The first co-operative trust school in the UK is set to be launched next month.
Labour/Co-op MP Ed Balls, the Minister for Children, Schools and Families, visited Reddish Vale Technology College, near Stockport, to see the work being done on the college’s structure.
It hopes to adopt the co-operative trust model in March, which will enable all stakeholders to play a meaningful part in the running of the school.
The staff and governors at the college are working closely with the Co-operative Group and the Co-operative College to develop the co-operative structure which, it is hoped, will be adopted by other schools across the country.
It is envisaged that the college will create a Co-operative Forum to which all stakeholders will be invited to become members. This forum will then elect representatives to the governing body who will be responsible for reporting back to the Co-operative Forum on a regular basis.
Len Wardle, Chair of the Co-operative Group, said: “The Co-operative Trust offers an inspirational opportunity for pupils, staff, service users, community members and partners to co-operate collaboratively and to share the strong values and principles which have been the basis of the Co-operative Movement for more than 150 years.”
Mervyn Wilson, Chief Executive and Principal of the Co-operative College, added: “We are delighted that Reddish Vale are providing opportunities for key stakeholders to become actively engaged in school governance through the co-operative model.
“We believe that co-operative effort can help bring about the transformational change in achievement and aspirations that we all desire, and we look forward to working with the Reddish Vale Trust as a pioneer of the co-operative model of schooling in the UK.”
• The Gilsland Spa Weekend School on February 23rd-24th, organised by the Co-operative Party, will be discussing co-operative schools with high profile speakers in Cumbria. For more details contact Alex Baker on 0207 367 4150 or email: [email protected].
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