DEMAT Inspire - July 2023

To learn. To know. To lead out.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” - Philippians 4:13

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Word from the Chair

It is an honour and a challenge to be the Chair of the DEMAT Board of Trustees: an honour because we have a Board which brings together people who are committed, experienced and dedicated, a challenge because DEMAT is one of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts in the country with a rich diversity of schools serving many different communities. A decade ago, the first DEMAT school came into existence, and since then – under three committed and faithful CEOs – we have established a thriving and multi-faceted MAT to serve all children, regardless of faith, culture and background in this area of East Anglia.

At DEMAT we work together to offer a high-quality education to all children in our schools. We aim to celebrate and develop the talents of every child in our care and to deliver a learning experience which is liberating, stimulating and fun. Crucially, we strive to offer a spiritual dimension to the lives of young people by providing an education which is both deeply Christian, yet also inclusive, recognising the nature of the society in which we live and respecting freedom of faith and belief. Our core values of Love, Community, Respect, Trust and Ambition – expressed in the DEMAT Promise – capture all these aspirations and motivations.

As trustees, it is our hope that our schools are underpinned by the search and exploration for ‘life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10). This means creating school environments

where all children flourish, both academically and in their ability to live as well-rounded human beings who positively impact the world around them. This aspiration also means creating working environments where all adults flourish too. I am incredibly grateful to every member of staff working across the Trust and hope that we can maximise the huge potential of all our employees, our volunteer governors, and our trustees. Seeking collaboration and consensus and accommodating change while maintaining our core values and responsibilities is never easy, but this is at the heart of the mission as go we go forward, together, in these exciting times.

Helen Jackson Chair of the Board of

As Chair of the Board of Trustees for DEMAT, Helen Jackson has been instrumental in supporting the development of the Trust to become one of the biggest Primary MATs in the country. Here she reflects on the core values that lie at the heart of this growth.

Trustees for DEMAT

Welcome from the CEO

Following our founding in 2013, we have seen DEMAT grow, and in doing so, we have experienced many of the challenges that face new and developing Trusts across the country. We have successfully tackled many of these and have evolved in the process. Yet there is still more to do.

We are ever conscious that DEMAT is bigger than any individual person or school, and it is only through working together that we can access the benefits of being in a family of schools. When we use the term ‘Trust’ we see that as representative of every single person associated with our schools, our community, and the DEMAT family.

DEMAT Inspire is one way in which we can share with the whole Trust community the many positive things that are happening in our schools. This first edition includes a focus on our English curriculum, a spotlight on our schools and a look at our People Strategy.

To learn.

To know.

To lead out.

Philippians 4:13

Across DEMAT, our values of Love, Trust, Respect, Community and Ambition shape our behaviours and provide a touchpoint for each school to shape and determine their own values for their

local community. Our Trust vision sits across these values and clarifies our purpose as a Trust, whether that is to pupils, teachers, families, or wider society. Our vision encompasses what we believe in and what we want for our community. We want our children and staff to be continually learning new things, to know how to use this learning, to lead out beyond our immediate context to influence and contribute to society for the better. Philippians 4:13 guides us in this task because little of what we ask for is easy, but we can all find the necessary strength to continue with our journey.

I hope that you enjoy reading DEMAT Inspire and learning a little more about our Trust.

Best wishes

Adrian Ball Chief Executive Officer

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Moving forwardtogether

When Director of Education, Catherine Lock, joined DEMAT in 2020, it was clear that if the Trust was to be successful, we would all have to benefit from our partnership. Here, she celebrates those staff in school who are delivering the best education possible.

Over the last three years, we have significantly developed our CPD offer and created thriving subject communities, where our subject leaders are working together to develop our curriculum and supporting pedagogies, as well as contributing to resource-sharing platforms.

We are starting to see the fruit of this work together in our children and in the joyful way they talk so knowledgeably about what they have been learning. Centrally, there has been a great deal of work to make this happen, but none of it would happen without the true dedication we see, daily, from the school staff at the chalk face.

