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David Walker: Chair of the Board of Trustees

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Brighter Academy Trust, I would like to welcome you to our Trust website. We are, until 31st August 2023, a Multi-Academy Trust of one secondary school – Farringdon Community Academy – located in the south of the city of Sunderland.

As previously informed, the Department for Education (DfE) has agreed that Farringdon Community Academy will join Northern Education Trust (NET) on 1st September 2023. At this date, Brighter Academy Trust (BAT) will cease to exist and it would be only fair at this point to thank all our current and past Trustees for the time and effort they have given to the governance of BAT. In line with all NET schools, the academy’s governance arrangements will be overseen by a new Academy Council in September and If you would like to become a governor on the new Academy Council then please contact the academy for further information about the role and what is involved.

Farringdon has been enjoying the support of NET since the departure of our previous Head Teacher at the end of the autumn term and, under the excellent leadership of Interim Principal Jordan Bedford and senior colleagues from NET, the academy has implemented a wide range of strategies used across the partnership of NET schools to support learning and teaching. Jordan Bedford will continue in his role from September onwards. 

NET is very successful in promoting high standards in its schools and we have seen some solid learning foundations established that will benefit our students when we officially join NET in September. This has involved some significant changes over the last two terms and I would like to thank all staff and students at Farringdon for the positive way in which they have embraced these changes. The changes implemented to date will mean that September will be very much “business as usual” for staff and students as they join the NET partnership of schools. 

I am sure you will have noticed the rapid progress being made with the construction of our new school building. The plan is to construct the new building then demolish the existing building and this should be completed by December 2024. We will keep you updated as the project develops.

The students are at the heart of all that we do in the academy and I would like to wish our Year 11 students the very best as they leave us for their respective pathways.

I would like to conclude by thanking parents and carers for the support that you have given the academy not just this year but over time. It is an exciting time for the academy as it joins NET and sees a new building taking shape alongside the old. The constant throughout this is our student body and I know that you will continue to support the academy as it takes the next steps in its development.