Latest News

All the latest news happening here:

• CEO blog -

  Fri 23 Oct 2020 Mrs Kate Brunt

  Congratulations and Thank You

  Firstly, congratulations to Caroline Hoddinott, our vice-chair of trustees, who has been awarded an OBE for services to education. Throughout her career, Caroline has worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for pupils locally and nationally. We are fortunate to have the support of such an experienced and talented education specialist and I am delighted that Caroline’s contribution to the education sector has been recognised at the highest level.

  Congratulations also go to NWPA on a successful Health & Safety COVID-19 inspection. Reassuringly, the inspection highlighted the benefits of collaboration and confirmed that we are doing all we can to keep everyone in our family of schools as safe as possible.

  I have been reflecting with pride and gratitude on the commitment shown by everyone in our Rivers family over the past eight weeks. Our pupils, far from being the “lost generation” we hear so much about in the media, have shown robustness and resilience and our schools have kept learning at the forefront of everything they do. So, congratulations and thank you, everyone, for your dedication, your willingness to support one another and your hard work.

  I wish you all a restful and very well-deserved half-term break.

  Kate Brunt

  CEO

• CEO blog - Governance

  Fri 16 Oct 2020 Mrs Kate Brunt

  I cannot overstate the importance of good governance and the positive difference that our trustees and school improvement board members make to our trust. I am full of admiration for this team of volunteers who willingly give so much of their time and work tirelessly to improve outcomes for our pupils and families.

  This week, we approved the appointments of a new chair and vice-chair of trustees, Emma Hughes and Caroline Hoddinott. On behalf of the trust, I want to thank our previous chair, Carl Nichols, for the important work he has done and to say how delighted I am that he is not abandoning us entirely but has agreed to become our health and wellbeing link trustee, a role that is more important than ever in the current challenging climate.

  We regretfully said goodbye and thank you to Andrew Bourne, who has supported the trust so ably, in particular, in his work to improve outcomes for our vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, and we welcomed our new trustee, Anna Gilbert.

  These are exciting times for Rivers and it is reassuring to know that we continue to benefit from the wealth of knowledge and diversity of skills and experience of our trustees and SIB members. Thank you all - it is a privilege to work with you!

  Kate Brunt

  CEO

• CEO blog - Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM)

  Wed 14 Oct 2020 Mrs Kate Brunt

  As you know, I can never resist an opportunity to highlight the benefits of collaboration and, this week, I want to share a couple of examples with you. Firstly, our TATS (Trust Around the School) meetings. These meetings, introduced last year, are a great example of how working together benefits everyone. Each school has a termly TATS meeting which brings together (in a virtual space at the moment) the CEO, finance director, HR, director of operations, director of education, school improvement executive and school’s head. Already, the positive impact of these meetings can be seen at school and trust level.

  Another example of the advantages of working together has been the smooth roll out across all schools of our new, online learning platform, Seesaw, which will be used for homework and remote learning in the probable event of future bubble closures. In this case, the combination of the central team’s clear overview of all schools within the trust and its ability to take strategic decisions, the inspirational work done by heads and the expertise of our School Improvement Board has benefited our whole family of schools. It may be a cliché but it’s definitely true that ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’!

  Kate Brunt

  CEO

• CEO blog - Exciting News!

  Fri 02 Oct 2020 Mrs Kate Brunt

   

  I have some exciting news to share with you this week! I am delighted to report that our application to open a brand-new, purpose-built, alternative provision primary school has been successful. This much-needed provision will open in the Wyre Forest area of Worcestershire in September 2022.

  I firmly believe that collaboration is crucial to ensure a successful educational experience for all pupils at our new school and we have begun as we mean to go on. We have started to engage with stakeholders and are already benefitting from the expert knowledge and experience of local headteachers and external professionals in designing the interior of the building.

  Having previously opened a brand-new school in September 2019, I am only too aware of the highs and lows of a process that ranges from sourcing quiet hand dryers and keeping the builders well supplied with homemade cakes to designing the curriculum! However, just imagining how different this bare site will look when we open our doors to pupils in September 2022 excites and invigorates me for the challenges ahead. Bring it on! The benefits for pupils, families and schools across Worcestershire will be worth any sleepless nights that I may have over the next two years!

  Kate Brunt

  CEO