https://www.everychildeverydayacademytrust.org
Trust Update
The Power of Collaboration: CEO's Spring Term Message
As we launch into the summer term, following a well-deserved Easter break, I want to highlight the significant strides we've made, and the continued drive for excellence across our Trust. Firstly, some exciting news. Trustees at the Elm Wey Learning Trust have unanimously voted to join Every Child Every Day. This is great news and means we can spread our mission and success further. Our Chair of trustees updates later on this.
Secondly, I urge you all to view our recently released Trust video here
It truly encapsulates the 'Every Child, Every Day' ethos, showcasing the remarkable work happening within each of our schools. The video is a testament to your commitment and the impact we’re making as we collaborate and champion young people within our Trust.
Our GCSE outcomes from last summer, now validated and reflected in the DfE league tables, placed us 'above average' across all schools. This is a significant achievement, a direct result of the dedication of our staff and students. However, we must remain relentlessly ambitious. As I always say, our students have only one chance, and every lesson, every interaction, and every opportunity counts.
This success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Recent School Improvement visits to all our schools, and the Local Authority Specialist Resource Provision Review at Hollyfield, have validated the strength of our provision and our unwavering commitment to inclusive, high-quality education. These external validations underscore the impact of our collective efforts.
A key strength of our Trust is our collaborative spirit. By sharing best practices and learning from one another, we're driving continuous improvement. This collaboration is vital not only for academic achievement but also for the pastoral care that ensures every student thrives. Our restorative approaches are making a tangible difference in student wellbeing.
We are acutely aware of the pressures of this term, particularly with exams, and the importance of staff wellbeing. The Trust remains dedicated to supporting you, prioritizing workload, wellbeing, and professional growth.
In our recent executive team meeting, we focused on key priorities aligned with our Trust Development Plan, including succession planning, talent development, and building capacity across our schools. We will provide detailed updates on these initiatives soon.
I want to express my sincere gratitude for your unwavering hard work and dedication. Every child , benefits from the effort you put in and the collaborative spirit you demonstrate; every day. .
Thank you
Ash Ali, CEO
Trust Update
An Update from Bill Watkin: Chair of Trustees
Dear parents, staff, community stakeholders, governors and friends of Elmwey Learning Trust and the Every Child, Every Day Trust,
I am delighted to report that, after a year of careful consideration and hard work, due diligence and consultation, and collaboration and discovery, our two Trusts have now agreed to merge and become one.
The new Trust is scheduled to come into being on 1 st September 2025. It will be called The Every Child, Every Day Trust (ECED) and will be made up of five schools:
Chessington, Grey Court, Heathside Walton, Heathside Weybridge, Hollyfield
The Board of Trustees, which is charged with ensuring that the shared vision and values of our new enlarged Trust continue to reflect our priority focus on the children, are convinced that this decision represents a significant and positive step forward and is a cause for celebration. You can, of course, expect to see from us still, a relentless focus on the highest standards and dedicated care for young people who deserve nothing less than the best.
You can also expect to see very little change in each of the schools. They will continue to have their own individual identity and will serve their communities in the same way. But behind the scenes, there will be important benefits of collaboration and economies of scale that will help the schools become even better and stronger.
The Board of Trustees is grateful to all those who participated in the recent consultation process and who shared their thoughts and questions in such a positive and constructive spirit. It was heartening to see such overwhelming support for this exciting chapter in our schools’ journey.
The new Trust looks forward to working closely with you and to celebrating the successes of future generations of children in our schools.
Yours sincerely,
Bill Watkin Chair of Trustees.
Education Updates
Inclusive Classrooms, Quality First Teaching and Learning In Every Setting
At Every Child, Every Day Trust, inclusion means breaking down barriers to participation and learning. One of the key strategies we are embedding across all settings is the development of inclusive classrooms through highquality first teaching and learning. This approach is rooted on the principle that every teacher is a teacher of SEND and every leader is a leader of SEND.
It is clear our Head teachers and leadership teams are prioritising building workforce expertise by investing in staff development and capability. I am delighted to report that across all schools, we have seen a significant increase in CPD opportunities. Over the past two years, our focus on inclusive classrooms and quality-first teaching has been evident in staff CPD sessions. Each school has developed and embedded our trust-wide universal offer (SEND in a Nutshell), which has been instrumental in shaping ordinarily available practice in the classroom. As a result, staff confidence in adapting lessons and making in-the-moment adjustments has grown— a testament to their dedication.
