“The Trustees work with the leaders at every level in all our schools. The combination of their talents ensures consistently high outcomes for our pupils.”
Chris Hobson, CEO
Welcome to the fifth edition of the Hornchurch Academy Trust Annual Report to Parents/Carers.
from the CEO
The academic year 2024/2025 at Hornchurch Academy Trust has been an incredibly busy yet successful one that all stakeholders can take great pride in. Those successes should be rightly placed in the context of very challenging social, political and economic circumstances, meaning credit is due to Trust governance, school leadership, staff, parents, children and school communities. I am very proud as CEO to report that despite the challenges, our schools continue to thrive in a range of areas that mean we are confident to say that all children at Hornchurch Academy Trust continue to receive a high quality inclusive education offer.
However, as always, our ambition is to be better and to improve further and faster. At Hornchurch Academy Trust we believe that the way we can achieve our ambitions is together through effective collaboration and innovation.
This year we have been very proud of Ofsted Inspection outcomes at Shears Green Infant School, Whybridge Junior School and Scargill Junior School.
The nursery provision at Scargill Infant is due to double in size from September 2025 and we aim to open a Community Hub at the Scargill site from the same date that reaffirms our commitment to working in partnership with our school and wider communities to achieve best outcomes for all. MAT Performance Measure 2024 report that Hornchurch Academy Trust outcomes are again in the top 3% nationally and represent consistently high level outcomes year on year.
This years edition of the Annual Report includes a spotlight focus and insight on staff development. The most important factor to a parent/ carer regardless of which school they attend is an excellent teacher for their child. As such, at Hornchurch Academy Trust it is our responsibility to ensure that we do all we can to support all staff to be as effective as they can be and enjoy what is a wonderful profession.
I do hope you enjoy this years annual report and insight into Hornchurch Academy Trust.
Gillian Thumpston
Welcome to our fifth annual report. In what is now the Trusts eighth year since it was formed, we are proud to say that the Trust and its family of schools continue to go from strength to strength.
This year we were very proud to read the Ofsted Inspection outcomes at Shears Green Infant School (December), Whybridge Junior School (April) and Scargill Junior School (June) that highlighted both the excellent improvement and work taking place locally, but also the impact of the wider Trust in achieving high outcomes by increasing both capacity and expertise for all schools.
This year, the Board of Trustees have commissioned an External Review of Governance across the entire Trust. This has been undertaken to support strategic decision making and also ensure that all levels of governance are doing all they can to support our schools in achieving best outcomes for children.
Our ambitions to support all children, families and communities is not limited to the classroom. As a Trust, we have expanded the SEND School Improvement function, have been successful in expanding the nursery provision at Scargill Infant School and have invested in opening a Trust led Community Hub. Furthermore, all Trust schools maintain an age related focus on developing the ‘whole child’.
In a most recent Ofsted inspection report, it was pleasing to see examples of this commitment both acknowledged and recognised:
‘Children access a wide range of exciting opportunities including den building and gym equipment. They engage positively, supporting each other to use equipment and take personal responsibility for tidying away. Children enjoy attending additional activities such as choir, gardening, calligraphy and origami. The interests they develop are showcased at events such as, at the trust poetry competition. Children learn to appreciate the world around them through, for example, visiting art galleries and places of worship. They take pride in their roles as ambassadors or on the school council.’
We believe that by working in partnership with stakeholders, parents and other agencies that we can achieve even better outcomes where families and children thrive.
Moving forward, we look forward to seeing the impact of new initiatives as we enter the academic year 2025-2026.
Professional Development (CPD) remains a high priority at HAT and is at the heart of our commitment to improving the educational outcomes, personal development and life chances of all children.
This commitment was evident throughout the 2024/2025 academic year starting with a Trust INSET day to ensure the successful launch of the maths scheme: ‘Maths no Problem’ brought in to support teaching for mastery. This was enhanced with an additional Trust INSET morning in January with a further additional whole Trust training day in the summer term. The teaching assistants also came together for a bespoke training session on supporting pupils with sensory needs. The Trust recognises that the success of our schools depends on the expertise of all staff.
Pedagogy is at the heart of our CPD offer with all schools in the Trust delivering weekly twilight sessions focusing on quality first teaching, with a particular focus on Rosenshine’s Principles and quality first teaching. These sessions have been delivered by both internal and external experts. In addition to this our schools have adopted instructional coaching as a key part of our internal CPD offer with 7 teachers having successfully completed the NPQ in Instructional Coaching.
