Merger Consultation

We are pleased to formally open a public consultation for the possible merger between our two successful and thriving multi-academy trusts, Endeavour Schools Trust (EST) and Shires Multi Academy Trust (Shires MAT).

A public consultation provides an opportunity for all stakeholders from each Trust, including pupils, parents/carers, staff and local communities, to become fully informed of the merger process and have a voice within that process.

The Consultation is open from Thursday 20th March – Friday 2nd May 2025.

This is an exciting time and opportunity for us as we continue our drive to provide the best education provision for everyone in our family of schools. However, both Trust Boards recognise that change has the potential to cause uncertainty. We understand that you will have lots of views and questions, and we would like to invite you to attend one of our Consultation events, being held across the Trust during the Consultation period (the content of each event will be the same):

Ridgeway Secondary School, Astwood Bank – Monday, 31st March 2025 – 6.00pm – 7.00pm

Crabbs Cross First School, Redditch – Tuesday, 1st April 2025 – 6.00pm – 7.00pm

The Vaynor First School – Tuesday 29th April 2025 – 6:00pm – 7:00pm

We look forward to listening to your views and hearing your thoughts to help shape our future.

How to respond and give your views

We appreciate it may not be possible for you to attend your chosen event. Below we have provided additional information and some helpful FAQs to give you further information about the merger and the next steps:

There are several ways to provide feedback:

All views will be reviewed to ensure the consultation process complies fully with the 2018 Cabinet Office principles for a fair and open consultation. At the end of the consultation period, subject to the outcome of the consultation, we will publish a decision regarding whether or not to proceed with our proposals. This is likely to be in May 2025.

Background

Endeavour Schools Trust was first established in 2013 (as Redditch West Schools Trust) and Shires Multi Academy Trust in 2020. Both Endeavour and Shires serve local communities in Redditch but also Studley and Bromsgrove. Endeavour has expanded from two schools to four schools currently (all First Schools in Redditch). Shires established with three schools in 2020 and now has six schools (three secondary/high and three primary schools).

Both Trusts have proven their capacity and capability of school improvement, supporting schools out of special measures. Both Trusts have community-based values at the heart of their organisations and strive to ensure excellent opportunities for learning, enrichment, and wider development for pupils. Both Trusts value the importance of what each individual school brings to the collective family of schools within each Trust. This is particularly the case for the three Church schools within both MATs, where a Christian ethos and ‘serving the common good’ are at the heart of their provision.

Why is a merger being considered?

It is now well documented that groups of schools working together in formal partnership as MATs, have the potential to improve outcomes and experiences for pupils. Both Shires MAT (3,250 pupils and six schools), and Endeavour School Trust (950 pupils and four schools) have successfully developed offers for their schools, to support continued improvements and an increasing consistency of offer for local communities.

Since the new government has been in place, several funding streams linked to increasing capacity for growth of trusts and support for legal/operational costs for academy conversions has diminished. In addition to this it is clear the new government are keen to see larger organisations working to secure better outcomes and experiences for pupils, whilst maintaining efficiencies to support as much funding as possible going to where it makes the biggest difference for pupils.

As two small Trusts we believe that uniting our schools into one Trust will ensure a high-quality focus on learning and experiences for children in our care, whilst also increasing efficiency and the ability to drive high quality and sustained change within schools. As an organisation of 11 schools (Beoley First School are also hoping to join Shires MAT) with 4300-4500 pupils we believe we can increase collaboration between schools, share best practice and provide opportunities to pupils, staff, and communities better than if we remain as two separate organisations.

Following careful consideration, and being in the best interests of the children and young people, staff, and local communities that both Trusts serve, we are excited by the prospects and benefits that a potential merger will bring and feel that this is an opportune time for both Trusts to join and grow together.

What will the legal changes be?

If a decision is made to merge, Shires MAT as the larger Trust would be known as the ‘receiving’ Trust, with Endeavour Schools Trust known as the ‘transferring’ Trust. All employees from EST would join Shires MAT.

