Fostering Excellence Together : CEO’s Autumn Term Message
I am delighted to extend the warmest possible welcome to the two schools that officially joined our family this September The strength of a MAT lies in its collective wisdom, and your commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement instantly enriches our community We are excited to support you while learning from your unique strengths, ensuring that this partnership benefits every student and staff member across the Trust
Please take time to view our updated Trust video here .
Our name, Every Child Every Day, is not just a title, it is our unwavering commitment and the foundation of our work Our purpose is to be a system that supports every child from cradle to career, dedicated to harnessing the power of collaboration to change lives.
Our shared commitment is to:
Place Every Child at the Centre: Ensuring every decision, resource, and strategy is focused on maximising their life chances Champion Excellence for All: Striving for outstanding academic outcomes, while equally focusing on the development of skill, critical thought, and character We know that happy children learn best, and we prioritize creating environments where everyone flourishes
OurWider Trust and Key Priorities
Our overarching priority remains School Improvement. By working together systemically, we aim to accelerate the outcomes and progress for all students This year, our focus areas include:
1.Cultivating Talent: Ensuring our colleagues are experts in their fields. We will support, develop, and challenge all staff to be ambitious and continually focused on transforming children's lives
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3 Holistic Success: Maintaining our commitment to outstanding learning and teaching, ensuring that academic success increases the life choices of every student Last year’s impressive exam results were a testament to the hard work of our students and staff, and we are dedicated to building upon that success across all key stages
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5.Wellbeing and Inclusion: Creating an inclusive culture where every student and colleague feels safe, valued, and empowered, balancing hard work with robust support for mental, physical, and social wellbeing
Collaboration in Action: February INSET
A key component of our shared improvement strategy is collective professional development. I look forward to meeting many of you at our MAT-wide Inset Day this February
This is a vital opportunity for staff new and our established schools to come together. We will engage in shared best practice, develop consistent approaches to teaching and learning, and forge the collegial relationships that make our Trust so powerful
Thank you for your tireless dedication I am confident that by living our values Every Child Every Day, we will continue to deliver excellence for all our communities.
Ash Ali, CEO
The Next Chapter: Five Schools, One Trust
An Update from BillWatkin: Chair of Trustees
The leaders, governors, trustees and members of the Every Child Every Day Academy Trust (ECEDAT) came together on 25th September this year to welcome two new schools, Heathside Weybridge and Heathside Walton-on Thames to the Trust These are high-performing and popular schools that bring excellent people and practices to complement the strengths of the existing ECEDAT schools, Grey Court, Hollyfield and Chessington. This was a moment to celebrate the enhanced opportunities for young people and staff in all five schools that the Trust’s growth would deliver
It was also a moment to consider some of the challenges that the ECEDAT would need to address in the years ahead These, even for the larger, stronger family of schools that ECEDAT has become, are not inconsiderable They concern not just the practical difficulties of bringing five schools together and ensuring our shared values and our common vision make a real difference to thousands of children and young people, but also the societal, political and financial changes that are pre-occupying the education world as a whole
Firstly, the new ECEDAT will have the best chance of fulfilling all of its aspirations when it establishes:
1) A shared way of working, drawing from two sets of strong practice to form one even better model
2) The need to balance individual school identity with earned autonomy and the strength of a cooperative family of schools under a single Trust banner;
3) Common KPIs, with some flexibility around the edges to allow for local contextual priorities;
4) Effective professional relationships, and two-way communicating with clarity, transparency and integrity;
5) A culture of all stakeholders feeling, not just being but really feeling, responsible for, loyalty and allegiance to, all schools in the Trust;
6) A clear role for the Local Governing Bodies (LGB) which will operate at a more granular level, and will have a more targeted focus on their particular school, than trustees, who will be responsible for all five schools;
7) Shared services that are fit for purpose, high quality and offer value for money;
Of course, all this is not going to happen straight away We need to give ourselves time to get this right and we need to be allowed to make mistakes
We will make fewer mistakes if we continue to operate a co-construction approach where possible, making the most of all the expertise, creativity and experience at our disposal, and as a collaborative, but not a democracy Sensitivities will be considered, but the Trust will always put the interests of the children first.
