History of Vanguard Learning Trust

Vanguard Learning Trust

History of Vanguard Learning Trust

History of Vanguard Learning Trust

2015

The Trust was first established in February 2015 when Vyners School, which was a single-academy trust, joined with Ryefield Primary School to establish Vyners Learning Trust. Peter Davies was the first chair of trustees and James Heale the first executive headteacher of the Trust.

‘It has been a real privilege to be part of the establishment of VLT. The expansion of the Trust has been extremely positive as it has increased the capacity for mutual support as well as challenge. As chairman, I am hugely appreciative of the contribution that every single member of the Trust makes to our success.’

Peter Davies, Chair of Trustees

A number of partnerships between the two schools were established during the first few years; this included Gary Mullings, who was deputy headteacher at Vyners, taking on the role of acting headteacher at Ryefield between September 2015 and January 2016 before Colin Tucker was appointed as headteacher from 1st January 2016.

‘The opportunity to work across the schools within the Trust was one that was too good to turn down. As well as creating additional leadership capacity at Ryefield, it also provided me with the opportunity to become a system leader and learn about leadership within another setting and phase. It also helped to provide the clarity that I needed to be able to make the necessary steps towards headship.’

Gary Mullings, Headteacher, Vyners School

2016 and 2017

Under the new leadership of Colin Tucker and as a member of the Trust, Ryefield Primary School made significant improvements to the quality of its educational provision. This was recognised in the Ofsted section 5 inspection in October 2017 when the school’s designation changed from requires improvement to good; the inspectors commented in the report on the positive impact school leaders and governors had had on raising expectations and standards.

‘In the short history of the Trust, Ryefield Primary School has made significant improvements, which were recognised by Ofsted in October 2017. Inspectors commented on some important changes, which have resulted in raised standards in literacy and numeracy; that leaders have worked effectively to ensure that pupils receive a good standard of education; and that the Trust provides effective support to the school and holds leaders to account on pupils’ performance. For example, teachers from the secondary school completed targeted work in mathematics with some girls at Ryefield Primary; the impact of this work was evident in the 2017 provisional assessment information that shows the proportion of girls who achieved the higher standards in mathematics was above the national average.’

Colin Tucker, Headteacher,

Ryefield

Primary School

2018

In September 2018, Ruislip High School joined the Trust; in preparation for this the Trust changed its name from Vyners Learning Trust to Vanguard Learning Trust. A new board of trustees was established with a representation model based on trustees’ skill-set and Dr Martina Lecky, who was the headteacher of Ruislip High School, became the part-time executive headteacher. The expansion of the Trust was marked with the release of a high-altitude balloon. The three schools’ logos were attached to the balloon; the photo shows the logos at a height of 30km above the earth’s surface which is high enough to show its curvature.

‘The key driver for Ruislip High School joining Vyners Trust, now Vanguard Learning Trust, was the increased educational opportunities that would be available to our students. The larger school community presents opportunities for joint working and increased opportunities for staff development.’

Eddie Lavery, Chair of Governors,

Ruislip

High School and trustee

‘Since I became executive headteacher, I have benefited professionally from being part of a board of trustees that is fully committed to its schools through a governance model that is based on: consultation with local governing bodies; carefully considered corporate decision-making; transparency; and the need for internal and external assurance.’

Dr Martina Lecky, Executive Headteacher

2019

In May 2019, Vyners School’s Ofsted designation changed from good to outstanding following a section 5 inspection. The inspection report noted the outstanding progress made by students at the school and the shared ambition of school leaders, governors and trustees for excellence.

‘The inspection report noted how the school’s leaders had built on the school’s established strengths to further improve the school’s outcomes through strong systems of checking and planning to drive further improvement. Pupils are making outstanding progress across all key stages and groups, including those in the specialist hearing impairment resource base who achieve standards that are consistently above national averages.’

Mark Hague, Chair of Governors, Vyners School

In September 2019, Gareth Davies became the third headteacher of Ruislip High School succeeding Martina Lecky whose main role became that of the executive headteacher as well as associate headteacher for Ruislip High School for one year. In November 2019, the first Trust-wide staff conference was held at Vyners School to promote collective responsibility across all schools; it was a highly successful event, allowing school staff to work together to support the Trust’s aim to engender partnership between schools with a view to holding the conference biennially.