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) regulations will apply and staff currently working for Endeavour Schools Trust will be transferred, under TUPE conditions. Endeavour Schools Trust staff will be protected to transfer on the same employment terms and conditions, including pensions.

The existing legal agreements for use of and ownership of the schools’ land and buildings will be transferred from EST to Shires as the base Trust. The protections that ensure that the land and buildings can only be used for educational purposes will also transfer.

Who makes the final decision on the proposal?

Each Trust Board will independently decide as to whether the merger will proceed, based on the outcomes of the due diligence process and consultation with all stakeholders. It is expected that this decision will be made by both Trust boards no later than the end of May 2025. An application will then be submitted to the DfE. The application is then considered by the Regional Advisory Board of the DfE, chaired by the Regional Director for the West Midlands. Ultimate decision-making responsibility lies with the regional DfE board.

Could other schools join the new trust in the future?

Yes, other schools including primary and secondary could join in the future. The creation of a larger Trust could bring additional benefits for children and young people, staff, and local communities, however, our priority at this stage, if approved, is to focus on the successful and smooth merging of both Trusts. Opportunities for further growth after this point would be carefully considered by the Trust Board, with decisions always made in the best interest of our immediate school communities. In addition, Shires MAT currently has one First school application being considered by the Regional Commissioner in the next few weeks, potentially taking the number of Shires Mat schools to  seven prior to merger.

What are the benefits of merging?

There are expert staff and excellent leaders in both Trusts. Merging the current school improvement teams will support us in delivering an overall improved offer within the Trust. As efficiencies emerge, we will be able to attract and retain high quality staff as well as drive improvement where needed. The sharing of knowledge, skills, expertise and resources will mean we can offer a strengthened curriculum and enhanced enrichment activities. The relative strengths of each trust team will support an enhanced offer within one organisation.

The merger will ensure a further £150k of capital investment (SCA funding) annually to add to the investment already received by Shires MAT. In addition, the consolidation of trust reserves across ten schools supports resilience to financial pressures education currently faces.

We are living in a time of significant educational reform with OFSTED consultations, curriculum reviews, SEND reforms and a Schools Bill; not to mention ‘school efficiencies’ the new government have cited in terms of managing increasing wage and NI costs. A larger Trust is better able to cope with change and uncertainty both in the context of the education landscape and financially.

We will also focus on the core business of teaching, learning and safeguarding. A larger Trust can better utilise resources to support continuous improvement in all schools, and creating a larger trust reduces the overall administrative burden. Every school in the Trust will be stronger by being part of our family of schools.

The Trust will provide support and training for its local governors, who will have regular liaison directly with leaders and the Board via the Chairs’ group. A highly skilled and experienced Board of Trustees with membership drawn from both Trusts will provide strategic direction and oversight, whilst excellent back-office support in Finance, HR, Health & Safety, Estate Management, coordination, and marketing will underpin the financial security of being part of a larger organisation.

In addition, it will help support the ongoing sustainability of both Trusts and its schools from an operational perspective, with reasons including:

  • The Department for Education continues to actively promote the creation of larger Trusts, through mergers of smaller Trusts. This voluntary merger ensures that we have control over our future, rather than it being dictated to us.
  • Both Trusts have strategic priorities for growth, with a potential merger as one option to achieve this.
  • The creation of a larger Trust is more attractive to potential future schools joining and therefore provides immediate future growth potential; with additional secondary schools joining our family of schools.
  • Small Trusts do not yield some of the benefits of larger Trusts. For example, financial efficiency.

There are many reasons why both Trusts believe that a merger is in the interests of our pupils, staff, and communities. These are explained within our Frequently Asked Questions.

FAQs

What will be the benefits to children and young people?

Children and young people learning at a school in the Trust will benefit from the coordination of activities and events across the schools (such as music and performance opportunities, exhibitions, competitions, charity events, fixtures, and scholarly activities etc). This is particularly true for 4–11 year old pupils in Redditch, where seven/eight schools will unite under one organisation to benefit from experiences and collaboration.

A highly effective Improvement Team with experienced primary, secondary, SEND, safeguarding and personal development specialists, will ensure our provision is the best it can be. It will create further resource to ensure a sharp focus on meeting the needs of disadvantaged children and young people, and those with additional needs and special talents, will ensure inspirational learning for all.