The Trust is committed to investing in staff development in years to come. As such,the Trust has formed a partnership with the London District East Teacher Training Hub and Lime Academy Trust to develop a fantastic ITT and ECT offer. This in turn has enabled further development with five teachers successfully trained as visiting fellows who are now delivering training for both the ECT programme and NPQS.
“The training that I have received through this programme has been so beneficial. The design of the programme has led to me having a clear understanding of the principles and practice of Instructional Coaching and its place in wider school improvement.”
Senior
Leader
at HAT
“In terms of impact on student outcomes, instructional coaching has a better evidence base than any other form of CPD.”
Steve Farndon, (2019)
This year we have set out an ambition to use instructional coaching as the main technique for developing Teaching and Learning.
With over 13 leaders now holding a national certificate in Instructional Coaching, and many more staff undergoing training as part of our HAT CPD programme for leaders, coaching has become an integral part of school improvement and teacher development.
Our aim is to provide all of our pupils at HAT with a highly-inclusive, first class curriculum that has breadth and challenge to prepare pupils for their future learning and working life.
Leaders at HAT have worked together to develop a progressive and wellsequenced Trust-wide curriculum which our schools follow. Our curriculum is ever-evolving and improving: Leaders continually evaluate our curriculum through termly subject leader networks and then focus groups work on adapting and improving the curriculum further as a result of feedback from pupils and staff. We recognise that teachers’ time is precious so focus groups also work on ensuring high-leverage tasks are planned for.
At HAT, we have Leading Practitioners in Maths, English, EYFS and Music. These highly-skilled teachers are crucial to curriculum development whilst also providing support to teachers through assisting with planning sequences of lessons, leading INSET, modelling lessons and coaching teachers.
Enhancing our curriculum through a variety of experiences adds richness and depth to the pupils’ learning. Each of our schools organise their own enrichment opportunities, making the most of their local areas and organisations. Pupils are also taken further afield, visiting the many museums London has to offer as well as historic places in Kent and Essex. Our older pupils develop many personal skills through outdoor residential weeks.
Partnering with the Local Maths Hub to Strengthen Curriculum and Pedagogy.
Our ongoing partnership with the local Maths Hub continues to be a driving force in the development and refinement of our mathematics curriculum across EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Central to this work is a shared commitment to high-quality pedagogy, underpinned by the
• Coherence ensuring small, connected steps build secure understanding;
• Representation and Structure using consistent models and images to expose mathematical concepts;
• Mathematical Thinking encouraging reasoning, justification, and problem-solving as core elements of learning;
• Fluency developing efficient, accurate recall and application of number facts and procedures;
• Variation presenting examples in thoughtful ways to deepen understanding and highlight key features.
Through this pedagogical framework, the Maths Hub has supported our schools in a number of impactful ways:
• Bespoke CPD that enhances teacher subject knowledge and supports consistent classroom practice;
• Collaborative work groups fostering professional dialogue and sustained development across year groups and settings;
• In-class coaching and lesson studies, focused on embedding mastery principles in day-to-day teaching;
• Leadership support to build subject expertise and strengthen curriculum leadership;
• Curriculum alignment , ensuring that planning, delivery, and assessment are rooted in research and best practice.
The impact for pupils in our Trust has been significant. They are developing a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, greater confidence in reasoning and problemsolving, and improved fluency in key skills. Lessons are more consistent, purposeful, and challenging, and children are better equipped to apply their learning with flexibility and independence.
We are proud of the progress made and remain committed to this partnership as a cornerstone of our Trust-wide strategy for raising attainment and securing excellence in mathematics.
We are very proud of the outcomes that are achieved in our schools, however we always want to do better!
We know each school is unique and serves its own community, however as a collective and by working in collaboration we truly believe that we are able to achieve outcomes for children that we would not be able to achieve by working in isolation.
Our Trust KS2 outcomes compare favourably against both local and national comparisons and place the Trust in the top 3% nationally.
Across the six schools of Hornchurch Academy Trust we hold a range of events to work in collaboration.
These cross-school events offer numerous benefits, primarily fostering community building and promoting a sense of belonging among students and staff from different schools. They also provide opportunities for crosscurricular learning, skill development, and social interaction.
Cross-school events create a shared experience for students and staff, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie. These events provide opportunities for students and staff to interact with individuals from other schools, breaking down barriers whilst also building relationships.
