Today we’re celebrating National School Governors’ Day and saying a huge thank you to all the incredible governors across Spencer Academies Trust.
Our governors give their time, expertise and energy to support and challenge our schools and their commitment makes a lasting difference to our pupils, staff and communities.
Fifty pupils from Chetwynd Spencer Academy were proud to represent Spencer Academies Trust at the opening night of Young Voices in Birmingham last month - one of the world’s largest school choir events.
We’re delighted to announce Kate Green as our new Interim Chief Executive Officer at Spencer Academies Trust!
Kate’s journey with Spencer began back in 2003, when she joined Fairfield Spencer Academy as a newly qualified teacher. Since then, her career has gone from strength to strength as she progressed through a range of leadership roles - from Principal and Executive Principal roles to most recently serving as our Director of Primary Education - making a lasting impact across our Trust.
Yesterday, colleagues from across the Spencer Academies Trust - including principals, executive leaders, members of the Board of Directors and central colleagues - came together to bid farewell to our long-standing CEO, Paul West.
After eight and a half years of exceptional leadership, Paul moves on to exciting pastures new, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. Reflecting on his time at Spencer, Paul described the role as “the most professionally humbling and enriching experience of my career,” noting that the Trust has been “part of my identity” and “part of my sense of purpose.”
Spencer Academies Trust recently brought together a group of Year 13 students from five of its sixth forms for a Medicine Mock Interview Day, designed to support and prepare aspiring medical students for the competitive application process.
Pupil representatives from across Spencer Academies Trust came together this term for the first Pupil Parliament meeting of the 2025-26 academic year. The session marked an inspiring start to a new year of collaboration and pupil voice across the Trust.
The day opened with a lively and engaging question-and-answer session with Fiona Hallam, Trust Head of Safeguarding. Pupils were keen to learn more about Fiona’s role and her journey within the Spencer family, asking thoughtful questions about everything from her favourite foods and holiday destinations to her love of Formula One.
Bispham Spencer pupils enjoyed a memorable finish to UK Parliament Week as they welcomed Juliet Campbell, MP for Broxtowe, for an engaging morning of discussion and inspiration.
Juliet began her visit with Bispham’s School Council - made up of two elected representatives from every class, all of whom prepared speeches as part of their campaigns. Pupils were eager to share details of their current whole-school referendum on whether Labubu dolls should be allowed in school, and Juliet was impressed by their understanding of democratic processes.
Ashwood Spencer Academy is delighted to announce that, following its most recent Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Review, the academy has been awarded Flagship School Status - a prestigious recognition reserved for schools demonstrating the highest levels of inclusive practice. This achievement reflects the academy’s unwavering commitment to ensuring every child is supported and able to thrive.
Spencer Academies Trust were delighted to welcome Dame Alison Peacock, CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching, for visits to two of its academies last week. Dame Alison toured both Chetwynd Spencer Academy and Heanor Gate Spencer Academy to see first-hand the high-quality teaching and nurturing environments that characterise Trust schools.
Heanor Gate Spencer Academy marked a major milestone last week with the official opening of its brand-new, state-of-the-art school building - an ambitious development set to transform learning experiences for current and future students. The school welcomed staff, leaders from the Spencer Academies Trust, local dignitaries, and a small group of student representatives to a special open event held on Friday, celebrating the culmination of a project many years in the making. The full building opened to all students on Monday 24th, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the academy.
Schools across the Spencer Academies Trust were filled with colour, creativity and community spirit last Friday as pupils and staff took part in a range of fun activities to support BBC Children in Need. Here are some moments from the day…
Last term, IT colleagues from across the Spencer Academies Trust came together for our annual ITS Conference Day 2025 - a day to reflect on our incredible journey in IT transformation and to look ahead at the exciting innovations shaping the future of digital learning and support across our Trust.
Paul West, Chief Executive, opened the day with a powerful introduction, charting the evolution of our IT service from an outsourced managed provider to a fully in-house service. This shift has given us greater control, capability, and flexibility - enabling us to deliver smarter, more responsive IT services for both students and colleagues.