In recent visits, I’ve heard children using phonics to lift words off the page, experiencing the wonder of making meaning

from challenging texts. Year 2 children speak with knowledge and excitement about how the human body works; Year 5 children having just had their minds blown about our relative size in the universe and Year 6 children animatedly telling me about the allegorical nature of Animal Farm. In all these conversations, what stands out most is how proud they feel to be able to share their knowledge. This is what we cannot measure. This is the start of sparking intrigue and curiosity; it allows them access to the educated community and all the possibilities within.

There is no greater privilege than working with the brilliant teachers, teaching assistants, and school leaders who ‘make the magic happen’ for the children in front of them. My very sincere and heartfelt thanks to all in our schools who work tirelessly to give our children the very best education possible. Thank you all for catching the vision of what we are doing together and for truly believing that anything is possible for the children in our schools.

Here’s to the next 10 years of creating wonder through learning and the highest expectations for our children.

Catherine Lock, Director of Education

Recognition for teaching Classics at our schools

DEMAT

The Trust has been shortlisted for a Classics for All Teaching Award 2023 which are given to selected stand-out schools making an exceptional contribution to widening access to classics in state schools.

Tricia Moss, Curriculum Lead at DEMAT, said: “We’re delighted that the work of our academies that teach Latin is being recognised.”

“A big congratulations must go to our Language Leads and Latin teachers.

More than half of the Trust’s academies teach Latin as their foreign language option in Key Stage Two.

She added: “It works particularly well for academies with mixed year group classes because the combination of schemes used ensures that we can plan for progression while teaching both year groups at the same time.”

“The links to etymology (the history and origins of a word) and grammar support our approach to teaching spelling through syllabification and applying code knowledge as well as our approach to grammar teaching.”

Benefits of teaching Latin

• Helps develop vocabulary knowledge

• Supports understanding of grammar and syntax which are essential for proficient writing

• Builds a solid foundation for learning modern foreign languages – especially French, Spanish and Italian

• Knowledge of Latin builds cultural capital and complements our history curriculum

Primary Latin Conference – September 28

We are working with Classics for All to host the first Primary Latin Conference in this country. It will be held at the Faculty of Classics at Cambridge University. More details to follow, but please save the date.

• Latin can be taught instead of a MFL and by non-subject specialists

• Full training is provided by specialist teachers at Classics for All

• Resources are available to create a specified and carefully sequenced curriculum on a single or two-year cycle.

is celebrating staff at the Trust after being nominated for an award recognising the outstanding achievements of schools and teachers.

Working in partnership

to further enrich academic expertise in the classroom

We can’t possibly introduce our pupils to everything that is known about every subject taught in primary school, so we have to think carefully about what we teach. It takes expert knowledge to select key themes and content which ‘tell the story’ of that subject. That’s why we partner with other curriculum experts like The Knowledge Schools Trust (KST).

Research from cognitive science has shown that our brains favour narrative – we remember things much better when they are told as a story. This is because we can connect or hook new knowledge onto knowledge we already have (Willingham, D. 2021, 2014). The Primary Knowledge Curriculum (PKC) has been written by experts who ensure that each subject tells its own story to help pupils remember the important themes and content.

We have been partnering with The Knowledge Schools Trust since 2020, and all schools across DEMAT use the Primary Knowledge Curriculum to teach art, design and technology, geography, history and science. We regularly share feedback from our schools with KST to help them to further develop the curriculum and the CPD (training offer) for all schools. At DEMAT, around half of our schools are rural village primaries with mixed year group classes, therefore we have many teachers who are experts in teaching a range of year groups within one class.

In the first year of our partnership, the PKC units were split into a cycle A and cycle B programme – this works well where the content is cumulative. Cumulative content means that you can build knowledge of the subject by learning different content at different times. Our class teachers know their pupils best and used their professional knowledge and experience to make the connections, build background

knowledge and plan to deliver their lessons, so that every single pupil learned the core knowledge over time. This was quite a challenge!