‘Working with other leaders across the Trust over the past two years has been a real privilege; I am incredibly grateful for their support or coping with the challenges of the past fifteen months have exemplified what we can achieve in education when we work together. Vanguard Learning Trust is truly committed to school improvement. My involvement in school improvement initiatives, such as taking part, and leading in, professional development opportunities, is a highlight of my role.’

Gareth Davies, Headteacher, Ruislip High School

The Trust has established a number of Trust fora, where staff doing a similar role meet on a half-termly basis, and a safeguarding forum which was launched in June 2019. The safeguarding forum is held twice a year and representation at the meeting includes all the schools’ designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), safeguardinglead governors, the executive headteacher and the safeguarding-lead trustee who chairs the meeting. Throughout the year there are a number of meetings which are outlined in the safeguarding forum booklet including safeguarding-lead governors conducting governor-link visits as well as meetings with designated safeguarding leads.

‘The development of the safeguarding forum has been an excellent example of a Trust-wide structure that brings safeguarding leads and governors together to develop strong partnerships, share best practice and ensure compliance with complex statutory processes. As the lead trustee for safeguarding, the forum allows me to support and guide governors in their roles, have a clear overview of the Trust schools’ data and enables me to report to the board of trustees with confidence. It is a practical and effective framework that will become even more valuable as the Trust expands.’

Pauline Nixon, Safeguarding lead-trustee

‘The safeguarding forum is a reflection of the outstanding commitment Vanguard Learning Trust has to safeguarding. A great strength of being part of the Trust is having the opportunity to share best practice and collaborate and this is at the heart of the forum.’

Marie Coltman, Deputy Headteacher and DSL, Ruislip High School

2020 and 2021

During the spring term 2020, two local schools joined the Trust as associate members, Field End Junior School and Hermitage Primary School. Whilst initial discussions were held before the pandemic, the partnership between the five schools was a significant factor in supporting school leaders, both strategically and operationally. Five schools working together to engender collective responsibility through common values as well as sharing best practice led trustees to make formal invitation to both associate schools’ governing bodies to join Vanguard Learning Trust; this was accepted by both schools with a view to joining the Trust in September 2021.

‘Deciding to become an associate member of VLT just before the pandemic struck was one of the best decisions we made for our school community. We were warmly welcomed and given access to all parts of the Trust, both at strategic and operational levels. The support offered has been superb, not only from Dr Lecky, the executive headteacher, but also from the current Trust headteachers who are willing to support, advise or just listen! Similarly, our input has been welcomed and encouraged.’

Elaine D’Souza, Headteacher, Hermitage Primary School

‘We became an associate member of the Trust with the hope of working together in partnership with local schools for the good of our staff and pupils. The support we received at all levels to help us on our journey of improvement was invaluable. This became even more crucial during the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. The leadership team across the Trust, with its sense of collective responsibility, has been extremely supportive and beneficial.’

Audrey Wright, Headteacher, Field End Junior School

In the spring term 2020, trustees approved the establishment of a central team and a number of appointments were made for September 2020. The core function to be centralised first was finance and the centralisation process was carried out during the academic year, 2020-2021. In addition, a new governance development model was agreed during the summer term 2020 as part of a NGA review of the Trust’s governance which has included the introduction of two governance days. The first was held in November 2020 and was a resounding success.

‘The governance day was a triumph for all those involved. The presentations were powerful, thought provoking and very informative. Governors and trustees were certainly reminded about their responsibilities, particularly in terms of strategic direction and providing support and challenge to staff and schools. It was useful in the afternoon to meet as a local governing body to discuss various aspects of the school development plan. Credit must be given to the Trust team for organising and facilitating the day which is not always easy on Zoom!’

Andy Lunnon, Safeguarding-lead governor, Ruislip High School

The Trust revisited its vision and values during the academic year 2020-2021 which included a working party with representatives from all schools as well as trustees and governors. It led to significant revisions with a new vision of outstanding, inclusive education and three values: aspiration, community and equity. Collective responsibility is central to the Trust’s core purpose as schools working in partnership secure a sustainable foundation allowing for a broader range of school improvement work including cross-phase, joint professional development opportunities as well as student activities.