All schools came together again this year to celebrate our choirs. This is a yearly event, led by our HAT Music lead, Mr Burgin from Upminster Junior School.
This annual event celebrates the arts with a musical performance that offers numerous benefits, such as; fostering personal growth, academic achievement, and social development. These benefits extend beyond the immediate performance, impacting students’ confidence, creativity, and even academic skills.
This intra-school poetry competition which offers numerous benefits; aids creativity, improves literacy skills, and enhances communication and selfexpression for students. It provides a platform for students to showcase their talent, building confidence and allowing them to engage with poetry in a meaningful way. The event is organised by Miss Jefferson, Year 4 teacher and Phase Leader at Whybridge Junior School. The children learn set poems to recite in different size groupings. It is presented by years 3, 4 and 5. Additionally, the event helps critical thinking, promotes empathy, and encourages our students to connect with each other.
Each year Hornchurch Academy Trust offers a cross-school moderation to all local schools. This is always well attended, with colleagues using the opportunity to ensure assessment consistency and accuracy across different classrooms and schools. This ultimately leads to fairer and more reliable assessments. Groups of colleagues compare judgements to align with national standards and ensure common understanding of expectations.
This year’s Trust Annual Governance Conference followed the theme, ‘Achieving the Impossible & Courageous Leadership’. Senior Leaders, Trustees and Local Standards Group Members gathered in London for a day of collaboration; sharing updates, visions for the Trust and opportunities for growth.
At Hornchurch Academy Trust, we are committed to providing high quality, inclusive education for all pupils, ensuring they have equal opportunities to learn alongside their peers in an environment that fosters diversity and independence.
Our schools recognise the need to foster a universal design for learning to ensure all pupils can access all areas of learning in our school and wider communities. SEND practice is central to our curriculum because we recognise that promoting SEND practices benefits every learner. Our SEND learners are integral to our curriculum, and with carefully designed provisions, they are central to our planning processes. By tailoring adapted teaching and learning approaches, we enable our SEND pupils to thrive alongside their peers.
To ensure that this is embedded into schools practice the Trust leaders invest in training for all staff to share expertise, ensuring that pupils are accessing learning and making progress.
At Hornchurch Academy Trust, we are dedicated to promoting a strong vision of inclusivity for all pupils, with a particular focus on those with SEND. Our commitment ensures that every pupil thrives in supportive and suitable environments. We strive to provide equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of any barriers they may face, creating an atmosphere where everyone can learn together alongside each other. We firmly believe that pupils should learn together, irrespective of their individual needs and learning barriers, as they can acquire knowledge and skills from one another that cannot be gained outside a mainstream classroom environment.
Although schools have developed a well-established universal offer, we recognise the importance of tailored resources and interventions to help them flourish in their learning. All schools have additional specialised areas within their settings enabling them to implement targeted interventions, which in turn allows pupils to join their peers in mainstream classrooms in a manner that promotes regulation.
Following extensive research and consultations with special provision and schools beyond the Trust as well as external agencies, the Trust implemented a variety of sensory rooms that pupils can access throughout their school day where provisions are tailored to their individual needs.
Schools have collaborated closely with OPAL to enhance inclusivity during lunchtimes by improving the quality of play. This approach supports the interests of all pupils, providing opportunities to socialise, play, and learn together.
Each school has a trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) who supports pupils facing challenges that may affect their ability to engage in learning. This emotional support helps pupils feel safe, secure, and a valued part of the school community, giving them the confidence to enjoy school and fully access their learning environments.
All schools are supported by a Family Support Worker who offers assistance to pupils and families needing additional help or guidance at any time. The FSWs are line managed by the Senior Family Support Worker, who provides information and signposts families to a wide range of relevant services.
18 Trained ELSAs, MELSAs and Family Support Workers offering ongoing wellbeing support to pupils and families.
ELSA and PINS (Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity)
• HAT has continued to invest in programmes such as PINS (Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity) in schools and ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants).
• HAT now has a growing team of staff who are trained by Educational Psychologists to support neurodiversity in our schools and pupils who struggle with emotional regulation.
8 Senior Mental Health Leads in the Trust, supporting pupils, parents and staff.
Within our schools we have continued to strengthen early years provision through quality first teaching as well as transforming our learning spaces.
Each school has continued to network with one another, sharing good practice. Our aligned curriculum fosters an early love for exploration, inspiring children to become confident, resilient individuals who are eager to embrace new challenges.