Another key area of workforce development is our trust-wide TA development programme. This initiative aims to create a consistent and collaborative approach to TA training across all schools. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and coaching opportunities, TAs are developing their expertise, sharing best practices, and building a strong support network beyond their individual schools.
Rebecca Gonyora Director of Inclusive Learning (Trust)
Curriculum Review: What’s on the Horizon?
If keeping up with curriculum changes feels like trying to hit a moving target, you’re not alone! As the government continues its curriculum review, there are a few key areas school leaders and teachers should keep an eye on. While no overnight changes are expected, it’s always good to be prepared for what might be coming down the line.
So, what’s under review? Here’s a quick rundown:
Key Stage Structure – The review acknowledges that our key stage system mostly works but highlights concerns. Primary schools are struggling to balance breadth and depth at KS1 and KS2, while KS3 is often cut short by an early GCSE focus. Expect discussions around better progression from KS2 to KS4 and possibly a rethink on curriculum depth.
Supporting All Students – There’s a push to make sure the curriculum works for every child, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with SEND. As a trust this resonates with our ethos Every Child Every Day. However, it might be worth considering that these changes could mean extra support, resources, or adaptations to help ensure all students have a fair shot at success.
Curriculum Content & Workload – Teachers know the challenge of covering a broad curriculum while keeping lessons meaningful. The review aims to strike a better balance, ensuring depth without overload. Could this mean tweaks to content expectations? Possibly!
The EBacc Debate – The EBacc has been a big topic for years, but some argue it limits student choice. The review may reassess its structure to see whether greater flexibility is needed to keep students engaged.
While no immediate changes are in place, it’s always good to be ahead of the game. We’ll keep an eye on the developments, so you don’t have to! In the meantime, keep doing what you do best—delivering great lessons that prepare students for whatever comes next.
Read the interim review in full here on the Dfe Website
Sarah Stallard - Curriculum Development Lead (Trust)
Education Updates
Reducing Phone Use, increasing Focus: A reflection on the Impact of Yondr Pouches
This year, we have been innovative in the way we manage mobile phone use in school. We have introduced a ‘digital detox initiative’ via the use of Yondr pouches as part of our commitment to improving focus, behaviour, and student wellbeing. This initiative aligns with our whole-school approach to ensuring that every student can fully engage in their education without unnecessary distractions and ultimately being able to be “the best version of themselves”.
We are proud of how well our students have adapted and appreciate the support of families in making this a success.
The use of Yondr pouches fosters the development of healthy, lifelong habits regarding mobile phone usage. Students retain possession of their phones throughout the school day, securely locked within the pouches, thereby significantly reducing the impulse for constant access.
Since launch we have already seen a positive impact across key areas:
⮚ Improved Attendance – With fewer distractions, students are more engaged in learning and more likely to attend school regularly.
⮚ Stronger Behaviour Management – Reducing phone-related disruptions has helped create a calmer, more focused learning environment.
⮚ Lower Anxiety Levels – Without the constant pressure of notifications and social media, students have reported feeling more present and less stressed.
⮚ Increased Student Safety: Students feel safer within the school environment.
⮚ Improved Classroom Engagement: Teachers have reported higher levels of student concentration and active engagement during lessons.
What is Yondr?
The Yondr Programme utilises a simple, secure pouch that stores a phone.
Every student will secure their phone in a Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. The pouches are locked by use of magnets and therefore only unlocked when they exit the school with the use of our exit-magnets. .
Students will keep their pouches in their bags, therefore their phones will remain in their possession but will not and should not be accessed. Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.
Sonali Patel - Deputy Headteacher
Shared Services
Finance
& Operations: The Numbers, The Tech, and Everything in
Premises: Improving and Maintaining Our Schools
Our People
The maintenance and improvement of each school’s facilities is a continuous and never ending challenge.
Grey Court has successfully completed the replacement fencing and gates around their sports fields. The removal and rebuilding of the Ingenium has started and is planned for completion in April 2026. Both of these projects have been funded through successful bids to the ESFA Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). They have also completed a toilet block for their Year 7’s.
Hollyfield have been busy re-decorating, re-carpeting and re-varnishing various areas and floors Albury, Sharman and Cedar Houses. They are also planning to construct an additional dining area to improve break and lunchtime service. A planning permission submission has recently been made for a total rebuild of the changing rooms at Somerset Avenue, together with a repurposing of the tennis courts to netball courts and cricket nets.