In the second year of working with PKC, feedback from our teachers led to further developments in the planning for mixed year groups. This time includes subjects where the content can be more hierarchical. Science is a good example of this where children need to have a basic understanding of the parts of a plant before they can learn about how plants reproduce. To support teachers in mixed year group classes, we now have specific mixed year group planning for the hierarchical elements of subjects to ensure that the content is specified, carefully sequenced and that links to previous and future learning are clear. As a result of the partnership between DEMAT and the PKC, schools across the country now benefit from the mixed year group planning and CPD sessions.

We’re excited to be working with the PKC team to develop a new music curriculum, our music leads have been sharing their expert knowledge to help shape the content and will start to trial some early units in the next academic year.

Tricia Moss, Curriculum Lead

At DEMAT, we believe that all children should be taught a knowledge-rich curriculum where knowledge is valued, specified, well-sequenced, and taught to be remembered. Here, Tricia Moss, the Trust’s Curriculum Lead, explains how teaching ‘powerful knowledge’ takes children beyond their lived experiences and opens a multitude of life choices.

Growing a love of the DEMAT way

Across our Trust children read ambitious, culturally important texts which are intentionally sequenced to ensure that knowledge and understanding are built upon as they move through their primary education. Our teachers carefully consider how they teach reading in their classes to ensure that all pupils can develop the skills required to understand and access a wide range of literature.

Tim Coote, English lead for the Trinity Partnership, has seen how the Reading Reconsidered techniques used in whole class reading have supported pupils to become ‘more fluent and engaged readers, with an enthusiasm for literature’. He said: “An increased engagement with the text has also helped children to develop their ability to analyse techniques that authors use.”

The DEMAT writing curriculum has been designed to ensure that we ‘improve the writer’, not just a single piece of writing. One of the ways we achieve this is by ensuring that our reading curriculum feeds directly into how we teach writing.

Tim added: “Our writing lessons have become extensions of the reading lessons, as all grammar and punctuation are

taught through the content of the current class text. Additionally, all writing outcomes are based on the class text or on previous learning.”

This helps our children concentrate on ‘how to write’ wellcrafted and punctuated sentences rather than thinking about ‘what to write’.”

Another way in which we support our children to become confident and competent writers is by carefully planning opportunities for our children to master a specific aspect of writing before moving on to the next.

Kerry Watkins, Year 1 teacher at Milton Church of England Primary School, said: “Sentences are the building blocks of writing; daily teaching around simple sentences is an effective

way of developing children’s understanding of how to use full stops and capital letters within their own work

“We spend significant time embedding our children’s understanding of sentences and have found that this creates a solid foundation from which they can then begin to learn how to write compound sentence structures later in the year.”

Laura Foster, Year 2 teacher at Elm Primary School, encapsulates how the DEMAT English curriculum gives children the background knowledge and vocabulary to clearly articulate their understanding of literature whilst also nurturing and developing a genuine love of learning.

She said: “When the announcement, ‘It’s time for whole class reading’, brings a collective, resounding ‘YES!’ from my class, I’m reminded of every child’s entitlement to high-quality texts. Yet it is much more than that - the impact on their writing cannot be underestimated.

“With a constantly developing understanding of the text, children gain knowledge of times, places, and beliefs far beyond their own experiences. They also learn the vocabulary needed to express their understanding effectively though their writing. From the elaborate plan to trick an evil sorcerer, to the wonder of a young boy pulling a sword from the stone.

“They have the knowledge to write instructions on how to do the first successfully and for the second they have the depth of understanding to ask what would this mean for a boy who never wanted to be a king? They understand that Greek myths are ‘too good to forget’.

