Why would you join ELAN?

Well, for a start, we’ve been there as well. We know how daunting the process of joining a multi-academy trust (MAT) can seem. We understand. We did it ourselves and Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN) was born. We know many of the questions that will be raised. What happens to our governing body? Will we lose our control and individuality? How do we fit in to the multi-academy trust model?

We are not trying to sell a product to you. We want to work with like-minded schools and partners who share our vision, our values. If you want to join a trust where all schools work to a specific model, then ELAN is not for you. We do not produce. We collaborate, we listen, we support. We passionately believe that every school is unique, should retain its specific character, be bespoke to meet the needs of the community it serves and that its individuality brings something different to ELAN that makes us all stronger.

By design, the central team’s purpose is to provide high quality services, advice, information and coordination that enables schools to focus on providing and developing an extraordinary education that meets the need of the community they serve.

Through collaboration, we develop best practice. By working in partnership we reduce costs, share expertise, impact on each school, ensure a high quality service, develop pedagogy, provide excellent and consistent teaching and learning, develop strong leaders and ‘stay ahead of the game’.

We ensure that all of our children have access to aspirational, learning and leisure opportunities; whether this be to support their class work, or for personal growth.

We have a good track record. We have strong ‘intellectual capital’: knowledge, skills and business training in the education sector, because we are education and that’s why we have recognised education experts wanting to work with us and with you.

The best way to understand how and why we work like we do and to see why you may want to become part of our network is to talk to us and/or come and see us. You can phone us on 01934 313390 or email sarah.edwards@extendlearning.org to arrange to visit and meet members of our team.