Children and young people will have the opportunity to participate in Trust-wide groups focused on areas important to them. This includes opportunities for leadership, sports, arts, music and performance, sustainability, and careers. A larger Trust will be able to offer a much greater range of opportunities to children and young people, both educationally and through enrichment activities.

Outcomes for pupils will continue to improve over time. A larger trust offers significant opportunity to focus on specific goals to ensure high levels of achievement across all schools, regardless of context.

Will schools change their names?

The names of all the schools will remain the same. Many of the schools have a long and rich history; all have a reputation and value within their local community. Both Trusts currently respect that their individuality is represented through their name, this will not change after merger.

Would the merged trust provide Initial Teacher Training?

The merged Trust would look to increase the number of trainee teachers it works with. Shires Teaching Alliance is a Regional Hub, accredited by University of Worcester, providing a route into teaching in the Worcestershire/Warwickshire area – we are passionate about recruiting and developing new teachers, and will continue to do this going forward.

How will the merger raise attainment, especially for disadvantaged pupils?

The merged Trust would – as both Trusts currently do – hold children and young people at the heart. Each school has a lead for disadvantaged children and young people and bringing them together into a larger organisation enables us to share learning and expertise, derive greater benefits from our scale, and provide all children (whether disadvantaged or not) with more opportunities. Shires MAT has specialist responsibilities for staff to lead on opportunities to enrich pupils lives across the trust. EST has a strong school improvement offer which will merge into the Shires offer as the two trusts unite.

Will Shires MAT consider age range changes in the Trust?

EST has recently consulted on changing Crabbs Cross from a First School to a Primary. The consultation feedback was overwhelmingly positive from parents, but the LA did not support the proposed change. This means the proposal has now been withdrawn by the school and the local community informed.

In terms of the merger, there have been no discussions about age range changes and there are no plans to propose any age range changes. All the schools within the EST feed into local middle schools and that system has capacity to welcome all pupils from EST at the end of year 4. Shires MAT already has North Bromsgrove High School within the Trust and Beoley First School is due to join in the coming months. Both schools work closely with their local partners within a three-tier system and this remains unchanged.

We welcome all opportunities to work collectively as educationalists across the Redditch area and believe this merger supports greater collaboration. This merger is not linked to any plans for age range changes but is progressing based on the reasons outlined in our FAQs.

Will our schools lose their individuality?

The identity and ethos of each school will not be changed as a result of the potential merger. Both Trusts celebrate the fact that each school, including Church schools, have their own individuality. This is important and will be maintained.

What about the church school status of some schools?

The Diocese of Worcester has been consulted about the potential merger, and it supports these discussions. An application to gain formal consent is to be completed for the Diocesan Board of Education to consider, should the merger proceed. There will be no changes to the Church school status of schools and they will continue as they currently are, being supported by both the Trust and the Diocese.

The church school status that some three of the proposed Trust schools have, are an important part of the school’s individual distinctiveness and it is important this continues to be recognised and supported by the Trust.

Will school uniforms change?

No! The special and unique identity of each school is very important, and we will continue to recognise and celebrate the history and identities of the different schools as we embrace a larger family of schools.

Will governance change?

Both Trusts currently have members, trustees, and local governance committees. Should the two Trusts merge, the governance structure linked to Shires would remain in place. Local committees from EST would remain but linked to the Shires governance terms of reference and scheme of delegation. The resultant Trust board would consist of a mix of current trustees and members from each Trust. The total number of trustees and members is likely to increase to broaden the skills and expertise required to manage a larger trust of 11 schools. The proportion of church representation linked to members and trustees would remain as it currently is.

How will the movement of staff work?

We anticipate that some staff might welcome the opportunity to have experience in different schools and communities if they wish, but there will be no changes to the conditions of employment of existing staff.

Will there be further benefits to staff?

A larger Trust offers greater career development opportunities for staff, improving leadership and staff stability and succession planning. In addition, the merged Trust will benefit from the sharing of knowledge and expertise between leaders, staff, and members of the governance community – across the two Trusts there is a wealth of expertise that will benefit all.

