Lakelands Academy in Ellesmere joins 3-18 Education Trust

David O'Toole of the 3-18 Education Trust with Mark Hignett of Lakelands Academy <i>(Image: 3-18 Eductation Trust)</i>
David O'Toole of the 3-18 Education Trust with Mark Hignett of Lakelands Academy (Image: 3-18 Eductation Trust)
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A North Shropshire school has become the eleventh to join a growing multi-academy trust.

Lakelands Academy in Ellesmere, a secondary school with more than 580 students, is the latest member of the Shropshire-based 3-18 Education Trust, which now includes 11 schools, including St Martins School, and Thomas Adams in Wem.

The trust delivers education from nursery to post-16, through primary, secondary, sixth form, and boarding schools.

David O’Toole, chief executive of the 3-18 Education Trust, said: "We are delighted to welcome Lakelands Academy into our Trust community.

"Lakelands has a strong reputation for its commitment to pupils, staff, and the wider community, and we are excited to begin working together.

"By joining our Trust, Lakelands will be able to build on its existing strengths while benefiting from shared expertise, collaboration, and support across our schools – all with the shared aim of securing the very best outcomes for children and young people."

The academy is known for its pastoral care, broad curriculum, and enrichment programmes, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze and Silver Awards.

It also houses The Kettlemere Centre, a specialist resource for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Headteacher Mark Hignett said: "We are absolutely delighted that Lakelands Academy have joined The 3-18 Education Trust.

"From the very beginning of our search through to the extensive due diligence we carried out, it has been clear that our ethos, vision and values are deeply aligned – a shared belief in aspiration, inclusion and the relentless pursuit of excellence for every young person, all delivered with empathy and compassion.

"This partnership strengthens our ability to provide an exceptional educational journey, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities it will bring for our students, staff and wider school community, as well as the support that we can provide for other Trust schools and communities."

The academy counts Olympic judoka Luke Preston and BBC News Presenter Frankie McCamley among its alumni, reflecting its long-standing culture of nurturing achievement.

The trust says that its vision is ‘to ensure every individual is in a great school’.

Other schools in Shropshire that are part of the trust include Hodnet Primary School, Bowbrook and Coleham primary schools in Shrewsbury, Priory School in Shrewsbury and William Brookes School in Much Wenlock.

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