Stour Valley Educational Trust will provide a secure, stimulating and inclusive centre of academic excellence in rural education.

Central to our vision is the belief in the uniqueness of every student, and that every young person has gifts to discover and share with others. It is our responsibility to nurture and develop those gifts.

Our mission is to open students’ minds to their personal potential and enable them to aspire to brighter academic, professional and vocational futures in our community and beyond. This in turn will lead our students to achieve economic independence with national and international employers or with the growing regionally based industries in Suffolk, Cambridge and Essex. 

SVET Strategic Priorities

Sustainability

Continuous Improvement

Inspired Learners

Civic Responsibility

Collaboration 

Sustaining our Trust as a centre of academic excellence in rural education at secondary and primary level is our overarching strategic objective. Academic excellence will be delivered by the schools in our Multi Academy Trust that serve the communities of Clare and surrounding villages, which retain their individual identity and champion the Trust’s values, while seeking out and sharing best practice in all aspects of education.

Our sustainability will require our schools to attract consistently high student numbers, to continually manage budgets closely, and to develop new income streams.

Continuous Improvement

To further sustain our Trust, we must be better at everything we do.If we are not continually getting better at everything we do then we are either standing still or going backwards. As custodians of our students’ futures, we have a duty to deliver the very best in curriculum and teaching and learning strategies supported by effective processes and strong communications.

Continuous development of our staff and the seeking out of best practice in teaching and learning, pastoral care and the well-being of staff and students, will enable us to challenge the content and delivery of our curriculum to ensure that it meets the current and developing needs of all our students. This will require a defined and measurable cycle of continuous improvement across the Trust and will lead to improving levels of student outcomes.

Strong governance by Trustees and Governors will be critical to our success: external and self-assessment of our governance will lead to further trustee/governor training and development.

Inspired Learners

It is our responsibility to develop our students into inspired learners who have a true thirst for knowledge which goes well beyond the confines of national examinations and a broad and balanced curriculum. By opening students minds we can engender a love of learning and self-improvement which will enrich their personal and professional lives. Our curriculum and extra-curricular activities must take every opportunity to challenge our students to become inquisitive and inspired learners.

Civic Responsibility

The schools in our Trust are rooted in their local community. Our schools are themselves communities. Whether looking inward within our schools or outward into local society, it is our duty as custodians of our young people’s futures to ensure that they understand the benefits and responsibilities that come with being in a strong and caring community. There are unwritten rules of mutual respect and understanding, of decency and behaviour and of mutual support and caring. It is our duty to ensure that students engage in a wide range of activities and are equipped with this understanding so they can take a full part in their communities now and in later life.

Collaboration

We embrace the opportunities offered by working with colleagues in other schools and Trusts to raise attainment for all young people.

We believe collaboration is a vital tool in the school improvement arsenal. It can be used to improve teaching and learning, leadership, and use of data and assessment as well as add capacity to school support systems through traded service level agreements. It works best when partners have similar characteristics, are nearby and both sides are fully committed at all levels.