Expanding sponsorship group to maintain regional priorities

The School Partnership Trust Academies (SPTA) now has more than 40 schools according to its own website – with the vast majority in Yorkshire. It has expanded rapidly since the coalition opened up the academies programme.

Since 2010, it has become the sponsor of schools mainly in Doncaster, Leeds, and North-East Lincolnshire authority areas. It has also just been the given the go-ahead to open three new “alternative provision academies” in each of these areas.

A spokeswoman for the group said: “We anticipate that SPTA will continue to grow. We wish to stay rooted in the Yorkshire and Humberside area and to work with our schools to develop and strengthen the organisation. Church schools in Hull, Wakefield and Mansfield have expressed interest in working with our organisation and our most recent development is our successful bids for alternative provision free schools.

“Our priority is to continue to work with schools in the Yorkshire and Humber area to develop a networked partnership of schools, providing peer-led support and challenge. We will continue to respond to schools who have expressed an interest in working with us and who feel that our partnership provides the challenge and support they want on their journey of school improvement.

When asked how the group had identified its academies, she said: “SPTA does not recruit academies. We are either approached by school governing bodies following their decision to explore a move to academy status or by the Department for Education if they have identified a school we could support. We then discuss with the school whether working more closely together would be of benefit to the school.”