While we cannot know the future, the purpose of the CLF Strategy 2030 is to ensure the CLF is prepared and focused on meeting the challenges of this decade, while also providing hope and opportunities to our learners, our people and our communities; it is against the ideals of this narrative that work of the trust is monitored and its future success judged.

Steve Taylor, CEO - Cabot Learning Federation

Our Core Strategy

Equity Through Education is underpinned by three core strategies central to all trust activity. They guide decisions around development and improvement, while adhering to our commitment to create equity of opportunity, promote inclusion, remove disadvantage and reject discrimination.

Our Sub-Strategies

Designed as enablers of our core pillars, these seven sub-strategies transcend teams and departments to resonate throughout the CLF. Driven by senior members of staff and reviewed annually, these ambitions will contribute to the sustainable development of the trust.

EDI
Wellbeing
Digital
Voice
Leadership
Operating at Scale
Environment
  • Unwavering commitment to advancing equal opportunities for all, eliminating discrimination, and upholding CLF values of equity, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Ensure the Trust remains a place where everyone feels they belong and supported to succeed.
  • Support the drive to diversify the CLF workforce to reflect the diverse communities we serve.
  • Grow EDI Networks which create safe spaces for children and adults to be themselves.
  • Provide resources to help staff and students positively and proactively manage their wellbeing.
  • Ensure support is signposted and easily available if people are struggling.
  • Further evolve a wellbeing curriculum which aligns with our goal of self-agency.
  • Play an active role in communities which supports equitable access to mental health services for all – particularly those experiencing disadvantage.
  • Enable all staff and pupils to safely and effectively work and learn anytime, anywhere.
  • Be future-seekers, equipped and ready to adopt technology which has ‘crossed the chasm’.
  • Give people the right tools to support their work, and train them to excel.
  • Embrace technology which supports partnership ambitions within the community and across clusters and wider education system.
  • Be a listening organisation which puts its people at the heart of strategic choices.
  • Nurture cohesive and coherent systems which gather and understand stakeholder views.
  • Maintain strong understanding of our trust and its impact through the eyes of our communities.
  • Be a model for CLF students, staff, families and communities to use to enact societal change
  • Utilise Trust experience to develop leadership to meet the challenges of this decade.
  • Raise standards by investing in capacity and expertise across the Trust.
  • Nurture a leadership culture which sustains a high-performing Trust which improves as it grows.
  • Empower leaders to take ownership of improvements which raise standards
  • Deploy the right resource at the right time to deliver maximum impact.
  • Establish efficient and effective systems which add value and support core priorities.
  • Build a scalable model which enables both standardised and empowered future growth.
  • Develop a new financial operating model, shaped by the above outputs, which delivers successful outcomes.
  • A shared commitment to reducing environmental impact which will see all schools hold Eco Schools Green Flag status.
  • An annual environmental conference where green champions can showcase positive action in schools.
  • Deep pupil engagement in environmental matters, supported by the CLF curriculum.
  • Provide data to help schools understand and reduce their impact through behaviour and technical change.

Strategy In Action

28
Nov

New School Named In Recognition Of Weston’s Proud Aviation History

photo by Artem Podrez  from Pexels.com 

A new 630-pupil primary school being built to service a growing Weston-super-Mare community has been given a name which reflects both its location and the town’s rich aviation heritage.

The school will be located adjacent to The Runway in Haywood Village, a residential development being delivered by Persimmon Homes on the site of the former Weston Airfield.

And in recognition of the site’s former use, the new school will be named Airfield Primary Academy when it opens in September 2026.

The name has been chosen following local research and engagement by the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), which has been chosen to run the new school.

Leaders at the CLF – which already runs six other schools in Weston, all of which are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted – wanted a name which represents the local area, and which the community could understand and feel part of.

Weston Airfield – which was used from the early years of commercial flights in 1912 through until 1995 – was once one of the UK’s busiest airports, with 30,000 passengers flying from Weston to Bristol, Birmingham, London Croydon and Bournemouth in its 1930s heyday.

It was used by the military throughout World War Two, and the town’s aviation links continued post-war, with Westland Helicopters then the town’s biggest employer and RAF Locking operating nearby.

