‘The sky’s the limit’ for Liverpool school joining The Three Saints Academy Trust so pupils can thrive

It will be balloons and cake for a Liverpool infant school this Friday as it celebrates becoming part of an organisation it says will help its pupils thrive.

Blackmoor Park Infant School in West Derby will join The Three Saints Academy Trust whose ethos is ‘all things are possible to those who believe’.

And Blackmoor Park head teacher Jo Hitchmough says:

“We are so excited. We are joining a caring and supportive network of people and professionals who believe in the magic of childhood, and how important that is for young people to thrive and be successful in life.

“We have just come through a pandemic, we see heartbreak going on throughout the world, but we have got to fill people with hope – and education is where that starts.

“There is no cap on where we can go, we just feel like the sky’s the limit now. We have passion and desire and the knowledge that this is so right for our school, so release our wings and let’s go.”

The school in Leyfield Road is the former school of Bobby Colleran who was just six years old when he was knocked down and killed on his way home with mum Joanne.

His family have since set up the charity, The Bobby Colleran Trust, which is based within the school grounds, to campaign for 20mph Bobby Zones outside every primary school in the country, as well as support children and families who are affected by road accidents.

Jo adds:

“Bobby was such a beautiful child, and he is still a part of the fabric of this school.

“The Three Saints Academy Trust welcomes that and the opportunities for any school and families within the North West to make contact with the charity to benefit from its support, and we are so proud that they want to be based with us and that Three Saints fully embraces the work it’s doing.”

Blackmoor Park – which also has a children’s centre and kindergarten nursery – will join three other schools within The Three Saints Academy Trust: St Mary and St Thomas CE Primary in St Helens, St Ann’s CE Primary in Rainhill, and St Michael with St Thomas Primary in Halton.

The trust focuses on building positive relationships, promoting wellbeing and developing talents, and creating opportunities for staff and pupils to ‘shine and excel’, working in collaboration with each other while helping each school to retain its unique identity within its community.

The Three Saints Academy Trust is a National Maths Hub which means the Department of Education recognises its expertise in developing the subject with its pupils.

It is also linked to the North West Learning Partnership which has a track record of providing development for schools across Merseyside, and its CEO, Kirsty Tennyson, is a National Leader in Education with many staff members Specialist Leaders in Education.

Kirsty says;

“We are delighted that Blackmoor Park infants is the newest member of our family of schools.

“All our schools benefit from extensive professional development opportunities and support from our central team and wider opportunities from our maths hub and professional development company, North West Learning Partnership.

“Everything we do as a trust ensures all our pupils are able to reach their potential and all staff are supported in their professional journeys.”

Jo goes on: “We are an infant school and there are less and less of those in our lovely city.

“Infant schools are special places where we are nurturing creativity and friendships, and socialisation of children – in our case from babies to the end of key stage 1 when they are seven – and it is a special part of a child’s life.

“Partnering up with the Three Saints Academy Trust will open even more doors for us, and along with opportunities for the children here and the staff in whatever role they’ve got, and obviously with the links with Bobby’s charity and what that does and can offer, this really is a magical place and we want people to know about us.

“It really is an exciting time for us.”

She adds:

“The trust firmly believes a school is part of its local community, and in that you are unique and you retain your identity, and its moral purpose matches that of our governors.

“But it’s a two-way trust with all the schools working together and aiming for the best outcomes for all the children; with the extended offer of the NWLP and the Maths Hub, a thriving teacher training programme, and having secured money from the Shine Trust which promotes the ‘Are You Really Reading?’ learning tool, it’s about equipping our children as early as possible with the best start in life.

“It’s forward thinking and looks at why there may be a challenge or a barrier to learning for some children.

“It’s not about the latest messages from the Department of Education, or what Ofsted are looking for, it’s about what will make the difference for our children so they will be successful and have all the tools in their belt when they leave us to be in the best place.”