“When they meet them again in Year 4, they’ll draw on their knowledge of the Ancient Greeks who told fascinating stories of creation and be reminded of Persephone’s legacy when

the leaves ‘drop like tears’ in the Autumn. They can track the theme of ‘Hope’ through all of these and not simply see an ending as ‘sad’.

“It’s far more than that, as Year 2 will tell you.”

Royal Celebrations

as schools marked the King’s Coronation

Schools across the Trust took part in an array of activities to mark the King’s Coronation.

At Thriplow Church of England Primary School, pupils dressed up as a monarch from history.

The children were also encouraged to learn facts about their chosen monarch to share with their peers.

Headteacher Lucy How said: “All the children were given a porcelain pot to decorate and take home. They were given wildflower seeds to commemorate the occasion to take home to plant in their pot.”

In the week leading up to the coronation, Oakington Church of England Primary School spent time creating their own crowns fit to wear for the occasion. Children enjoyed using their knowledge of the monarchy to contextualise the events of the coronation.

Pupils and teachers alike all came into school sporting red, white and blue clothes ready for their celebration which involved

party games, cake and a whole school rendition of the national anthem.

Parents of pupils at Babraham Church of England School were invited to join their children for a coronation tea party. After spending the day learning about King Charles III, pupils created their own flags to wave and came together to sing a song.

Meanwhile at Milton Church of England Primary School, staff and children dressed in red, white and blue for the occasion.

The Year 3 choir sang to open the school assembly under bunting made by pupils especially for the coronation celebrations.

The school community then took part in a tree planting ceremony of a Royal Burgundy cherry tree while singing the national anthem.

Other activities included EYFS and KS1 children making Union Jack flags to wave during the Big Lunch Street Party and a royal art competition with the winning entries being sent to Buckingham Palace.

At St Christopher’s Church of England Primary School, a coronation concert was led by the school’s Glee Club. The club’s director and professional opera singer Kelly Alvarez then conducted the whole school in a rousing rendition of the national anthem.

A red, white and blue-themed lunch followed with everyone donning golden crowns.

Deputy Headteacher Chloe Brown said: “The hall was decorated with Union Jacks and bunting, and every class created some impressive table centrepieces and place mats for the occasion.”

Shining a light on our

Schools

It has been a busy term for our schools, staff and pupils. We’re proud of how they have shone by taking part in national campaigns and holding incredible fundraisers. It’s testament to the hard work of everyone who contributes to the day-to-day life of our schools.

Primary receives exciting donation from mysterious artist

Children and teachers at St Christopher’s Church of England Primary School, near Red Lodge in Bury St Edmunds, were excited to receive a very special gift when an artist created a bespoke piece of work for them.

The artwork was crafted by someone mysteriously known as the Anonymous Artist, who contacted the school to say they loved books and the way they open a whole new world to children, but statistics showed only one in five personally own a book at home.

The artwork has been made to look like a bookshelf crammed with nearly 100 children’s stories, including The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Paddington Bear - as well as one with its own special title of ‘Painted with Love for St Christopher’s C of E Primary School’.

It has been hung in the school’s foyer for the whole school community to enjoy and was unveiled at a special celebration assembly.

Hundreds raised for East Anglian Air Ambulance

Staff and pupils at Babraham Church of England Primary School in Cambridge raised more than £300 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.

Students held a non-uniform day and used collection buckets in the playground to help raise the money following a medical emergency at the school earlier this year.

Headteacher Victoria Penty said: “It’s important for our pupils to see how members of the community can work together and help each other.”

Pupils encouraged to eat the vegetable rainbow

Schoolchildren at Guyhirn Church of England Primary School in Wisbech were inspired to eat more vegetables as part of a nationwide healthy eating campaign.

They took part in a Veg Power Eat Them To Defeat Them day with a cookery demonstration and lesson on how to safely prepare carrots.

The day was run in partnership with Veg Power, PECT, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Healthy Schools, Cambridgeshire County Council and Tilda.

