Bishop Stopford School in Enfield will become a partner of Enterprise Cooperative Trust (ECT) – a network of schools and organisations in the Borough – to strengthen the work the Trust is doing in equipping children in Enfield with the best life opportunities, skills and work experience to set them up for success.
Bishop Stopford’s vision is to provide an outstanding, inclusive and aspirational education for all its children. With a commitment to highly inclusive education and belief that everyone in its community is capable of achieving beyond their expectations, the school closely aligns with the aims and ethos of ECT.
As such, it will be officially joining ECT from February to extend the opportunities and benefits that the Trust brings to the Borough, to all its students and staff at Bishop Stopford. As a partner, Bishop Stopford will continue to run as an autonomous school, but the partnership will provide the school greater access to an array of opportunities including student work experience, training for staff, and possible funding that often comes with being part of a wider partnership. Similarly, ECT will benefit from best practice and support from the school which already delivers exceptional opportunities to learn, a diverse curriculum and extra-curricular experiences which inspire students to engage in a life-long love of learning.
Tammy Day, headteacher at Bishop Stopford School, said:
“At Bishop Stopford’s School we are ambitious for all students and believe that every child can flourish with the right environment and with the right support. Joining the Trust is an exciting opportunity for the school and our students to work with like-minded people. The Trust mirrors Bishop Stopford’s ethos and vision which truly puts young people at the heart of everything that they do, improving life chances and developing enthusiastic, successful, young citizens of the future.”
ECT’s current members include West Lea School (the founders); the College of Haringey, Enfield, and North East London (CONEL); Laurel Park School; theatre company, Chickenshed; Enfield Council; Learning for Life Charity; Co-Op Retail; and the Co-operative Schools Network. The Trust has provided work experience for students including running a coffee cart and upcycling furniture, as well as working in charity shops and warehouses. It has also focused on improving key skills like confidence, self-belief and communication through workshops and immersive theatre experiences.
Janet Leach, Chair of ECT, said:
“We are really excited to have Bishop Stopford join ECT. It felt like a very natural fit, with a lot of alignment between the Trust’s efforts and the excellent work the school already does.
“Since our official launch last year, it’s been wonderful to see interest in the partnership grow alongside the opportunities for our young people. It’s so key in today’s world where we face so many challenges, that we come together as a community to ensure we’re equipping children with the skills and opportunities that they may otherwise not have access to, to give them every chance at success when it comes to leaving school. We’re always looking for like-minded schools, businesses and other organisations to join, to help us in this mission and are already making positive steps forward.”