Part of the former base is now home to the newly-built second campus of the CLF’s Winterstoke Hundred Academy.

Although parts of the former airfield – such as the 1936 control tower and 1940s pilots’ block – have since been restored as part of a Weston aviation exhibition at the nearby Helicopter Museum, much of the site is now being developed for housing.

And it is the growth of those Haywood Village and Parklands housing developments which has created the need for a new school, which will also include a nursery and community sports facilities.

Airfield Primary Academy – which secured formal planning permission in September – will be built by housebuilder Persimmon Homes, the firm behind the Haywood Village development, to specifications set out by the CLF and North Somerset Council.

Steve Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the Cabot Learning Federation, said:

“The CLF has been deeply invested in Weston-super-Mare since 2011, and specifically in the growing and developing Haywood Village/Locking Parklands community since 2016.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue to serve this community through the creation of Airfield Primary Academy – a name which has been carefully chosen to reflect the community and its heritage.

“We look forward to working closely with North Somerset Council and other partners on another school building project, having enjoy excellent working relationships and real collaborative success in the past.”

Councillor Catherine Gibbons, Deputy Leader of North Somerset Council and Executive Member for Children’s Services, Families and Lifelong Learning, said:

“North Somerset Council is committed to securing local schools for local children and is pleased to be working with the Cabot Learning Federation and Persimmon Homes to progress the opening of the new Airfield Primary Academy in Haywood Village.

“The name of the school mirrors the aspirations we all share, to support our children and young people to aim high and to follow in the ambitions of those in the aviation business who contributed so much to the area’s advancement.

“It’s also fantastic to that the school name builds on long-standing pride around our local aviation history, showing appreciation for the important role that the RAF has played. In naming the school with a nod to the airfields, we are able to help recognise this history and share it with classes of school children and the wider community for years to come.

“The new Airfield Primary Academy is also a great example of how the council can work with academy trusts and developers to meet the needs of local residents. We wish CLF every success.”

Persimmon Severn Valley Managing Director, Claire Burton, said:

“Persimmon is proud to see progress on the Haywood Village development reaching a new milestone with the upcoming construction of Airfield Primary Academy. The school’s name is a fitting tribute to the area’s history, acknowledging the former Weston Airfield’s legacy and its role in the community.

“This will be the second school we deliver as part of our scheme for the community, complementing the existing facilities in Haywood Village and further supporting the growing needs of local families at the development.

“We’re pleased to contribute to the evolving educational landscape in Weston-super-Mare and look forward to seeing Airfield Primary Academy become a central part of the community as we continue to build quality new homes for local families.”

Families keen to learn more about Airfield Primary Academy and its admission processes can email info@apa.clf.uk.

25
Nov

MP inspires students during visits to CLF academies

Local Labour MP Dan Aldridge spent a dynamic day engaging with young learners during visits to Haywood Village Academy and Broadoak Academy as part of Parliament Week.

At Haywood Village Academy, Mr Aldridge introduced pupils to the principles of democracy and the vital role of Members of Parliament in representing their communities.

The visit culminated in an interactive Q&A session, where students asked thoughtful questions about politics, leadership, and governance.

Luke Allen, a teacher at Haywood Village Academy said: “It was fantastic to have Dan Aldridge visit us.

“The pupils were fascinated to hear first-hand about the importance of democracy and how MPs represent their communities.

“The Q&A session was a particular highlight, with our pupils asking thoughtful and insightful questions.

“Experiences like this inspire our young learners to think critically about the world around them and their role as future citizens.”

Later in the day, Mr Aldridge visited a second Cabot Learning Federation School in Weston-super-Mare.

During his visit to Broadoak Academy, the MP toured the school and met with members of the Broadoak Student Parliament.

The students discussed local issues affecting young people and shared their perspectives on community challenges.

Danny McGilloway, Principal of Broadoak Academy, said: “It is inspiring to see our students speak so passionately and thoughtfully about the issues that matter to them.

“Their voices are crucial in shaping the future of our community, and today’s discussion is a testament to their capability and dedication.”

 

Read our Full Strategic Plan

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CEO: Mr Steve Taylor
Federation House
King's Oak Academy
Brook Road, Bristol
BS15 4JT
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Registered Company: Cabot Learning Federation
Company No: 06207590
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