Introducing Bright Tribe Trust

Posted on January 24, 2013 by David Hopkins

As Director of Education, I am excited by the opportunity of working with Bright Tribe and thought that in my first blog I should describe why Bright Tribe is a new type of multi-academy trust (MAT).

It seems to me that most academy chains are relatively small in terms of the number of schools involved, that they have evolved from previous policy initiatives e.g. Grant Maintained status and Federations, and they are diffuse in terms of educational purpose. Bright Tribe is different in at least five respects:

1. Bright Tribe is driven by an unrelenting moral purpose of ensuring that we create within our schools the learning conditions where every young person can reach their potential – wherever that may lead.
2. Bright Tribe is what is called a de novo organisation. This means that we have not grown out of an existing school or group of schools informed by historic policies and practice. Instead, all our strategies, support and services have been designed from scratch, are fit for purpose and have been developed as an authentic approach to 21st century education.
3. Bright Tribe, in educational terms, has developed an explicit ‘whole school design’. Following recent research it is clear that the most effective and sustainable school improvement strategies involve the adoption of practices that have already proven to be effective elsewhere. We have taken this deliberate scientific approach further, and linked these effective practices to create a comprehensive schooling model.
4. Bright Tribe is unique in that it not only has this educational vision and strategy, but it incorporates significant business expertise and resource united by a common purpose. Bright Tribe’s management team has proven professional and commercial expertise gained in education, industry, government and finance. This ensures consistent quality of service provision, provides operational efficiencies and cost efficiencies and ensures best value.
5. Finally, Bright Tribe is ambitious in scope and scale. From the outset, we are committed to having a national presence. Although we know we have to start small, our intention is to rapidly become the premier MAT in both quality and scale. The Bright Tribe development strategy is based on the following principles:

• All Bright Tribe schools will adopt a whole school design that reflects our common purpose and practices. This is not intended to be prescriptive but rather provide a framework for action that is customised to context.
• Initially Bright Tribe will adopt a geographical recruitment strategy for school recruitment based on Cumbria, Lancashire, Sheffield, Oldham, Liverpool and London.
• We will build capacity in each area around lead schools that provide support for others, so creating mini-systems of diverse yet complementary schools.
• We will develop all-through schools with a strong vocational offer to help build a comprehensive establishment and support community development in local areas.
• Over a relatively short time frame we will extend this approach into a national strategy. These are significant advantages and this approach stands in stark contrast to many other academy chains in the country. It means that Bright Tribe will have a positive impact not just on students, schools and their leadership, but also on their communities and the country as a whole.

For students there is the personalised learning strategy that ensures progress to at least national standards; in terms of schools and leadership there is a tested approach that enables them to rapidly become learning organisations, facilitated by leadership that is humane, strategic and relentless; the commitment to communities is seen in the development of all- through and networks of schools in areas of high challenge together with a range of parental/carer supports and community services; and nationally through the development of an agency and voice that is both articulate and strategic in terms of what a 21st century education delivers for its young people.

It is for these reasons that I am so delighted to be working with Bright Tribe as their Director of Education, and I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.