Foundation and Trust School Status

A number of Cheshire East Schools have changed status from community to foundation in recent terms and some have also gained trust status or are looking to do so in the future.

Decision Making Toolkit

A Toolkit to assist Governing Bodies in exploring the possibilities and implications of Foundation and Trust School status has been developed by the National Co-ordinators of Governor Services, of which Cheshire East Governor Services is a member. 

The materials are designed to provide a framework within which the Governing Body reaches the right decision for its own particular school at a specific time – which may or may not be to seek Foundation or Trust Status. For this reason, the materials also contain some background information on other options that may be more appropriate to a school’s particular needs, including “hard” or “soft” federation with another Governing Body or Bodies.

The Toolkit can be accessed by following this link to the NCOGS website.

Further Information

The Trust and Foundation Schools website has a dedicated governors' section which provides further information for governors of schools which are considering a change of status.  Included on this site are a number of useful publications, including the Department for Children, Schools and Families step by step guide (the 'trust school toolkit'). 

Additional information is also available on the Department for Education's School Organisation webpages, including the document 'Changing School Category to Foundation - a Guide for Governing Bodies'.