Chessington, having been re-built as part of the Government Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme, does not currently trigger funding for needed plant equipment replacement repairs. They too have been busy with the annual redecoration of all circulation areas. As with all of our colleagues that run our sites, Luiz (Premises Manager), having been told Chessington did not get the CIF bid for a significant replacement and repairs of the large flat roof plus cleaning decided he would get on and do the cleaning himself and has done a cracking job - that's the Every Child Every Day Way!
Each of our sites presents different challenges to maintain and keep compliant. Thank you to our Facilities Team who work hard to provide the best learning environment possible and maximise the use of the buildings and grounds
Shared Services
Our People
Finance: Celebrating Success and Streamlining Processes
Congratulations to the Finance Team across the Trust for achieving the best ever interim and final audit outcomes.
Every year, the Trust’s finances go under the microscope (twice!) by external auditors, and the 2024/25 results show just how much we’ve achieved in improving processes, procedures, and financial stability.
There's one thing that we need your help with, placing requisitions and orders correctly and on time. Yes, we know—paperwork isn’t the most exciting part of school life, but our finance team would be grateful if we could all be more diligent with those requisition / purchase orders.
Internal Scrutiny : Positive Results Across Key Areas
The Every Child, Every Day trustees select three elements of work each year they wish to have audited by a third party.
Human Resources - congratulations to the Trust’s HR Team for looking after us so well and achieving a clean sweep on all the HR audit checks with no actions required. This team has been working together for a number of years to ensure our HR processes are reliable, robust and consistent.
Procurement - congratulations to the Finance Team for a top scoring Procurement audit with the exception of the placing of requisitions/orders on the finance system in a timely and correct manner which ties in with the audit finding above! The last Internal Scrutiny, later this year, is Governance.
IT Updates: Enhancing Learning and Ensuring a Secure Network
The IT Teams across the Trust have been working hard to improve both the classroom experience and network infrastructure. Recent upgrades include replacing servers, network switches, and wireless access points, as well as addressing WiFi reliability. The IT Team is also working towards Cyber Essentials Accreditation and is aiming to achieve this by the end of the year.
Big achievement alert!
All three schools now have Promethean boards in every main teaching classroom.
Catering – Serving Up More Than Just Lunch
We’re excited to announce that, following a rigorous selection process, the Trust’s new catering contract has been awarded to Alliance in Partnership (AiP) you will see this branded as The Kitcheneers.
But this is more than just about better lunches—AiP will be working closely with schools on curriculum-linked activities, including food demos, lesson support, careers days, and even apprenticeships. So, if you see students suddenly becoming gourmet chefs overnight, you’ll know why!
Paul Moralee - Director of Finance and Operations (Trust)
Our People
Holyfields Culture Day 2025
Background info: Why did we complete this project? –
We knew this was something the students wanted. We have a beautifully diverse community and the students really wanted a chance to celebrate that. The idea of a Culture Day was raised at Student Council and was a campaign pledge for one of our sixth formers in the 2024-5 Head Student elections.
What did we do? The planning phase
A ‘spin-off’ from the Student Council was set up (The Culture Day Working Party). This group was composed of student volunteers in every year group and I met with them to research what had been done well in other schools and to share ideas for the day, as well as its promotion. I took these to The Headteacher and SLT along with our four Head Students - and (once agreed) they were shared with the student body through whole school and house assemblies. Culture Day was flagged up with middle leaders (both pastoral and academic) well in advance, in meetings and via emails, as we needed buy-in and participation, and we wanted a range of well planned activities to tie the day together. We also promoted it with staff, parents and students through briefings, bulletins, Parentmails and on Google Classroom. I emailed key staff with requests from the students - for example, they wanted a chance to teach each other phrases in their home languages in MFL; international cuisine in Food Tech and in the canteen; the chance to fly a special flag on the flagpole and to decorate the school site with bunting.
