through coaching, sharing best practices, and ensuring exceptional value for money.

SEBMAT's Values: SEBMAT places paramount importance on delivering an outstanding education while embracing diversity and respecting the individuality of every student. The trust is dedicated to fostering character development and nurturing aspirations.

In SEBMAT, schools are united in open, honest, and transparent collaboration to ensure the highest standards for every pupil.