Thriving Trust Communities series
Enhancing Collaboration in Multi-Academy Trusts
Why collaboration matters in school trusts
Trusts facilitate collaboration through structured meetings, professional learning communities, and networking opportunities that allow staff to share best practices and innovative ideas. This culture of knowledge-sharing strengthens the sense of community and drives collective improvement across both centralised and autonomous trust models.
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Share Strategies for enhancing collaboration in multi-academy trusts
- Structured knowledge-sharing networks across schools
- Trust-wide professional learning communities
- Leveraging digital platforms for resource sharing
- Creating informal spaces for organic collaboration
- Sharing expertise across phases and subjects
Meet the contributors to the guide
We sincerely thank the individuals who generously volunteered their time and expertise to contribute to this guide about thriving trust communities. Their willingness to share their experiences is a testament to their leadership values and their commitment to giving back to the sector.
We interviewed 7 of the top 10 trusts that received the Trust Value Award 2024 to discover what drives their success.
Structured knowledge-sharing networks across schools
LEO Academy Trust established network learning communities where staff from different schools collaborate based on roles and expertise. These networks include subject leaders, SENDCOs, office managers, and mental health first aiders, ensuring expertise is shared across the trust. Facilitators receive shared training to ensure consistency while allowing for local adaptation.
“Beyond traditional leadership meetings, we’ve significantly expanded our network learning communities over the past few years. These communities focus on ‘Learning, Excellence, and Opportunity,’ connecting their specific expertise to our Trust’s core vision. Initially, we established these communities for different subject areas, with a central leader training facilitators and providing a shared framework for each subject. Now, these communities have grown beyond academic subjects and encompass various roles such as office managers, first aiders, mental health first aiders, and SENDCOs.” – Alison Day, Executive Director of Growth and Development, LEO Academy Trust
Lesson for trust leaders:
Formal networks for peer learning strengthen collaboration and innovation. Trusts can structure opportunities for subject specialists and operational staff to share expertise across schools.
Trust-wide professional learning communities
Windsor Academy Trust developed professional learning communities (PLCs) where staff meet regularly to discuss best practices, challenges, and strategies for school improvement. These PLCs span multiple areas, including curriculum leadership, sustainability, and civic engagement, ensuring collaboration reaches all staff levels.
“Collaboration isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a lived value. These professional learning communities allow staff to connect, innovate, and find solutions collectively.” – Claire Gething, Director of Communications, Windsor Academy Trust
Lesson for trust leaders:
Encouraging continuous professional dialogue among staff fosters a culture of shared learning. Trusts can create structured forums where teachers and leaders can regularly exchange ideas.
Leveraging digital platforms for resource sharing
Rose Learning Trust uses SharePoint as a centralised hub where staff can access and upload resources, collaborate on projects, and streamline communication. The platform ensures best practices are easily accessible while reducing reliance on lengthy email chains.
“SharePoint has become a hub for sharing best practices and celebrating successes. We’ve worked hard to think clearly about communication pathways so that people don’t lose faith in the system.” – Jeremy Harris, CEO, Rose Learning Trust
Lesson for trust leaders:
Digital platforms can enhance collaboration across dispersed schools. Trusts should invest in accessible, user-friendly systems that facilitate knowledge sharing without adding to staff workload.
Creating informal spaces for organic collaboration
Infinity Academies Trust balances structured meetings with informal networking opportunities. Trust events include deliberate free time for casual conversations, recognising that many impactful collaborations happen organically outside of formal sessions.
“It’s the water cooler stuff that builds relationships… we provide nearly as much free time in events as scheduled content.” – Gavin Booth, CEO, Infinity Academies Trust
Lesson for trust leaders:
Collaboration isn’t just about structured meetings—it thrives in informal interactions. Trusts can design events with time for unstructured discussions to foster stronger professional relationships.
Sharing expertise across phases and subjects
The Pinnacle Learning Trust fosters collaboration across different educational phases and subject areas, ensuring that expertise is shared strategically. Teachers and leaders collaborate on curriculum development, professional learning, and subject-specific knowledge exchange. For example, the trust’s sixth form science department provided support to secondary school science teachers when the GCSE curriculum changed, ensuring a seamless transition and upskilling of staff.
“For example, colleagues from the science department at the sixth form college provided some professional development support for the secondary school science department at the point at which the curriculum changed and some of the AS level content went into the GCSE specifications.” – Jayne Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, The Pinnacle Learning TrustThriving Trust Community.
Lesson for trust leaders:
Encouraging cross-phase and subject-specific collaboration strengthens professional knowledge and enhances curriculum continuity. Trusts can leverage internal expertise across different schools to ensure smooth curriculum transitions and high-quality subject teaching.
How Edurio Unlimited helps foster collaboration in trusts
Identifying best practices
- Surveys can highlight top-performing schools in key areas so their strategies can be shared across the trust.
Staff collaboration surveys
- Collect data on how effectively teachers and leaders collaborate, ensuring learning communities thrive.
Improving trust-wide communication
- Understand whether staff feel informed and connected across the trust’s network.
Why Edurio Unlimited?
✅ Unlimited surveys – Trusts can run as many surveys as needed, ensuring continuous monitoring.
✅ Customisable & scalable – Adaptable surveys allow both centralised trust-wide oversight and school-specific flexibility.
✅ Real-time insights & benchmarking – Compare internal results across schools and benchmark against national data.
✅ Evidence-based decision making – Trust leaders can use data-driven insights to inform policy changes and strategic decisions.
💡 By leveraging Edurio Unlimited, school trusts can create a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring that every strategic decision is informed by real feedback from staff, students, and parents.