‘As we’ve gone through this process of revisiting our aims, it’s been clear that we all share the same ideals. Our vision and values capture perfectly what the Trust is about - outstanding education and equal opportunities, for every pupil, in every one of our schools. These statements underpin everything we do. They are our collective purpose, and represent everything we are looking to achieve together.’

Andy Sykes, Trustee

Janet Beater, company secretary, has been with the Trust since its inception in February 2015; she was the clerk for Vyners School before 2015 and, shortly after the Trust became established, she became Ryefield’s clerk as well as the Trust’s. She has seen the Trust evolve from two schools in 2015 to five schools through the associate membership scheme.

‘In 2015 Ryefield and Vyners almost operated as two stand alone schools with minimal inter-school working and support. In 2021 the Trust changed out of all recognition and it is now ‘the common thing’ for the schools to work together. To support this collaboration the central Trust operations had to change significantly in order to provide our schools with the standard resources and reporting mechanisms needed to enable them to learn from each other, improve collaboration and implement best practice. With each school joining the Trust we have been exposed to new and different perspectives and these have been incorporated into the heart of the Trust to support its vision of outstanding, inclusive education. The most recent development of the associate schools programme has ensured that the dynamic of the Trust keeps evolving.’

Janet Beater, Company Secretary

Information about the schools

Vanguard Learning Trust is a cross-phase Trust in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Vyners Learning Trust was established in February 2015 when Ryefield Primary School and Vyners School formed the multi-academy trust. In September 2018, Ruislip High School joined the Trust which was renamed Vanguard Learning Trust. In addition, the Trust has two associate members - Field End Junior School and Hermitage School - that are currently in the process of joining Vanguard Learning Trust in September 2021.

School information

Field End Junior School

Field End Junior School is truly a community school and has been part of the Ruislip landscape for over 70 years. It is a four-form entry junior school, sharing the same site as the infant school. It is a genuinely happy and exciting place to be; the school’s community plays an important role in shaping the young people into the adults they become when they go out into the world. Staff strive to do all they can to help each child reach their potential. Staff believe that school days should be filled, not only with learning, but with fun, friendship and memories to last a lifetime.

Hermitage Primary School

On entering Hermitage Primary, visitors cannot fail to notice the warm, family feel that permeates the school. Hermitage is a happy, welcoming, stimulating environment where everyone cares about each other and all interactions are based on mutual respect. Hermitage opened in 1968 and is a community school located in Uxbridge. From their first tentative sessions in Nursery through to their final days in Year 6, staff strive to teach pupils their place in the school, the community and beyond.

Ruislip High School

Ruislip High School opened its doors to its first cohort of Year 7 in September 2006. It is a mixed, comprehensive secondary school situated in South Ruislip. Ruislip High School has evolved into a school of choice in the local area with circa 1100 students. The school has been designated outstanding in both Ofsted inspections in 2007 and 2011. Ruislip High School’s logo symbolises the school’s motto -from grass roots, to reaching for the sky- which represents high aspirations and students’ journey as they progress through the school.

Ryefield Primary School

Ryefield was established in 1960 and as a school community it strives for excellence. Ryefield is an excellent school where its children love learning and achieve the highest standards possible in a thriving multicultural learning environment. Above all Ryefield strives to touch the lives of all its children to ensure they grow up to be reflective, selfaware, and resourceful; they are at peace with themselves; empathetic towards others and confident young people.

Vyners School

Vyners School was established in 1960. It is a highly oversubscribed mixed secondary, comprehensive school based in Ickenham with circa 1,200 students. Vyners is an extremely popular and successful school with an excellent reputation for academic achievement and extra-curricular activities. Underpinned by its school’s values -community, aspiration, respect and endeavour- Vyners prides itself on the positive relationships that exist in the school and the sense of being part of a happy community. In May 2019, Ofsted designated Vyners as outstanding as part of its Section 5 inspection.