What did we do? The day itself
● Students and staff were invited to come in national dress, the sports kit of their national team or one or more of the colours of their national flag
● The unveiling of our Culture Day Flag, designed by a Y9 student and featuring the handprints of students from each year group
● A quiz during AM registration, featuring a hundred questions devised by our Geography teachers, where students guessed the national landmark/animal/cuisine/celebrity/sports stadium
● A red carpet experience at break and lunch time, where students could pose with their friends and be ‘snapped’ by our sixth form Photography students in frames provided by the Art department - with a playlist to represent the nationalities of our community
● A bake sale at break time, where students contributed sweet treats that could be a favourite national dish or a sweet treat decorated in a Culture Day theme (e.g.: a globe, a flag etc.)
● A penalty shoot out at lunch time, organised by the PE department, with students representing their countries
● A range of international cuisine in the dining hall
● A Bollywood Dance Workshop which was delivered during PE and Drama lessons and as a drop-in after school
● Themed lessons throughout the day in all subjects
Our People
Head Students and members of the Culture Day Working Party supported these events, as did SLT and the pastoral team, who were deployed via a central rota document. We promoted the day on our Instagram feed and were able to share pics from the day. During the end of year awards assembly a central presentation was shared, with a round-up of images, and this was also shared with all staff: Culture Day 2025
Impact and key learning
It was a genuinely wonderful day, which was embraced by the school community, and it gave students and staff an opportunity to share and discuss their cultures and heritage. It was also a testament to the positive power of student leadership at Hollyfield – not just the Head Students and Student Council, but also the Working Party, many of whom had struggled to engage in other elements of school life.
In planning for next year, I’m keen to build on the success of this first Culture Day by:
● Evaluating the day with SLT, the Working Party and Student Council and all stakeholders, via a Google Form
● Using this year’s images, plans and feedback to promote Culture Day 2026, so that even more students know how to ‘join in’ with key elements of the day
● Fine tuning the logistics (for example: sign up in advance rather than ‘drop ins’ for the after school events)
● Inviting a wider range of external providers (guest speakers, workshop leaders) so that every year group benefits from these
● Creating a staff team of volunteers, to work alongside the students in planning the day
What could we share?
We’d be happy to share any of our planning materials, contact info (e.g.: for the Bollywood workshop and the flag printing) and would happily liaise with our staff re: sharing their resources for lessons and workshops. I would also very happily talk to anyone about the process, including putting the Student Council and Working Party at the centre of it all
Marianne O’Shea - Deputy Headteacher
Our People
Celebrating Happiness Across Our Trust: Two of Our Schools Recognized Nationally!
We are thrilled to share some fantastic news highlighting the positive and joyful environments within our Trust schools. A recent in-depth analysis by The Sunday Times of five years' worth of Ofsted Parent View data has identified some of the happiest schools in the country, based on valuable feedback from parents about their children's experiences.
We are incredibly proud to announce that two of our fantastic schools have been recognized on this prestigious national list!
Grey Court School has achieved an outstanding 97% happiness rating, a truly remarkable testament to their positive culture. Alongside them, Hollyfield School has also received significant recognition, achieving a very impressive 90% happiness rating
These wonderful results, directly reflecting the views of parents where over 90% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed their children were happy at each school, are a powerful testament to the dedication and hard work of our exceptional staff at both Hollyfield and Grey Court. Congratulations to everyone at both schools for creating such thriving and joyful learning environments where our students flourish!
https://kingston.nub.news/news/local-news/six-kingston-schoo
Passion and Expertise: Embodying "Every Child, Every Day" - The Story of Mr. Allan
While we celebrate the remarkable sporting achievements of our students across the Trust, their success is often nurtured by the incredible dedication and expertise of our staff. This is perfectly exemplified by Mr. Allan, a talented ECT maths teacher at Grey Court School.
Despite being early in his teaching career, Mr. Allan is an accomplished athlete who has represented Great Britain at the World University XC Championships in 2022, finishing as the first Brit in an impressive 11th place and contributing to the team's overall victory. His dedication has also seen him represent England on three occasions, including a strong 4th place finish at this year's Home Countries International.
Mr. Allan's impressive personal bests of 13:42 for 5,000m and 28:37 for 10,000m (achieved in California) speak volumes about his commitment and talent. As a two-time national medallist with international racing experience from Monaco to Oregon, he brings a wealth of passion to our Trust.
This year, Grey Court School is fortunate to have Mr. Allan join their team, where he is already applying his expertise to coach the school's crosscountry and track teams. His involvement demonstrates the incredible talent and dedication within our Trust, where staff members like Mr. Allan, even in the early stages of their teaching careers, go above and beyond to inspire and guide our students every day.