Secondly, we need to remain fleet-footed and agile in the face of significant change in the world we inhabit
This Autumn, we will see:
1) The final Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) report, with its recommendations for government action and
The Next Chapter: Five Schools, One Trust
policy decisions for Early Years to Sixth Form;
2) The Schools White Paper; though SEND will no longer be included, we can still expect some significant developments, including a Reading Test for all in Year 8, academisation of all schools, a greater role for the Local Authority and much more;
3) A new SEND framework, with a new funding mechanism, new diagnosis standards and new intervention and support EHCPs are likely to be limited to the highest needs only;
4) The Skills White Paper, which will include the reform of post-16 qualifications and assessment;
5) The new Ofsted framework, with no single grade judgements, more areas inspected and one of 5 grades in each area; with more ‘areas and the need for a ‘secure fit’, we can expect more schools to need improvements and more follow-up Ofsted monitoring visits;
6) More RISE advisers whose brief will be to intervene in schools where improvement is needed
7) The budget, the three-year spending review allocations The state of the national and global economies, alongside the impact of the contracting population on school place planning and the adult workforce, will set the tone, of course;
Longer term we will inevitably continue to see problems with mental and emotional health among both pupils and staff: having ‘the difficult conversation’ with a colleague or a pupil, being on the front line of learners’ support in the event of the LA’s and external agencies’ diminished capacity to support and intervene, and concerns about workload, assessment and accountability pressures will continue to be contributing factors; others include:
1) The impact of social media and mobile technologies is increasingly well-understood and schools and families are starting to drive behavioural changes; the impact of AI is less well-understood and we need to balance concern about being behind the curve, with a too-hurried and ill-considered over-reliance on it;
2) Gender uncertainty, immigration and global conflict are just some of the causes of an increasing polarisation of opinions and attitudes, a culture of ‘hate’, and a debate about cancellation and freedom of speech - all of which, in t
turn, are driving an interest, on the other hand, in developing the skills required to ‘disagree well’;
3) Our schools must respond, as far as possible constructively and with optimism, to key societal changes, including continued and acute poverty, a shift from the centre of politics to its extremes, persistent absenteeism, and parental complaints (often made more threatening by the use of AI).
In conclusion, a list of challenges and hurdles always risks sounding and feeling worrying and downbeat. However, the wonder of ECEDAT is the spirit of hope, belief and community that pervades all that we do. Inclusion is the new watchword in education. In ECEDAT, inclusion is at the heart of all we do; we have always dedicated ourselves to every child, every day
BillWatkin, Chair of Trustees
EDUCATION UPDATES
A-Level and GCSE Results
As GCSE results stall and slightly dip nationally, our Trust and family of schools have held strong and moved forward These young people have had a turbulent time over the past 6 years - having lost much of their Year 6, sitting no SATs (hence no national Progress 8) and starting Year 7 under strange Covid regulations such as bubbles, testing and exposure send-homes To see them do so well today means that little bit more It’s a testament to collective resilience, our colleagues in the schools and of course the hard work of the students themselves
At Hollyfield we saw improvements in nearly all indicators, off the back of a very strong Ofsted inspection. Amy Jackson said ‘This is an exceptional set of results, the best ever for Hollyfield, and we know they will change lives. We are so proud of the students, a plethora of whom achieved top marks and all of whom achieved grades that will help them in their next steps’. This really was a big leap forward and well deserved. Read the full Hollyfield GCSE press release here.
At Weybridge we saw marked improvements this year (from a strong starting point) on Average Points Scores, getting back in line with those of a few years ago and surpassing National Averages by quite some mark. We saw excellent outcomes across the board and real surges in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Religious Studies, Art and Computer Science. Having spent much of the morning there, I can attest to the smiles of the students as they opened their results, their excited conversations as they queued to sign up for sixth form and their delighted parents as they saw the rewards of years of hard work. All of this, just before being whisked to see the new Gym by an excited pairing of Mr Lewis and Mr Blake! Read The full Weybridge press release here
At Grey Court there was continued success and improvement, stacked on previous years in the same successful vein. Grey Court were very pleased to announce that ‘This year's results make impressive reading with elite level performances across all the groups. These results highlight that all the parts of our organisation - from our high performers to our disadvantaged students, from those with special educational needs to those who joined late and have been integrated from other countries and cultures - are given the skills, confidence and the mentality to be winners’ Read the full Grey Court press release here.
At Chessington they are ‘ delighted to announce that Chessington School’s Year 11 students have achieved another cracking set of GCSE results. Chessington’s results have risen again, a huge achievement against a national backdrop of another decline in pass grades. With Sarah Wilson the Headteacher saying that 'The progress from all of our students of all backgrounds demonstrates that we are a truly inclusive school that embraces our Every Child Every Day ethos successfully’ Read the full Chessington press release here.
