THE PRINCIPAL of Tavistock College has welcomed news that her school is one of 15 Devon schools banding together as part of the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust.

Sarah Jones said the trust, which became official on January 1, offered ‘an opportunity in times of financial difficulty to work together’.

Talks have been ongoing for two years to form the multi- academy trust, which includes three secondary schools – Tavistock College, Okehampton College and Holsworthy Community College – and 12 primary schools.

The schools will run their finances independently of the local authority, drawing on each other for support and to pool resources. The multi- academy trust, known as a MAT, is one of the largest ever formed in the South West, with responsibility for more than 5,000 pupils and 750 staff across 15 school sites.

While feeder primary schools for Tavistock College decided not to join the trust at this stage, there is scope for them to join in the future, as the schools are to be managed as clusters.

Mrs Jones said: ‘We are delighted to be joining the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust. All schools in the MAT have a shared commitment to enable the best possible outcomes for students whilst ensuring that the individual identity, characteristic and ethos of our schools are maintained and strengthened.

We believe that this autonomy will allow us direct resources in the best and most effective way to benefit our children. It is certainly an exciting time for Tavistock College, and I look forward to the improvements that will now be possible within the multi-academy trust.

‘The driving force for this is school improvement. It helps us to be working together rather than as separate schools.’

The schools involved are Okehampton College, Tavistock College, Holsworthy Community College, Okehampton Primary School and Foundation Unit, Boasley Cross Community Primary School, Black Torrington Church of England Primary School, Bradford Primary School, Bridestowe Primary School, Bridgerule Church of England Primary School, Chagford Church of England Primary School, Exbourne Church of England Primary School, Lydford Primary School, Northlew and Ashbury Parochial Church of England Primary School, North Tawton Community Primary School and Nursery, Okehampton Primary School and South Tawton Primary School. Highampton Primary School will join the trust later this year.

The trust will also work closely with the new second primary school in Okehampton, the St James’s Church of England Primary School, which is being built over the coming year and due to open in September. The trust hopes it will join the MAT in the future.

The trust is being led by Daryll Chapman, previously the principal of Okehampton College and executive principal of the Dartmoor Federation of Schools, with Hazel Fox, headteacher of Okehampton Primary School as his deputy.

Ian Courtney, chairman of the new board of trustees, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to have been able to appoint such an outstanding leadership team from the outset of the new MAT. A huge amount of thought and care has gone into our plans which have now been approved by the Department for Education.

‘It is clear that this family of schools shares a common ethos and principles and we all believe that by working closely together in partnership we can provide our young people with a superb education and help them develop into confident, engaging and outgoing members of our society.

‘I want to encourage as many people as possible to engage with us to help make our plans a reality.’