LAUNCESTON College Academy Trust has become a Multi Academy Trust, taking on responsibility for Bideford College, and could expand to include more schools in future.

Launceston College Academy Trust became a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) on March 1, when the academy ‘sponsored’ Bideford College in North Devon. Bideford College had been identified by Ofsted as ‘requiring special measures’.

An academy sponsor is an organisation or person who has received approval from the Department for Education (DfE) to support an underperforming academy or group of academies. Launceston College itself became an academy three years ago.

Jack Jackson, who is now executive principal across both schools, told the Post that Launceston College was invited to ‘sponsor’ Bideford College, adding: “Sir David Carter [the first Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West] who, having seen our exam results in the summer, said that Launceston would be a good match for Bideford — we are similar sized schools and similar communities in many ways.”

Launceston started working with Bideford, in partnership with Devon County Council, on January 1, and became solely responsible for the school on March 1. The Launceston College governing body decided it was in the interest of both communities that a MAT was formed.

The Government has plans for all schools to either become academies, or be in the process of converting to academy status, by the end of 2020. The Launceston College MAT has taken the decision that they will look to work with other schools and expand the MAT in the future.

Elaine Marshall, chair of the MAT Board, said: “We are interested in talking to representatives of other schools’ governing bodies as they consider the right course of action for their schools in the coming months.”

Mr Jackson said in addition to the school improvement potential of working as a MAT, the schools have already made financial savings by rationalising back office services across the two schools. Launceston College has been able to build on the services which it has provided to over thirty other schools in the local area over a number of years. Any money which is saved can be reinvested back directly into the education of children in the two schools.

As a result of the creation of a MAT there have been a number of changes. Mr Jackson, principal at Launceston College for nine years, was appointed as executive principal with overall responsibility and accountability for both schools and Bryan Maywood, formerly deputy principal at Launceston, took up the role of principal at Launceston College. Lyndsey Kane was appointed from a school in Torbay to be principal at Bideford College.

Mr Jackson said both Launceston College and Bideford College will continue to have a ‘Local Governing Body’, which will have oversight of standards in their school.

There is an additional board set up, which will sit above these two bodies and it will be chaired by Elaine Marshall, the former chair of Launceston College Governing Body and retired Commander of Cornwall Police.

Mr Jackson added: “At Launceston College we aim for all our students to become happy, successful and responsible young people in a school that serves our local community. The Bideford and Launceston Communities are similar in many ways and we are confident that the MAT will ensure that both are served by great schools.

“We hope that other schools will join the MAT in the future and that all schools in the MAT will be able to benefit from each other to ensure the best possible outcomes for our young people.

“I would welcome a conversation with anyone who has an interest in working in partnership in the MAT in the future and invite them to get in touch with me directly at the college.”