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.
Heanor Gate Spencer Academy were proud to welcome Georgia Gould, Minister of State for School Standards, and Amber Valley MP, Linsey Farnsworth, last Thursday (16 October), as part of a national focus on boosting literacy and attainment across secondary schools.
The visit recognised Heanor Gate’s outstanding work in supporting white working-class (WWC) pupils to achieve beyond national expectations. National data shows this group of students - defined as pupils eligible for free school meals and of white British ethnicity - often face some of the poorest outcomes across the country. However, at Heanor Gate, WWC students make more progress at Key Stage 4 than the national average, marking the Academy as one of only a handful of secondary schools nationally achieving this success.
Leaders from across the Spencer Academies Trust gathered last Friday for the annual Trust Leadership Day. Over 70 members, including Academy Principals, Trustees, Senior Leaders and Central Support colleagues, came together for a day of collaboration and forward planning.
Recognised for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence using technology, Sunnyside Spencer Academy is pleased to announce it has been recognised as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2025-2028 program term.
The Spencer Academies Trust is celebrating the outstanding success of a group of former Farnborough Spencer Academy students who, after joining Rushcliffe Spencer Academy Sixth Form, have gone on to achieve exceptional results and secure places at some of the UK’s most respected universities and courses.
Students across Spencer Academies Trust are celebrating their best ever set of GCSE results today, with achievements once again above national averages.
This year, 72% of entries across the Trust’s eight secondary schools achieved grade 4 or above in English and Maths, while 54% secured grade 5 or higher. The Trust’s Attainment 8 score, 49.5, also exceeded the national average from 2024, alongside a rise in the number of pupils entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc - those entering qualifications in English, maths, sciences, a language and either history or geography), now standing at 43%, and the Average EBacc Point Score, 4.45.
Sixth form students across the Spencer Academies family of schools are celebrating today after achieving another year of excellent A-Level results. 26% of grades awarded were at A*-A, and 55% at A*-B, reflecting the hard work and dedication of our young people.
The Spencer Academies Trust Primary Pupil Parliament came together for their final meeting of the academic year to celebrate achievements, reflect on their journey, and look ahead to the future.
The session brought together representatives from primary academies across the Trust to discuss the impact of their work and how they have helped shape change in their schools and communities over the past year. The Pupil Parliament is made up of two pupils from each primary school and provides a platform for children to have their voices heard on key issues, with steering groups centred around the environment, community, teaching and learning and SEND and inclusion.
Staff and pupils at Arnold Hill Spencer Academy are celebrating after the school was judged ‘Good’ in four categories and ‘Outstanding’ for sixth form in its June inspection. The report means that Arnold Hill Spencer is now at least ‘good’ in every aspect, replacing its previous ‘requires improvement’ judgement from 2023. Arnold Hill Spencer is now also one of only a handful of schools in Nottinghamshire to have an ‘outstanding’ sixth form – an exceptional moment for the academy and community.