As always, on such days of smiles and success it's important to recognise Trustees and Members for your support, suggestions and challenges. Trustees and Members don’t always get the thanks publicly they so richly deserve. What you do in the darkness of late meetings and online calls has really shone in the light today
EDUCATION UPDATES
A-Level and GCSE Results
...continued
Grey Court Sixth Form celebrated another year of incredible success as its students recorded results that matched the soaring temperatures across the country. With 16.1% of grades recorded at A* and 32% of Btec grades at distinction* the school’s yearly grade thermometer went truly supersonic!
When quizzed about whether the 7% rise in A* at A-level was part of a masterplan, a delighted Head teacher, Mr Rhodes qualified the success: “Some might say, and I would agree, that this is due to the industry of students, staff and parents across the Grey Court community. In short, we all do whatever it takes to achieve the best results for each cohort that we serve”
Last year’s result of 9% of grades at A* now feels half the world away as grades across the year group have also seen stellar rises with the headline acts being:
16% of grades at A*, 39% of grades at A*/A | 69% of A-level grades at A*-B, 89% A-C | Read the full Grey Court press release here
Congratulations to all our Heathside Weybridge students It's been so pleasing to see so many students happy and excited about the new paths they will be treading next year and beyond. Such success in these results today is the fruit of your hard work and dedication. You deserve the opportunity today to celebrate; well done!
These results are also testament to the Sixth Form Teaching and Team at Heathside Weybridge. Last year's results were high enough for a national ALPS Platinum Award, putting us in the top 10% of all Sixth Forms and Colleges in the country. These results are even better than last year, so we are excited to see how much taller we stand this year. It really is a great Sixth form that delivers for our young adults 40% of grades at A*/A, 69% of A-level grades at A*-B, 89% A-C
Read the full Weybridge Press release here
Hollyfield Sixth Form has had another tremendous A Level Results Day, with 78% of students achieving A*- C grades at A Level and 49% of students achieving A*-B. There was success in a great breadth of subjects.
Mr Warren, Head of Sixth Form, said, ‘Today has been a really positive day for our students, with so many of them getting into their first choice university. We are really proud of their achievements’
Ms Jackson, Headteacher, said: ‘On behalf of all the staff at Hollyfield, I would like to offer my congratulations to all of our students. They have done unbelievably well, secured a plethora of wonderful opportunities and are well placed to go on and enjoy their next steps. We are under no illusions about the amount of hard work needed to secure these results. I will take a moment to offer my congratulations also to the students’ parents who have supported them throughout their time with us. Well done everyone, we can’t wait to hear about your future successes’ Read the full Hollyfield Press release here
SHARED SERVICES
Paul’s Message: A Huge ThankYou to the Teams Making Our Integration a Success
The bringing together of two Trusts results in a lot of work in the background over a number of months for colleagues in the Finance, HR, IT and Premises Teams We are so grateful to them for their dedication and hard work to ensure the bringing together of processes, procedures and systems went so well. Some of the tasks took longer than we anticipated but solutions were found to keep systems running while fixes were established and implemented The
finance system introduced at Heathside and Heathside Walton on Thames School including the introduction of the requisitions system to various colleagues is well under way
On top of all this both Trusts are in the midst of audits for their 2024/25 accounts which involves a lot of time evidencing to auditors the quality and soundness of our accounting procedures The Trustees report (which covers more than just finance) and the year end accounts are ratified by Trustees in December before being published.
A big thank you to all those colleagues who have been involved in the above
The People Behind Our Trust - Shared Services
Paul Moralee
Gill Williams
Barry Walder
Graham Griffiths
Phil Jones
Sarah Fleming
Kate Bundy
Paul Moralee, Director of Finance and Operations
Paul is the Director of Finance and Operations for the Trust and leads the Finance, HR, IT, Facilities and Compliance teams.
Gill is the Trust Finance Manager ensuring accuracy, compliance, consistency, preparation and checking of the month end and consolidated accounts.
Barry is the Managing Director of SMS (an ECED Premium Partner) whose company provides the trust with education, finance and business management services. Barry also works for ECED on full financial compliance and oversight
Graham is the Trust Facilities Manager and is responsible for facility compliance; health and safety; building strategy; development and improvement; large events
Phil works for TIO (an ECED Premium Partner) and acts as the Trust IT Manager leading on system audits, compliance and achieving Cyber Essentials; liaising with school teams on development plans and providing additional tech support when escalations are required.
Sarah is part of the Trust HR shared service and is leading on developing the Trust People Strategy and our aim to be Best Employer.
