We are part-centralised.
Every school is unique. We honour the fact that school leaders and governors have a strong understanding of the needs of their community and the children they serve.
There is no central blueprint, no ‘one size fits all’ approach.
We co-create quality through collaboration.
Being part of Watergrove Trust provides more and the sharing of good practice across our community enhances the offer at every school.
It’s better for everyone when we join forces, share expertise and work together and our collaborative Forums help us do this.
Our Data Systems
Some shared systems are essential across the Trust, however we keep this to a minimum as we are a learning community and not a machine.
Our Finances
Schools receive their annual grant from the DfE in the usual manner, giving 5.5% of their grant (often called a top slice) to enable the Watergrove Trust Services, which provide high-quality and responsive support.
Our Trust Services
In addition, Watergrove reserves are sustained using 50% of schools’ annual surplus, this resource being used to respond to need and opportunity across the schools, including building improvements and extensions, software costs and supplementary staffing.
The award-winning WaterSHED development at Wardle Academy, saw Watergrove reserves matched with Local Authority funding to create an exciting new learning and dining space.
Watergrove reserves were employed to completely transform the learning environment at St James’ CE Primary School, with every classroom remodelled. The school is now over-subscribed for the first time in more than a decade.
Our Culture
Strategy is nothing without culture and the health of the relationships between us all are at the heart of our success as a Watergrove community.
We invest heavily in training based on the theories of Eric Berne and this shared knowledge helps everyone in Watergrove build and sustain effective teams.
We understand and respect each other, have the dignity of co-owning our collective work and invest discretionary effort, to enjoy the satisfaction of uplifting the children and young people within our care.
Staff Voice
Edurio surveys of Watergrove staff, using the largest national education benchmarks in England, demonstrate that our people feel significantly more positive about our Trust than average in all areas surveyed:
- Clarity of Trust vision and values
- Trust culture
- Communication with the Trust
- Sharing of good practice within the Trust
- Belonging to Trust community
- Benefits of being in a Trust
Partnership
The support of the Watergrove Trust extends free of charge to schools and Trusts who become Watergrove Partners, an informal agreement enabling access to the Attendance Forum, marketing support, the SEND Forum (including developmental SEND reviews by national expert Gill Robinson OBE), Ofsted preparation and leadership training.
