Victorious Academies Trust

✍️ Giving Writing a Real Audience at Holden Clough
At Victorious Academies Trust, we believe pupils thrive when their learning has a genuine purpose and audience.

Recently, pupils at Holden Clough Primary enjoyed two fantastic opportunities to share their writing beyond the classroom.
Year 5 pupils celebrated their achievements with a publishing party at local café Bean and Bun, while Year 6 pupils visited Broadoak Community Centre to read their work to members of the Young at Heart group.
Both experiences gave pupils the chance to showcase their writing, develop confidence as speakers and connect with their local community.

Headteacher Adam Porter said:
"It was fantastic to see the children so engaged and proud of their writing. These experiences give pupils a genuine audience for their work and help to build both confidence and a love of writing."

A huge thank you to the Young at Heart group and the team at Bean and Bun for helping to make these opportunities possible.
These experiences are a wonderful example of how our schools bring learning to life, develop confident communicators and strengthen community connections.

🎉 Strengthening our HR Team 🎉
As our Trust continues to grow, we are delighted to welcome Jade Walwyn and Jo Killey to our Central Team, further enhancing the support we provide to our schools.
👋 Jade Walwyn – Head of HR
Jade joins us from One Education, where she most recently served as Head of HR. She brings extensive experience in people, culture and organisational development and will support leaders across our Trust with a collaborative approach to people management.
👋 Jo Killey – HR Manager
Jo brings 16 years of education HR experience, most recently working as a Senior HR Advisor supporting primary schools. She has significant expertise in employee relations, leadership support and operational HR.
💬 Karen Burns our CEO said:
"I am delighted to welcome Jade and Jo to our Trust. Supporting our people is at the heart of everything we do and both bring a wealth of experience, expertise and enthusiasm to our team. They have already become valued members of our Victorious family and I am excited to see the positive impact they will continue to make across our Trust."
We are excited about the knowledge, expertise and additional capacity they bring and are pleased to welcome them to our Central Team and our wider Victorious family. Please join us in giving Jade and Jo a warm welcome! 👏

⛵ What a wonderful evening at our Victorious Voyage Awards Evening 2026!
It was a privilege to celebrate pupils from across our schools who have demonstrated our Trust values of Inspiring, Discovering, Caring, Improving and Achieving.
Congratulations to all of our award winners, including those recognised through our inaugural Nicky Wise Award, celebrating the kindness, diligence and positivity that Nicky has embodied throughout her career.
We are incredibly proud of every pupil recognised this evening.
📸 More photos from this special celebration will be shared soon!
⛵✨

🎉 Congratulations to Claire Robinson on receiving a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King's Birthday Honours! 🎉

We are incredibly proud that Claire Robinson, Kitchen Manager at Buckton Vale Primary School, Stalybridge, has been recognised with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her dedication as a kinship carer.

Four years ago, Claire welcomed her nieces into her home alongside her own three children, providing them with the love, stability and support they needed to thrive. Her unwavering commitment culminated in securing a Special Guardianship Order, giving both children a permanent home as part of her family.

Speaking about the award, Claire said:
"I was over the moon to be given this special honour. Seeing my nieces grow in confidence, happiness and security has been the greatest reward, and I am incredibly proud of the young people they are becoming."

As part of this recognition, Claire will receive her medal at a special ceremony presented by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and has also been invited to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace this summer, hosted by His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen.

Our Catering Business Officer, Phil Bevan, said:
"This award is amazing recognition for Claire and comes as no surprise to those who know her. Her hard work, resilience and commitment to others are evident every day. Claire is a highly valued member of our catering team and everyone at Buckton Vale Primary School and across Victorious Academies Trust is delighted to see her dedication recognised with this well-deserved honour."

Congratulations, Claire, on this fantastic and richly deserved achievement. 👏

🎉 Celebrating Young Writing Talent Across our Trust 🎉
We are incredibly proud of our pupils, Hibbah from Holden Clough Primary and Elijah from Wild Bank Primary, who were selected as finalists in The Lowry's Creative Writing Challenge.

Chosen from more than 1,000 entries from across the North West, Hibbah and Elijah were among just 20 finalists recognised in the prestigious competition.

Hibbah impressed judges with her short story, The Monster, while Elijah's playscript, What's in the Bush?, was inspired by a creative writing workshop delivered by The Lowry's learning team and was later brought to life through a class performance.

Their achievements reflect not only their creativity and confidence, but also the importance of providing pupils with opportunities to develop their writing, communication and self-expression skills.

Significantly, this is the second consecutive year that Holden Clough Primary has celebrated a finalist in the competition, highlighting the school's ongoing success in nurturing young writers.

Karen Burns, our Chief Executive Officer, said:
"We are incredibly proud of Hibbah and Elijah. Their creativity, commitment and confidence have shone throughout this process and being given the opportunity to share their work as finalists in The Lowry's Creative Writing Challenge is a tremendous achievement. Their success reflects the talent of our pupils and the dedication of our staff in nurturing a love of writing and self-expression across our schools."

Congratulations to both pupils on this fantastic achievement. 👏📚✨

🎉 Happy Thank a Teacher Day!
A heartfelt thank you to all our amazing staff who inspire, guide and shape young minds every single day. We also extend our gratitude to everyone across our Trust community who supports, nurtures and makes a difference—both in and beyond the classroom. Your work is valued not just today, but every day.

Our Victorious Voices Concert is in full swing, choirs from all of our 15 schools - living and breathing our Trust values on the big stage at the Stockport Plaza!