Early maths has continued to develop through a Mastering Number approach. These early essential skills aid problem-solving, logical reasoning, and critical thinking, while also improving their understanding of numbers, shapes, and patterns.
Throughout Hornchurch Academy Trust we have continued to develop children’s speaking and listening skills. This early language development is essential for literacy, learning, and social-emotional development. It helps children understand and express themselves, build vocabulary, and connect with others.
Within the trust we continue to work in partnership with parents and carers recognising the crucial role parents play in a child’s early years. Our vision emphasises building strong partnerships with families and involving them in their child’s learning journey to achieve the best progress for each individual.
• Consistent delivery of adaptive teaching strategies.
• Enhance the Arts curriculum, so it nurtures, encourages and builds on creativity.
• Further expand the support for vulnerable pupils and their families.
• Embed a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ culture.
• Implement a renewed focus on climate change.
• Further develop a mastery approach, so pupils develop greater procedural fluency.
• Fully embed all elements that make up the curriculum, so pupils have sufficient opportunity to learn, practise, revisit and secure important knowledge and skills in all subjects.
• Successful OFSTED in April 2025, with Behaviour & Attitudes judged as ‘Outstanding’.
• OPAL Platinum Award received in January 2025.
• New Food and Uniform banks opened in Sept 2024 to enhance our offer of community support.
• Reading Café opened in May 2025.
• Travel Plan Gold Award achieved.
• Bronze Healthy School Award.
What Parents think of our school: “The school community is like an extended family.”
“Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They strive to be the best they can be and support their peers to do the same.”
OFSTED
• OPAL ‘Stay and Play’ session for parents.
• Reading Cafes for parents and pupils.
• The choir has sung at various community events.
• VE Day 2025 celebrations with visitors from the RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre.
• Maths workshop for parents delivered on our mastery approach to Maths.
• New Kindness Award introduced weekly to celebrate and promote daily acts of kindness to each other.
• Jeans 4 Genes - £228.00
• MacMillan Coffee Morning - £77.00
• Children in Need - £192.00
• Pudsey Run - £582.01
• Red Nose Day - £351.42
• Poppy Appeal – £375.86
• Fundraising for Reading Shed - £946.05
• Autism Awareness - £137.00 (for Sycamore Trust)
• Improve literacy outcomes at the end of KS1.
• Improve attendance for all.
• Continue working with the NCETM and Maths Hub to improve outcomes in Maths.
• Continue to develop and improve our provision for pupils with SEND.
• Participating in Young Voices 2025.
• Scargill Sprinters entering the London Mini Marathon for the first time.
• Opening of the Community Hub.
• Expanding the Nursery.
• School Wraparound Provision extended.
• Successful NPQ’s for Early Years and Maths.
• Creation of designated SEND support areas.
• £400 from our local Tesco to enhance our reading provision.
What Parents think of our school:
“All the teachers are really nice, my child likes them so much .. I really appreciate how they teach kids and how they help them to be more confident in every situation.”
“We are so happy that our child has had the best time at Scargill infants and has been so supported with any challenges he has faced.”
“The preschool is an amazing addition to the school and has really helped my daughter transition into Reception.”
• Scargill Infant School Choir performing at Christmas at Queen’s Hospital, Romford Shopping Centre and the opening of the local Co-Op.
• Creating and delivering our own Christmas cards to the local community, along with some impromptu Carol singing.
• Coffee mornings for parents attended by a range of local support groups.
• Mother’s Day flower arrangement workshop.
• Workshops for parents, including Maths and Phonics.
• Salvation Army
• Harvest Festival
• Wear it Pink
• Poppy Appeal
• Every Head a Bed
• MacMillan Coffee Morning
• To meet the reading needs of all pupils with the intention to develop a positive reading habit.
• To fully embed foundational knowledge in writing skills.
• To implement the mastery approach to teaching mathematics.
• To enhance our provision for pupil wellbeing.
• To further develop teacher’s knowledge of how to use assessment in the wider curriculum.
• To continue to develop and improve our provision for pupils with SEND.
• Participating in Young Voices 2025.
• 3 new sensory rooms installed.
• Construction of hill with tunnel and slide completed for OPAL.
• Opening of the Community Hub.
• 10th placed school in Havering League Table for Key Stage 2 SATs.
• Large investment in new books for class libraries.
• School Games Gold Award.
• Music Mark Award.
• TFL Travel for Life Bronze Accreditation.
• England Football Girls’ Football School Partnership Equal Access School.
