Welcome to Nexus Education Schools Trust, a multi academy trust made up of eight schools situated in the London Borough of Bromley in Kent.
NEST was first created in 2015 when Farnborough and Worsley Bridge schools came together to create a multi academy trust. On 1 November 2017 the trust expanded when it was joined by six more local schools – all judged to be good or outstanding by Ofsted, creating an exceptional and distinctive learning community of primary schools.
At the heart of our belief system is our focus upon learning – a commitment to the classroom and the core purpose of education. At NEST our commitment to the learning process challenges all of our schools and academies to fully endorse the concept of collaborative learning. Just as our commitment to inclusion is a non-negotiable so too is each school’s contribution to inter-school learning and the development of a NEST wide professional learning community.
“We have a Moral purpose to provide excellence and opportunity for all, to enable lives to be transformed”
Our values are our set of guiding principles which taken together, define what we do and how we do it. They allow us to make the decisions and take action which drive us towards our vision and keep to our core mission. Our values are based on the cooperate values of our partner schools. The words may be different but the moral purpose remains the same.
Our NEST Core Values are supported through our principle of achievement inspired through the NEST ‘CHOICE’ circle.
Nexus Education Schools Trust believe that all decisions and choices should be child centred. We aim to nurture every individual, provide excellent education outcomes enabling our pupils to succeed and ultimately transform the life opportunities and aspirations of our pupils, allowing them to be fulfilled individuals within an ever changing world.
As an organisation we recognise that each school’s communities are different. We value each school’s uniqueness and its contribution; in ensuring pupils have the best education and experiences. Each school is distinct to the success of the organisation. We believe passionately that together we can make a greater difference; providing higher education outcomes and wider opportunities for our pupils and greater prospects for our staff and communities.
Each organisation commits to our CHOICE values. It is a reminder that we have made a choice to be a part of the wider organisation of Nexus Education Schools Trust and that we are all obligated to the community as a whole.
Effective governance in our Trust is supported by the following:
The Members are the Guardians of the constitution and monitors of the vision and values of the organisation. The role is to appoint Directors and to insure the moral purpose of the organisation.
Our Members: – C Lloyd, M Jones, S Charman, A Webber, P Chandler
The Trust Board has overall responsibility and ultimate decision-making authority for all the work of the Academy Trust, including the establishment and maintenance of the Academies.
Our Trustees: – P Chandler, N Kimber, D Stacey, P Farrow, A Youd
Trust Committees support the work of the Trust through the monitoring and receipt of reports and information.
They have three key functions:
NEST Chief Executive Officer (CEO), P. Farrow, is responsible for the development of Trust wide strategies and action plans for the improvement of educational standards and governance across the Trust; to be the ‘holder of the flame’ of the visions and values of Nexus and to ensure the communication of these externally, as well as to Trust staff, to secure educational success through effective strategic planning and execution.
Through inspirational leadership and rigorous policy development the CEO will create a culture of constant improvement, implementing effective systems of organisation and control and high levels of professional standards to secure the highest possible achievement for all in every aspect of the Trust’s provision.
NEST Chief Finance Officer (CFO), A. Smith, is responsible for the financial health, sustainability and development of Nexus Education Schools Trust, its funding and financial systems and managing the Trust financial relationship with stakeholders and statutory bodies.
NEST Staff have a responsibility to support schools in attaining excellent outcomes, effective implementation of MAT wide policies and procedures, provide support and training to the wider organisation.
Name | Department | Role |
Paula Farrow | Central Team | Chief Executive Officer |
Annick Smith | Central Team | Chief Financial Officer |
Lorraine Ashley | Central Team | Teaching and Learning Staff Training and CPD |
Shirley Pugh | Central Team | Finance Support |
Sam Dossetter | Company Secretary Clerk and Governance Support |
Nexus Education Schools Trust registered office
Worsley Bridge Primary School,
Brackley Road,
Beckenham,
Kent BR3 1RF.
Telephone: 020 8 650 2977.
Susan Donovan – Chair of Local Committee
c/o Farnborough Primary School
Farnborough Hill
Farnborough
Kent BR6 7EQ
Academies are required to make available on request a procedure for dealing with complaints by parents of pupils.
This procedure must comply with The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2010 and must offer:-
Within the Nexus Education Schools Multi Academy Trust (NEST) each School has its own complaints policy. Each policy has been agreed with the school’s local governing body and the Trust. Clear stages for complaints, and requirements, are given in each policy.
Where the academy-based complaints procedures have been completed and the complaint does not feel their complaint has been dealt with to their satisfaction by the academy they may contact the Multi Academy Trust in writing to request a review of the complaint investigation.
Generally the Multi Academy Trust will only look into complaint about academies that fall into the following two areas.
A) The academy did not comply with its own complaints procedure when considering a complaint or the academy’s complaints procedure does not comply with statutory requirements.
The Multi Academy Trust cannot review or overturn an academy’s decisions about complaints but will look at whether the academy considered the complaint appropriately. The Multi Academy Trust will generally only do this after a complaint has been through the academy’s own procedure but may investigate sooner if there is evidence of undue delays by the academy. If the Multi Academy Trust finds that an academy did not deal with a complaint appropriately it will request that the complaint is reconsidered. Similarly, if the academy’s complaints procedure does not meet statutory requirements then the Multi Academy Trust will ensure this is put right.
B)The academy has failed to comply with a duty imposed under its funding agreement with the Secretary of State.
The Multi Academy Trust will seek to resolve any concerns regarding potential or actual breaches of the funding agreement with the academy. The Multi Academy Trust will also consider evidence that an academy has failed to comply with any other legal obligation placed on it.
Investigations will not usually take place 12 months or more after the decisions or action taken by the academy unless the complainant has good reason for the delay in making the complaint.
The Multi Academy Trust reserve the right not to investigate complaints considered to be vexatious or malicious or where the Multi Academy Trust is satisfied with the action that the academy has already taken or proposes to take to resolve the complaint.
Complaints to the Multi Academy Trust are in writing addressed to:-
P Chandler, Chair of Trustees
C/o Worsley Bridge Primary School, Brackley Road, Beckenham, BR3 1RF
Where the complaint is regarding the Chair of Trustees, please write to:-
Dossetter, Company Secretary
C/o Worsley Bridge Primary School, Brackley Road, Beckenham BR3 1RF
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