Kate is Executive Assistant to Ash Ali, CEO of the Every Child Every Day Academy Trust
SHARED SERVICES
HR Focus -Working Together to Enhance the Employee Experience
We are delighted to announce the launch of our new HR Advisory Board, coordinated by Paul Moralee, bringing together the HR teams from all five schools within our Trust This is an exciting opportunity to strengthen collaboration, share expertise, and work collectively to enhance the experience of everyone who works with us. A special thank you to Aatif, Jo, and Lauren for being so welcoming and supportive as we’ve started this journey
At the heart of this initiative is a shared ambition: to become the best educational employer. We want every colleague to feel valued, supported, and connected both within their own school and across the wider Trust Every member of staff should experience a genuine sense of belonging, knowing their contribution matters and that they are part of something bigger
The HR Advisory Board will focus on evaluating the employee journey across the Trust From recruitment and onboarding, through professional growth and recognition, to career transitions and beyond, we want to understand what it’s like to work here at every “touchpoint.” By listening carefully to colleagues’ experiences, we can celebrate what’s working well and identify areas for improvement
Our first step in this process is recruitment. The first impression potential candidates have of our schools and Trust is crucial, so we are already exploring different recruitment and onboarding platforms to ensure the experience is smooth, professional, and welcoming By making recruitment a positive and engaging process, we not only attract the best talent but also set the tone for their journey with us from day one
This work goes beyond processes and systems it’s about culture We want colleagues to feel empowered, respected, and supported in their roles, knowing that their voice is heard and their contribution valued By focusing on both the individual experience and the collective culture, we can create a Trust where everyone thrives.
We are just at the start of this journey, and your insights will be invaluable Over the coming months, the HR Advisory Board will engage with staff across all levels to celebrate successes, explore opportunities for improvement, and shape a Trust that attracts and retains great colleagues
Thank you to everyone who will contribute to this important work. By shaping the employee journey together, we are laying the foundation for a Trust where every colleague feels a true sense of belonging, and where we continue to grow as a collaborative, inspiring, and supportive community
Sarah Fleming, HR
OUR PEOPLE
The People Behind Our Trust
School Improvement
Ash Ali
Ash is the CEO of the Every Child Every Day Academy Trust since 2020, leading 5 schools in Richmond, Kingston and Surrey with Good or Outstanding Ofsted inspections.
Johnny Clarke Johnny is the Headteacher of Heathside Walton on Thames
Rebecca Gonyora
Amy Jackson
Rebecca is the Director of Inclusive Learning for Every Child Every Day Multi Academy Trust (MAT). Her role includes supporting and working in collaboration with Headteachers, Senior Leaders and SENCOs in developing a person-centred approach to inclusion.
Amy is the Headteacher of The Hollyfield School and Sixth Form Centre and Trust Improvement Lead. A key aspect of Amy’s role is supporting other schools in their journeys towards outstanding.
Gareth Lewis Gareth is the Headteacher of Heathside Weybridge
Rhoda McPherson
Chris Rhodes
Sarah Stallard
Rhoda is the Headteacher of QES and School Improvement Leader coaching and mentoring Headteachers and senior leasers and supports in the professional development of other colleagues
Chris is the Headteacher of Grey Court School and as part of the distributed leadership team this includes his role as prime lead for raising academic standards.
Sarah is the Curriculum Development Lead whose main role is developing excellent curicula and delivery of Maths across the trust.
Sarah Wilson Sarah is the Headteacher of Chessington School
OUR PEOPLE
The People Behind Our Trust
Trustees
Bill Watkin - Chair
Han-Ley Tang - Vice Chair
Nicholas
David Bealing Amy O’Brien
Helen Cooper Becky Routley
Mo El Guindi
Guy Solway
Emma Francis Max Wong
Julian Knott
Members
David Bealing
John Botterill
Clive Bryden
Vicki Macleod
Diana Muallem
Shelia Oviatt-Ham
Suse Malcom
Francis
COLLABORATION CALENDAR
TRUST-WIDE INSET DAY (MATSET)
Inclusion and Belonging
We are delighted to invite all Trust colleagues teaching, support, and central operations staff to our bi-annual Trust-wide INSET day, focusing on the core purpose of our work: Inclusion and Belonging
This day is built around the powerful concept that Belonging is the emotional state of inclusion It’s a crucial opportunity to collaborate, share best practice, and define how we embed a culture where every pupil and staff member is valued and supported to thrive
What to Expect:
The day will begin with a welcome from Bill Watkin and Ash Ali. This will be followed by Breakout Sessions led by a diverse range of national and regional experts in Education
The afternoon is dedicated to practical, cross-Trust working, strengthening our collective capacity. (We are finalising the full list of over 15 high-impact sessions for you to choose from!)
A full timetable, along with speaker biographies will be distributed nearer the time. Please ensure this date, Monday, 23rd February 2026, is held in your calendar
We look forward to an inspiring day of professional learning and collaboration