Headteacher Karen Milnthorpe said: “The whole school really enjoyed taking part in the Eat Them To Defeat Them day and tasting new vegetables.”

Epic 333-mile run around school grounds

Staff, pupils and parents at Swaffham Prior Church of England Primary School took part in an epic six-and-ahalf hour sponsored run around the school grounds. The run was led by local Ultra Marathon runner Simon Burnett, who ran laps around Swaffham Prior, with all children joining him for at least two laps - clocking up an impressive 333 miles of running.

The aim of the mammoth event was to raise money for the school to buy a set of Chromebooks for pupils to use in lessons. The total amount collected was nearly £3,500

Headteacher Helen Bartley said: “What a fantastic day. All our children, staff and parents showed enthusiasm, grit and determination and had such a great time.”

St Luke’s pupils celebrate British Science Week

A host of activities dedicated to exploring the theme of connections took place at St Luke’s Church of England Primary School in Cambridge.

To mark British Science Week, children enjoyed workshops with Marshals Engineering, The British Antarctic Survey and construction company Atkins learning about STEM subjects They learned how to take and examine fingerprints, design and make aeroplanes, as well as how to construct bridges and what it’s like being part of a research team in Antarctica Headteacher Beccy Ireland-Curtis said: “We are passionate about introducing every child to the possibilities within this field of study and the impact of this day will be far-reaching.”

St Luke’s Church of England Primary School

Guyhirn Church of England Primary School

Swaffham Prior Church of England Primary School

Babraham Church of England Primary School

St Christopher’s Church of England Primary School

in our early years’ outdoor areas

Investing

Transforming spaces has been a focus for some of our schools this year to improve the facilities on offer. Here, Rachael Lamb, Building Surveyor at DEMAT, discusses how the Facilities Team worked to create exciting outdoor environments for some of our youngest children to enjoy.

The early years play area at Orchards Church of England Primary School in Wisbech needed some redevelopment; the playground surface was rough and the timber structures were old and damaged, and the grass bank and wildlife areas were overgrown and full of holes.

Headteacher Sarah Cullen put together a proposal and then worked with the Facilities Team to bring the vision to life.

The children now have a safe surface to play on, spaces to enjoy sand and water play and a track for riding siton-toys. The wildlife area and garden will continue to be developed by the children and staff at Orchards to allow the children the opportunity to learn more about the environment and see their own ideas come to life.

The whole project was completed over the summer holiday so that it was ready for the start of the 2022/23 academic year.

The transformation at Orchards Church of England Primary School

The early years woodland area at St John’s Church of England Primary School in Huntingdon has been transformed from a place that was out of bounds into one featuring a bird hide, vegetable patch and mud kitchen.

The Facilities Team worked with Headteacher Rebecca Soper and the Early Years teachers to design the space and turn the plan into a reality.

The preparation work included removing rotten timber structures, paving slabs and concrete, the redesign of a ‘terraced’ effect slope to eliminate the steps and make it accessible for all and resurfacing the asphalt playground

The children now have access to a revamped Wendy house with a new window to act as a bird hide, artificial grass to cover the worn, muddy areas, and newly created spaces for wildflowers and vegetables. Children can now enjoy designated sand and water play areas as well as a mud kitchen and a climbing frame. The whole woodland area has been secured with fencing and a gate.

On completing the project, the contractors generously purchased some toys for the sand pit and even planted potatoes and other vegetables for the children to watch

grow. The potatoes were harvested just before Christmas and inspired the early years class to have a ‘potato day’ where the pupils dug up, washed and peeled the potatoes which their teacher then used to make a delicious soup. The event proved to be so successful that it is going to become an annual activity at St John’s!

The Early Years area at St John’s Church of England Primary School now includes a climbing frame and vegetable beds.

The DEMAT Strategy

People

Helen Rothwell, Head of HR

Our People Strategy is aimed at improving the experience for our staff with a key focus on offering exceptional CPD and structuring our resources effectively to ensure we deliver high quality education to all children.

