Plashet Parental Letter 31.01.25

Friday 31st January 2025.

Dear Plashet parents and carers,

I wish to share some exciting and important news regarding the future strategic direction of Plashet School. 

Plashet’s Governing Board, the Leadership Team and I are in the process of deciding whether we should join a trust. We are undertaking a thorough review of the current situation of the school and a due diligence process to ensure we make the best choice possible. During the process thus far, we have explored local and national possibilities to find the trust we feel would be the best fit for Plashet and which our students and staff would most benefit from joining.  

The Governing Board’s desire is to enable Plashet to continue to provide an excellent education for our students, whilst protecting our school’s identity and ethos as well as retaining its individual qualities and strengths. The Governing Board has voted to request to enter the process of due diligence with a view to joining the City of London Academies Trust. We believe that this Trust would support the next step in our school’s journey, bringing additional capacity to our operations and to the educational benefit of our girls. 

The City of London family includes schools across the private and state sector as well as many guilds and organisations. Within the City of London sits the City of London Academies Trust or CoLAT which works across five London boroughs. There are currently thirteen state sector academies - three sixth form colleges (including NCS), seven secondary and three primary academies - that make up CoLAT. Whilst each academy within the Trust is different, having their own distinct ethos, all are unified in providing a high-quality educational experience that delivers excellent academic outcomes alongside unique opportunities for personal development.  As CoLAT’s website states: Our history and connections mean we are unlike any other Trust in the country. We are uniquely able to combine the heritage and tradition of the City of London with an innovative and enterprising approach to teaching and learning.

Academies within CoLAT are sponsored by the City of London Corporation, an elected body that looks after the business district around St Paul’s. Mark Emmerson is CEO of CoLAT. Having taught in inner-London schools for over 40 years, Mark is uncompromisingly passionate about ensuring access to the best quality education for disadvantaged children. Most recently, having been CoLAT CEO for 9 years he has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours, awarded an OBE for his services to education. This academic year CoLAT has been ranked the most improved Trust nationally by the DfE.

 
CoLAT have excellent working relationships with the London boroughs in which they have academies and are committed to local admission practices. Through my previous work with CoLAT, as Chair of Governors of Newham Collegiate Sixth Form (NCS) it is my firm belief that combining our clear vision of excellence with that of CoLAT could provide our students with continued excellent education as well as see them benefit 

from CoLAT’s enrichment offer, and the wide range of opportunities provided by the sponsor, City of London Corporation. I feel that such a collaboration could benefit all students, extending opportunities in both the core and wider curriculum. I am excited by the symbiotic working relationships we could develop and the increased opportunity for all. 

Our Governors and Leadership Team are impressed by CoLAT’s track record of support for their academies in Islington, Lambeth, Hackney, Southwark and here in Newham. CoLAT is able to offer a wealth of support in many key areas that could tangibly benefit our students and staff. We are very excited about the future of Plashet and the opportunities that could come from joining such an established and forward-thinking organisation. 

Please be assured that whilst I believe this collaboration could bring many benefits to our school, the partnership would be built on Plashet’s existing success and structure. Therefore, the Leadership Team, staff and support services would remain the same.  Our curriculum offer and caring approach would continue. Our school uniform and school name would remain. Admissions would still sit within LB Newham to ensure this is a fair and open process. I remain committed to providing a stable school environment as I have over the last twelve years. Therefore from a student perspective there would be continuity to their core day-to-day experience, with the added enrichment of the ‘City Experience’.   

The Governing Board has agreed to undertake a due diligence process for Plashet to join CoLAT. This process includes hearing the views of parents and carers in order to ensure you are represented at each stage. We know you will have many initial questions to ask about the benefits of this potential collaboration and the process of joining a Trust. With this in mind, I would like to invite all parents and carers to an informal meeting with the prospective Trust, at Plashet School, on Monday 10th February 2025 at 5.30pm. This will offer a chance to meet with the CEO of CoLAT Mark Emmerson, the CSO Mouhssin Ismail, Governors and members of the Leadership Team to discuss this proposal.  

Our school hall has a limit on numbers (350 maximum) so we would appreciate you completing, via this link, a Google Form to confirm whether you wish to attend the meeting. Each parent or carer needs to complete the form individually. The meeting is for parents and carers only and not for students, as they will have their initial involvement during school time after half-term.  

Please understand that the meeting provides an opportunity to hear why the Governing Board is considering the proposal to join CoLAT. We are not yet at the formal consultation stage.  

The strength of our school and that of our prospective partners means we are confident that we will have the vision, skills and resources to serve the best interests of our Plashet community and to shape our own future destiny.  

It is important that Plashet, as a comprehensive school for girls, always remain at the heart of its community and continue to combine its heritage and tradition with an innovative and enterprising approach to teaching and learning, derived from the best evidence and this, we feel, aligns us with CoLAT as part of the City of London at the heart of our capital. 

I hope to see you at the meeting. 

Yours faithfully, 

Rachel McGowan

Headteacher