In 2019, we embarked on a transformative journey. We began operating as a social enterprise, with a mission to make a real difference in the communities we serve.
Our commitment to social mobility and social justice has guided us ever since, shaping our strategy and driving successful growth across our college and schools.
In 2023, we looked back at our work and published these findings in our Group Strategy Review - Download a copy here
From this, and in consultation with staff across both our College and our Trust, we developed our new Group Strategy framework. This includes three key themes – which will help us meet our organisational objectives up until 2030:
- People First: staff are our priority
- Performance and Practice: getting better at what we do
- Prosperity and Place: enabling our communities to thrive
We are continuously evolving, driven by our purpose as a social enterprise to deliver excellence in education, while making a meaningful social impact in all our communities.
Download a copy of the slides here
Our aim is to have an even greater, impact on our communities between now and 2030. We will achieve this through the development and pioneering of evidence-based solutions and research to address the many challenges being faced.
Our journey so far:
2019: Becoming a Social Enterprise - Our shift to a operating as a social enterprise has supported our mission to deliver outstanding education with a community-focused approach.
March 2020: Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic -
Our FE Foodbank Friday Campaign supported people in our communities who were struggling
Our Trust Covid Recovery Fund provided over £500,000 to our schools, to fund a range of projects
April 2020: Bramley Oak Academy joined our Trust – our first school in Surrey
October 2020: Our EDI 10-year grants programme launched - in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
June 2021: Good for Me Good for FE campaign - we led this national social action campaign, which recognises and encourages the volunteering efforts of FE staff and students across the country. 140 colleges joined us and collectively we have generated millions of pounds of social value, which we have calculated using the TOMS framework
April 2021: Bexley Music joined our Multi-Academy Trust
February 2023: The College wins ‘Initiative of the Year’ in the WorldSkills EDI Heroes Awards - in recognition of our pioneering 10-year grants programme
February 2023: Heron Academy and Nido Volans Lambeth (formerly the Michael Tippett School and College) joined us - expanding our Group's education provision into Lambeth.
June 2024: We were named ‘Trust of the Year’ in the national Tes Schools Awards
July 2024: Launch of our new Group Strategy framework- setting out our priorities up until 2030