• Healthy London Partnership Asthma & Allergy Friendly School.
• Science Quality Mark.
• Geography Quality Mark.
What Parents think of our school:
“My children are always happy at school. They have developed well and we are very pleased we chose Scargill.”
“Thank you for supporting my child in your lovely school.”
“This school is very good and excellent for every child. The teachers are very positive, kind, and brilliant. I highly recommend this school to everyone.”
• Our Head Boy and Girl opened the newly refurbished local Co-Op.
• Coffee mornings for parents attended by a range of local support groups.
• Maths Workshops for parents.
• Taken part in 11 Havering Sports Collective Events.
• Supported our local theatre with the whole school going to watch the pantomime.
• Macmillan Coffee Morning
• Wear it Pink
• Poppy Appeal
• Odd Socks Day - Place to be
• Children in Need
• Christmas Jumper Day Save the Children
• Reindeer Run - King George & Queens Hospital Trust
• Number Day - NSPCC
• Red Nose Day
• Mini Marathon – WWF
• To further embed an understanding of pedagogy across the curriculum, so that high quality teaching approaches are used.
• To develop and implement the mastery approach to teaching Maths and English.
• To sustain and enhance comprehension skills whilst also developing reading for pleasure.
• To develop a strategic approach to tracking and improving attendance.
• To improve outcomes in C&L and PSED (EYFS).
• 84% of Year 2 children, achieved the expected standard in Reading, 80% in Writing and 88% in Maths June 2025.
• Continual development and refurbished of additional learning areas including designated sensory spaces.
• Winner of Quad kid athletics for June 2025.
• Gold award for the Travel Plan.
• Pupil’s outcomes and voice demonstrate progressive knowledge and skills in all subject areas.
• Attendance average is 97.7%. Persistent Absentees is 9.4%.
• 90% of Year 1 children, achieving the expected phonics standards (2025).
• Relationships with the local community continued to move from strength to strength.
• The school continues to provide a range of extra-curricular clubs that enhance pupil’s personal development and compliment wider SEMH work.
What Parents think of our school:
“We are extremely lucky to have a school like this at the heart of our community.”
“I really feel my son’s teacher knows him and understands helping him develop in all areas, not just academically. Leadership is very accessible and seem to know the children and parents well which I really appreciate.”
Community Engagement:
• The school has a highly active PFA (Parents and Friends Association) who have raised approximately £30 000.00 this year through fundraising events further supporting the school.
Fundraising:
• Jeans for Genes - £225.65
• St Francis Hospice - £500.00
• British Legion’s Poppy Appeal - £125.00
• Children in Need - £120.20
• Red Nose - £215.00
“I could not speak more highly of the quality of staff and the culture UIS fosters. The level of genuine care given to children is remarkable, I am constantly in awe of all staff. Thank you for all you do.”
• To develop and implement the mastery approach to teaching maths.
• To enhance pedagogical content knowledge across the curriculum.
• To embed a child-rights approach in all aspects of school life.
• To develop a robust and structured approach to the teaching of spelling.
• To sustain and enhance reading for pleasure.
• Highest achieving school in Havering for KS2 SATs 2024, for both at expected and higher standard.
• 144 pupils attended Young Voices at the O2.
• 5 staff members successfully completed NPQs this year.
• OPAL Platinum award achieved.
• Our reading cafes have proved extremely popular with pupils and parents alike!
• Many sporting successes involving attending 14 events and 165 pupils taking part resulting in: Year 5 and 6 boys and girls cross country champions; 4th in Year 5 and 6 girls football tournament; reaching the quarter finals of Year 5 and 6 boys’ and girls’ rugby tournament; reaching the group stages of Year 5 and 6 netball tournament; 2nd in group stages for Year 6 football tournament; and 4th in Year 5 football tournament.
• UJS has got Talent - celebrating our pupils’ varied talents!
• Bronze Healthy School Award.
• New emotional support programme launched for pupils: ‘Hamish and Milo’.
• 3 Guinea pigs: Willow, Hazel and Mabel have joined the UJS team!
What Parents think of our school:
“My three children are very happy at UJS. They thrive under the excellent care and guidance from the staff and are encouraged to meet their full potential. I couldn’t be happier with the education, guidance, care and support that they receive. Thank you UJS”
“Exceptional support for both my daughters” “I was really impressed with the OPAL offering… it’s absolutely brilliant. I have only heard positive feedback from other parents too”
• We have become a PINS school (Partnership for Neurodiversity in schools) and have led coffee mornings for parents and training for staff around neurodiversity.
