Walney Secondary School joins Furness Education Trust

On January 1, Walney School transferred to Furness Education Trust (FET), becoming the trust’s seventh school.

The trust, which formed in 2019, includes five local primary schools, two of which received Ofsted Outstanding outcomes last year, and the over-subscribed secondary school, Furness Academy.

John Richardson, headteacher, said “We have always had a good relationship with Furness Education Trust, in particular Furness Academy and our secondary school colleagues. When the opportunity to transfer to a different trust was presented to us, FET was our first choice, which aligned with the Department for Education’s vision for Walney School.”

“The trust’s track record in school improvement, strong varied curriculum, offer of opportunities and collaborative approach to working, strengthened our decision that FET was absolutely the right trust for us to join”

Furness Education Trust, sponsored by BAE Systems, boasts a strong central services team, delivering key functions for all schools within the trust, including finance, human resources, facilities management, catering, communications,  IT, and governance.

Mr Richardson said “The trust’s excellent central services team solidified our decision, and we are already seeing huge benefits from working with the team only two weeks into the new term.”

“The trust’s vision and values align closely with our vision for Walney School and for the children in our community. Walney School are proud to be part of Furness Education Trust and we look forward to working collaboratively to the benefit of all our students”.

The trust will provide expert school improvement guidance, curriculum and leadership expertise and a diverse programme of interventions to support outcomes for Walney School. Alongside this, it intends to provide various opportunities for students to develop academically and personally.

Simon Laheney, Chief Executive Officer of Furness Education Trust said “At Furness Education Trust, we are incredibly pleased that Walney School has joined our trust and look forward to working in partnership to provide the best education and opportunities to all students on Walney Island”

“Walney School will benefit from investment of over £2 million which will support school improvement alongside a programme of site and building works, focused on improving the school environment in which our students learn. The trust is also excited to bring a breadth of opportunities to the staff and students at Walney School, including the expansion of the trust’s international programme and the Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber Music in Secondary Schools Trust programme, which puts a classical instrument in the hands of every child who joins the school.”

“At Furness Education Trust we place the needs of all our young people at the heart of everything that we do. With the addition of Walney School, our trust proudly educates over 2,600 students in our community, a number which continues to grow each year. It is our aim as a trust to deliver seamless education built on collaboration by working together as a family of like-minded schools to deliver educational excellence for our students. We are proud to welcome Walney School into our Furness family.”