Our People
Chessington Community Remembers
Staff and Students dedicated a week to honour the memory of one of our treasured colleges Jane Green. Cancer affects so many people and losing Jane a few years ago hit so many of us hard. It was lovely to have a week where we were able to think of her and show students and staff who never met her how loved she was.
Jane was a teaching assistant at Chessington School for many years. She was a committed member of staff to the school and passionately supported the SEND and Maths departments.
She also had a love for sport and competition running hockey clubs in school and out.
Jane sadly passed away on New Years Day 2023 after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. She is missed at Chessington very much.
In Jane’s memory the Chessington School community ran series of events that raised awareness of cancer and understanding the importance of early detection.
The week included a cake sake and was topped off with a wear Green for Jane Green mufti day.
Staff and students phenomenally raised over £650 across the week for Cancer research in Janes memory.
https://www.everychildeverydayacademytrust.org
The Sage Advice of Mr. Clements
In Life We Trust
Prize winners, psychologists, novelists, professors, poets, scientists, artists and athletes to ask for their take on the meaning of life. His motive for asking this philosophical question was in fact prompted by his own disillusionment with education as he saw “schools as like our inventions -they offer us new ideas, new means of doing old things; they elevate us from petty larceny to bank wreckages and Teapot Domes.”
Interestingly, his musings, which had been catalysed by his fear of “the rapid growth and spread of knowledge” which he viewed as causing war, depression, death and spiritual decay, might sound familiar in a world of A.I, toxic masculinity, tik-tok, chat-bots, financial instability and geopolitical chaos.
Fearing the worst, I read the answers recently to both Durrant’s question and a contemporary update entitled What is the meaning of life? by James Bailey, a newspaper columnist, who had repeated this experiment, after I’d been asked to pen “something on education” for the first edition of this prestigious publication. What is extraordinary, in my opinion, is that the answers elicited from these eminent thinkers, are full of hope, optimism and positivity and offer the key to the idea of “life-long learning” for “every child every day” that underpins the work of this trust.
The hard currency of any school must be academic results - in a sense we must demand that both the students and the teachers are alchemists turning raw materials into burnished gold. However, as late author and Booker Prize Winner, Hilary Mantel, pointed out in her contemporary response, if it is just results we chase then we are on a futile quest: the journey or the purpose is everything as not everyone will reach their highly aspirational target grades. Therefore, we must emphasise and reward the “subtle virtues” of tenacity, vision, patience, hope, precision. The by-products of the quest.
Again, when the question of life-or-death n 1932 a historian and philosopher Will Durrant wrote to a number of Ivy League Presidents, Nobel was posed to Susan Pollack, Bergen Belsen, survivor, she reflected on the emotion she felt on being rescued by a British soldier in 1944 and the impact it had on her subsequent existence. She observed that: “Kindness, generosity comes in small everyday events. Small measures of goodness have an enormous impact.” In essence then the capacity of a school both to function in a restorative manner and to imbue a sense of kindness at the heart of every action, every conversation and every event should be a guiding principle.
Leading on from the idea of kindness is ex-Prime Minister, John Major’s assertion that life has no meaning if those that live it are motivated by “mercenary desires.” As such any school must promote charity, public service and voluntary work as a core value so that students and staff realise and subsequently live the benefit of being the beating heart of a larger ecosystem.
And finally, Durrant himself in paraphrasing Goethe "'Be a whole or join a whole,' asked readers to “think of ourselves as part of a living group (in order to) find life a little fuller, perhaps even more significant.” To me he is imploring listeners to connect and collaborate as Watson and Francis Crick collaborated in order to unlock the secrets of DNA or Marvis Leaver and Margaret Lock collaborated to help break the Abwehr Enigma machine code at Bletchley Park in 1940. Collaboration between pupils, teachers, parents, governors and trustees has the power to conjugate an infinite number of combinations, possibilities and opportunities and thus is an energy we must channel and harness.
Although fashioned in a time of uncertainty and flux , if applied with certainty and conviction the above principles have potential to unite and empower every child, every day, for the long life of the trust.
Articles referenced:
Richard Clements Deputy Headteacher, Grey Court School
Bailey, James: What is the Meaning of Life: 15 possible answers. (Guardian UK - Accessed on 22.3.2025) Durant, Will: “On the meaning of Life” - www.philosophicalsociety.com (Accessed on 31.3.2025)