A primary academy in Bude has officially joined South West School Trust the Learning Academy Partnership, after working closely in a managed partnership with the Trust during the Autumn term.

St Mark’s CofE Academy has also recently welcomed a new headteacher, Tanya Clark, who is joining from Lifton Community Academy, also part of the School Trust. Ms Clark brings a wealth of experience supporting school growth, having previously served as an Assistant Headteacher and Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCo) at Lifton Community Academy.

Having officially joined the academy as Headteacher in December, Ms Clark has enjoyed getting to know the academy, as well as its staff, pupils and parents, and is looking forward to continuing to strengthen these important relationships.

In making the decision to join the Learning Academy Partnership, governors and leadership were impressed by the Trust’s strong vision and values which clearly aligned with those of St Mark’s CofE Academy.

Having initially joined the Trust as a managed partnership, the academy has since continued to thrive, drawing on the expertise and the resources on offer with the Trust to enhance the curriculum.

This has included developing the school’s approach to teaching English and maths, as well as embedding new techniques for teaching reading.

These new methods have already made a sizable impact as children across the academy have become increasingly enthusiastic about their learning and problem solving across a range of subjects.

The Learning Academy Partnership is delighted to welcome St Mark’s CofE Academy into its family. The school sits at the heart of its community and is dedicated to delivering the very best provisions for pupils. This provision contains a thriving nursery and enhanced outdoor learning opportunities, including a forest school and strong PE curriculum.

St Mark’s CofE Academy is the third academy to join the Trust’s Cornwall hub, alongside Marhamchurch CofE Academy and Jacobstowe Community Academy. In joining this hub, the academy will benefit from a close partnership where they will be able to share expertise and best practise to ensure they are providing exceptional educational opportunities which enable every child to flourish.

Tanya Clark, Headteacher at St Mark’s CofE Academy, said: “The staff and I are very excited about being part of the Learning Academy Partnership and the wider family of schools. We are looking forward to working together on the continuing development of our curriculum offer so that we can ensure the pupils at St Mark’s CofE Academy have the best possible opportunities and experiences to help them all achieve.”

Maria Baston, co-chair of Governors at St Mark’s CofE Academy, said: “Our experience of working with the Learning Academy Partnership over the past few months has reinforced our belief that we made the right decision in joining the School Trust. The impact of their work in school has already resulted in improvements across the board and we feel confident that the future of our academy is secure. We look forward to watching St Mark’s CofE Academy grow and prosper in our new School Trust family.”

Tracey Cleverly, Trust lead at the Learning Academy Partnership, added: “We are excited to welcome St Mark’s CofE Academy into the Learning Academy Partnership. Our vision is to provide the very best education for the children across the South West by providing expert teaching so all children can succeed.

“We have enjoyed working closely with the teachers, staff and governors and look forward to working as a School Trust family to ensure we are providing the very best educational offer for the pupils and providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to unlock their full potential.”