• OPAL ‘Stay and Play’ session for parent proved highly successful.
• Our reading cafes have proved extremely popular with pupils and parents alike!
• A highly proactive Parents’ Forum created.
• Choir singing at various community events: Christmas Tree Festival; Colour Concert.
• Y5 WWII production to our local OAPs on VE Day.
• Year 4 Art Exhibitions.
• Year 5 World War II productionparents attended production & 1940’s evacuees on VE Day.
• Year 3 ‘Acts of kindness’ in the community.
Fundraising:
• Little Havens Hospice - £243.43
• Red Nose Day - £215
• Poppy Appeal - £173.62
• Jeans for Genes- £492.58
• PFA - £25,029
• We have begun our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) journey. Pupils are loving lunchtimes with the exciting new play opportunities on offer.
• Our sensory rooms are well established and being used effectively to meet the needs of our children.
• This year we have welcomed animals into our school. We now have a herd of eleven guinea pigs and six tortoises, ranging in age from 5 to 85!
• We brought some of the magic back to school with visits from Santa for tea at Christmas and the Easter Bunny at Easter!
• We are very proud of our successful visit from Ofsted in December 2024.
• One of our teachers has been awarded an NPQ in Teaching and Learning.
• We are strengthening our team by training; a TA to Level 5, a new ELSA and a Mental Health Lead.
The school places a strong emphasis on the teaching of reading … pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), read with increasing fluency.”
OFSTED
“Staff teach children how to manage their feelings and to collaborate well with their classmates.”
OFSTED
“Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Learning is not interrupted by any inappropriate behaviour.”
OFSTED
• We have had numerous visitors to school, enhancing our curriculum offer.
• Children have enjoyed many visits out of school.
• We have continued to work with Kent Adult Education offering parent workshops.
• The Emotional Wellbeing Team have also offered workshops to parents.
We are so grateful to our generous parents who have supported us in raising money for charities as well as the school.
• Jeans 4 Genes - £146.22
• Macmillan Coffee Morning - £716.47
• Children in Need - £313.07
• Comic Relief - £192.96
• Poppy Appeal - £439.31
• School fundraising - £3500 (Our Christmas fair alone raised over £1200!)
High-quality early years education plays a vital role in shaping a child’s lifelong learning journey. School-based nurseries are uniquely positioned to offer children a seamless transition into primary education, combining nurturing care with strong educational foundations from the very start.
The introduction of the School-Based Nursery Expansion Fund marks a significant national investment in the future of early years provision. This initiative aims to increase access to early education in school settings, particularly in areas where demand is high and opportunity is limited.
As this expansion takes shape, the vision is clear: more children benefiting from early learning environments that are stable, inclusive, and part of a broader educational journey. By strengthening the role of nurseries within schools, the sector moves closer to ensuring that every child – regardless of background –has the best possible start.
The Trust opened its first nursery in September 2023, and we are pleased to say we have received funding to the value of £135,000 from the SchoolBased Nursery Expansion Fund, to develop this further.
What a wonderful opportunity this presents—not only to increase the number of places available, but to further invest in high-quality early years environments that inspire curiosity, support development, and lay strong foundations for future learning.
This funding will enable us to enhance facilities, extend provision, and welcome more families into nurturing, school-based settings. It reflects our commitment to giving every child the best possible start and contributing to a more joined-up approach to education from nursery through to the end of Key Stage 2.
We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to grow our early years offer across the Trust.
This year the first Hornchurch Academy Trust Community Hub has been established that is based at our Scargill site.
We believe that great schools thrive within happy and healthy communities that have a strong social contract. We also believe that school improvement and community support complement each other and as such we want to support communities where everyone is supported to thrive and flourish.
HAT Community Hubs aim to provide a wide range of integrated services and support that meet the needs of local people in a designated friendly space where all users can connect, find friendly support and access easily.
We have already held several very successful coffee mornings for the parents of both Scargill Junior and Infant pupils and as we move into the next academic year we will look to expand this further.
At the coffee mornings we have been joined by a number of different agencies and groups that we use to support our families. We have been able to offer support with the completion of forms and helping parents to access different services available. But above all else, they have enabled our parents to come together and to recognise that they are not alone and that there is always someone there to support them or just simply listen.
We believe that the HAT Community Hub has great potential and are very much looking forward to extending our offer as we move forwards with this venture.
