Over Hall Primary School welcomed into Cheshire Academies Trust

As of May 1, Over Hall Primary School has officially joined forces with nine other primary schools in Cheshire West, East, and Wirral, which together make up the Cheshire Academies Trust (CAT).

Over Hall has had ‘a very long journey of academisation’ according to head teacher, Claire Edgeley, having been a member the HTI Education Trust from 2013 until its collapse in 2015.

The school has been doing well alone since then and was rated ‘Good’ following its most recent Ofsted assessment in March, but Claire says staff are already feeling the benefits of throwing their lot in with other primary schools in the area.

Teaching staff at Over Hall (left to right) Hannah Savory, Antoinette York, Isabelle Burton, and Hannah Whitehead, will have better access to career development opportunities (Image: Claire Edgeley)

She added: "It’s exciting time and we've had such a warm welcome.

"Lots of benefits come from being part of a MAT - things like taking advantage of economies of scale, and better staff retention.

"We want to encourage our staff to be the best they can be, which means as they develop, having positions to offer them within the organisation so they don’t feel the need to go elsewhere.

"We went through a massive due diligence process when deciding which trust to join. We didn’t just go with the nearest.

"We shortlisted four, and eventually decide to go with CAT. Already they’re delivering, giving support where it’s needed, and identifying our strengths we can be built on them. 

"Having come from being a single academy, we wanted to make sure we still had a little bit of say in things, and I do believe there is that opportunity, within reason, with CAT."

Claire says she wants to reassure parents the new management structure will not bring big changes in the day to day lives of pupils and their families with things like the school’s name, uniform, and ethos.

She added: “We are proud to be Over Hall, and we will remain Over Hall, and parents and children should feel assured of that.”

CAT CEO, Steve Ellis, said: "The Trust is committed to supporting Over Hall as it continues to build on its strong foundations.

"Our ethos emphasises not just academic excellence but the holistic development of every child to ensure they leave our schools ready to make a positive contribution to the world.

"We believe that, with the support of CAT, Over Hall can go from strength to strength, enhancing both its educational offer and its role within the community."