Our strategy for our people is as ambitious as our expectations for our pupils and their communities. It must enable us to be adaptable in the current economic climate and in the face of falling pupil numbers nationally. It aligns with the Ely Diocesan strategy, People Fully Alive: 2025.

Our People Strategy in the making

Since being formed in 2013, the Trust has been on a significant growth journey (2013-2018), followed by a period of consolidation (2019-2025) and is looking towards next steps (2025+). Our aim is to ensure that we become a systems leader, delivering and innovating a high-quality education, in line with our values and maintaining our

As the Trust marks its 10th anniversary this month, we are also thrilled to be launching our People Strategy. Helen Rothwell, Head of HR, explains how the Trust will continue to invest time in its people by putting all of our staff at the front and centre.

Christian distinctiveness. We listened to staff, leaders, trustees, members of the Diocese, governors and union colleagues all presenting feedback from our school communities. This enabled us to design a strategy that will help us to continue to develop the Trust to attract and retain staff who share our passion to achieve our vision.

Organisational Health

As we explored during a recent inset day, we will adopt an ‘organisational health’ model to measure how successful we are over time. Organisational health is the organisation’s ability to align around a common vision, execute against that vision effectively and renew itself through innovation and creative thinking. In summary, align around a vision, execute effectively and innovate. In determining our People Strategy, we have created a ‘People Promise’ which encompasses what we are trying to achieve and enables us to be more specific in our aims and activities

Our People Promise

• We constantly aspire to support high quality education of our children.

• We communicate effectively across the Trust.

• We support the wellbeing of our staff.

• We share best practice to support others to achieve.

A clear vision, inspirational leadership and shared values

We recognise that it is important that our people understand our vision and progress. Therefore, we will regularly communicate the Trust direction and activity.

Further support and investment in leadership pathways while aligning and embedding each academy’s vision and values with those of the Trust will be provided.

A strong reputation for valuing, supporting and developing our people at all levels

We want to be renowned for the development opportunities we offer staff by enhancing career pathways and professional development options for all our staff.

A robust induction, instructional coaching and mentoring will be key features of support to our staff.

We will continue to support ways to effectively manage workloads.

Recruiting for values and a passion to strengthen a diverse and inclusive culture

We will further develop our recruitment techniques to refine our approaches to attracting, selecting and onboarding staff to DEMAT.

Our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, which runs throughout our People Strategy, will ensure we recruit to continue to embed a diverse and inclusive culture across the Trust.

Structures and processes that are well designed to fit our current and future needs

Our approach to resourcing will be focused on delivering desired outcomes while being sustainable.

We will use digital advancements to ensure staff know and understand our policies and processes which will be designed to maximise effectiveness in all aspects of delivering high quality and safe education.

Next Steps

Our strategy will continue to be incorporated into everything we do. We will also be exploring each pillar in more depth across future issues of our magazine. If you have any feedback or queries regarding our aspirations and plans, please email feedback@demat.org.uk

Team reflections

Dr Damien Homden has recently celebrated one year as Headteacher at Milton Church of England Primary School.

Tell us about your teaching background and how you came to your current position?

I have been a teacher since 2009 when I qualified with a science specialism. During my career, I’ve worked in schools within Fenland – the most recent being Orchards Church of England Academy which is also part of the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT), where I was an Assistant Headteacher leading on curriculum.

It was during this role and the high-quality continuous professional development within the Trust that I got to work alongside the Central Team and understand the Trust’s approach to education and curriculum.

My move to Milton came about after a conversation with my Headteacher and Hub Director. My enthusiasm and success with curriculum development meant that working with colleagues at Milton as Headteacher was a great opportunity.

What do you think makes your school stand out?

Milton is a fantasic school with a great sense of community. The teaching staff are established and we all align with the vision to create a wonderful atmosphere for the children. Walking around the school, there is always a real buzz for learning, and the school always feels calm and purposeful.