Staff will have increased opportunities through coordination and collaborative working.

All staff will benefit from greater opportunities that include:

  • A programme of training and high-quality professional development
  • Secondments and career development, including leadership development at all levels
  • Membership of Trust-wide Learning Communities and collaboration between heads, curriculum/phase leaders, inclusion leads/SENCOs, safeguarding leads, non-teaching staff, subject leaders, aspirant leaders as well as wellbeing and workload reduction groups.
  • Cross phase groups leading developments in key areas including curriculum development, teaching and learning, assessment, action research, wellbeing, and equalities
  • Career development, progression and coordinated succession planning
  • A commitment to staff wellbeing, including an Employee Assistance Programme
  • Access to Leadership development opportunities
  • Teacher training programmes for those early in their careers or wanting to develop specialisms
  • Collaboration with peer groups across the Trust including cross-phase working

If the merger proceeds, we anticipate combining central office teams to create greater resources and increased support for all schools in the Trust. There will not be any staff redundancies because of the merger.

Will staff pay be affected by the merger?

All teachers at both Trusts currently are paid in accordance with the statutory provisions of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) and stay within the legal framework of other relevant legislation that affects all employers, for example, legislation on equality, employment protection and data protection. This will not change following a merger.

All support staff roles are linked to recognised scales and (NJC/LA) both trusts currently support national recommendations for pay awards etc. Roles are benchmarked and linked to responsibility. This will not change following the merger.

Who will lead the Trust?

It is our intention that Lee Gray (CEO of Shires) would become the CEO and Nicki Wright (CEO of EST) would become Director of Primary Learning. Nicki and Lee bring extensive leadership skills and experience across early years, primary and secondary.

What will be the new Trust’s values and approach?

The Trust’s mission will be to live out the vision of ‘Growing together – through nurture, equity, service and wisdom so that every child can flourish.’ We will provide inspirational learning, development, and opportunities for all members of our Trust. Within our Trust we will work hard, treat each other with kindness, nurture pupils and staff as well as going out of our way to help others. All of this aligns perfectly to the Endeavour Schools Trust approach of ‘Inspire to excel’ where values such as determination and respect, when combined with a restlessness to always improve and ‘do better’, result in great experiences and outcomes for pupils. 

Will staff retain the same workplace?

For the vast majority of staff things will continue as currently, with staff linked to existing schools. There is always the opportunity for staff to develop their careers and experiences by collaborative working (as currently exists in both trusts) and working across different sites (through agreement). Although there is no certainty to this, we know we will have increased numbers of staff working across a central team and there will need to be some alignment of workplaces/office locations to fit any new structure created. If there are such changes, they will be managed carefully and any decisions made will reflect the quality of offer to support children and schools in delivering the best outcomes and experiences. We anticipate this affecting very few individuals in each trust. For example, the CEO and Primary Director may need to move locations to support specialist teams having the space they need to work.

What happens next?

Considerable work will be required before the two Trust Boards can formally take the decision to merge and whatever is decided will be based on what is best for the future education of all the children and young people in our schools. Both Trusts will undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the resources, finances, and other aspects of the schools in each Trust and the central associated services of each Trust. Once this due diligence has been completed to the satisfaction of both Trusts a final decision about whether to merge will take place, and a business case will be submitted to the Regional Director.

A Merger Working Group has been established, comprising the two Trust Chairs, four trustees and the CEOs. The detailed work will be undertaken by a number of staff working which will bring together expertise from across the two Trusts.

What are the timescales?

We anticipate that the merger, should it take place, would proceed for January 2026. Progress would be subject to approval from the Regional Director (acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education) after scrutiny at the West Midlands Advisory Board.

Please do let us know your feedback or any questions you may have, by contacting us using the details above.

Responses via post:

Shires MAT 1366 Evesham Road, Astwood Bank, Redditch, B96 6EH 

EST, The Bungalow, The Vaynor First School, Tennyson Road, Headless Cross, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 5BL

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