As a community, Milton is wonderful and we really enjoy events such as fireworks night and fayres as well as working together with All Saints Church. Being located on the outskirts of Cambridge and between two science parks, our school community is very diverse and rich in terms of languages, cultures, religions, beliefs and, as a school, we celebrate and value this diversity.

What are your plans for the school?

How will you make your mark?

My immediate plans for the school are two-fold: to continue to build upon the fantastic teaching and learning that occurs every day and ensure that the curriculum that we deliver is both exciting, interesting and challenging as well as preparing our

children for the next stage of their education as well as for the rest of their lives.

To welcome the local community back to the school as this has been hugely impacted by Covid restrictions.

A larger piece of work that we as a school need to undertake is in relation to the extended curriculum and ensuring our children have the broadest possible experiences from which they shape their views, opinions and interests.

What’s been the highlight of your teaching career to date?

Wow, that’s a tough one! I think I will have to say though that being offered my first headship at Milton has to be the highlight to date. Not only because of the immense pride I feel in joining Milton and leading the team but also the support, encouragement and belief in my abilities that my previous Headteacher and Hub Director had in me.

Reading is obviously a core focus for children. What’s your favourite children’s book and why?

This is a difficult one as children’s books are fast becoming a passion of mine – I currently have six books borrowed from school which I am slowly working my way through. If I look back at when I was a child, the book that stood out for me was Beaver Towers by Nigel Hinton. It was read to me by my Year 3 or 4 class teacher. I can still remember sitting on the carpet with the rest of the class and these vivid pictures springing into my mind as Mrs Wheatcroft read the story aloud to us.

Tell us something about yourself that your staff and pupils might not know?

When I was 18, I ran a marathon through the Lewa Safari Conservation Area in Kenya. We had to start the race at 6am to avoid the heat, and as I was making my way to the starting area, we watched a helicopter carefully shepherding an elephant off the course!

I joined DEMAT as a member of the Board of Trustees in January 2023 following an informal approach from the Chair of the Board. A review of my curriculum vitae led to a formal request to use my skills and experience to support the work of the Trust. It is a privilege to have been asked to serve as a Trustee and to contribute to the education of the next generation.

I was a healthcare scientist for most of my working life with appointments both academic and within the health services of Northern Ireland and England. I concluded my career responsible for Physics and Engineering services at Cambridge University Hospitals. I held senior positions within the profession including President of the Institute of Physics and Engineering Medicine, which gave me direct experience of guiding the development of an organisation through the role of trusteeship.

I believe there are two key elements to a successful organisation: effective and efficient asset management and an unerring focus on quality processes as a mechanism for continuous improvement. I have worked with the British Standards Institute to write an accreditation for the delivery of healthcare science services and have worked within laboratories to achieve accreditation to international standards. Accreditation is used to demonstrate that an organisation can consistently, accurately, and safely deliver its aims using several tools including risk resource management. It was therefore agreed that my skills would initially be used to support the Audit and Risk and Estates and Finance committees within DEMAT.

DEMAT faces many challenges to deliver on its vision to be a world leading education provider. My hope is to be able to help shape the strategic development of the Trust and to ensure that it has the resources and processes in place for it to achieve that vision.

As one of the newest Trustees for DEMAT, Dr Peter Jarritt explains why it is a privilege to be on the Board of Trustees and the elements required to be a successful organisation.

Hear from you

We want to

This is the first edition of our new magazine, celebrating all the news and views from our amazing DEMAT schools and staff, the work of our pupils and the support of our trustees.

Thank you to all who have contributed to our first edition of DEMAT Inspire, a magazine created to celebrate our amazing school communities, staff and wider Trust family.

We would very much like to hear your feedback and would appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes to complete our short survey.

An online version of the magazine can be found at www.demat.org.uk

We wish you all a very happy and restful summer.

Thank you so much.