Wade Deacon Trust

Next week, we'll be hosting a Supply Open Evening on Monday 16th March (15:00–18:00) at The Grange Academy in partnership with The Supply Register.

Whether you're exploring roles in primary or secondary settings, this is a great opportunity to find out more information or ask any questions you may have regarding supply teaching.

To register your interest, please email: [email protected]

Yet again this year, we have witnessed incredible enthusiasm for World Book Day: an annual event which was celebrated across all of our schools.

Besides all the fun that comes with dressing up, World Book Day is a wonderful chance to bring characters and stories to life, letting imaginations step off the page and into the real world.

It invites children and adults alike to celebrate the magic of reading by becoming the heroes, villains and adventurers they love. Through costumes, activities and shared tales, stories feel more vivid than ever — turning books into living, breathing experiences that inspire a lifelong love of reading.

We were delighted to host the Challenge Partners Trust Leaders' Network visit last week, welcoming senior leaders from Trusts across the country.

Challenge Partners describes Trust Leaders' Network events as 'a practitioner-led space where trust leaders can connect, share challenges and gain insight into effective approaches to trust development. Bringing together trusts at different stages of maturity enables leaders to learn from peers facing similar challenges or those further along in their journey.'

In his welcome, Gary Kelly shared our Trust's journey to ten schools, serving more than 6,250 pupils and 650 staff across Halton, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens, all of which had been fuelled by one central mission: A Commitment to Excellence.

Simon Corner (Director of Secondary Education) and Juliet Brown (Director of Primary Education) opened the first session, focusing on the relationship between engagement and attendance, in addition to alignment and autonomy.

The afternoon session, led by Shane Ierston and Ben Barker, from the Great Schools Trust, explored emerging priorities for the sector, including the evolving role of AI, information systems and workload reduction.

The event, which was the second Trust Leaders' Network of the year, provided a great opportunity to exchange fresh ideas and share in the drive to raise standards even higher across the board.

It was a pleasure to welcome so many colleagues to our first Governance Conference of the academic year.

Members of the Central Team shared valuable insights into Trust strategy, the new Ofsted framework and MIS developments, alongside focused updates from both our primary and secondary phases.

The Conference was a showcase of collaboration across the Trust. As ever, we are deeply grateful for the expertise and commitment that our Members, Trustees and Governors bring to our organisation.

W​e are delighted to welcome back pupils and staff across the Trust for the first day of the Spring Term today.

We are pleased to confirm that all of our schools that were set to return today, are open, and are safely welcoming back pupils and staff this morning.

Oakdene Primary Academy is not set to begin the Spring Term until tomorrow, as per the school's term dates.

A​s ever, we are massively grateful to our dedicated site teams for their hugely important work in keeping our schools safe for pupils, staff and the wider community.

We wish everybody connected to the Wade Deacon Trust a very Happy New Year, and all the best for 2026!

On behalf of everyone at Wade Deacon Trust, we wish you and your families a Merry Christmas!

With the Autumn term almost drawing to an end, it has been fantastic to welcome the Class of 2025 back to our secondary schools over the past few weeks to celebrate their incredible achievements.

We are delighted that such exciting work has been taking place at Whiston Willis thanks to the partnership between ourselves, Knowsley Council and funding secured from housing developers who are creating new homes at Halsnead Garden Village.

Ian Cooper said:

“We have welcomed the support of Knowsley Council, local housing developers and the Trust to create additional places at our school and improve the whole school environment for all our stakeholders.

"This investment has enabled us to increase our admissions numbers whilst also ensuring all our pupils access a learning environment that supports them to be safe, happy and achieve well.

“A number of parents have commented that the school looks so much better and that the children are fortunate to have an environment like this.”

'Outstanding' school announces major update 90 new places have been created at Whiston Willis Primary Academy

We are incredibly proud to have been shortlisted for a national honour: the Multi Academy Trust of the Year.

Supporting more than 6,000 pupils across ten schools, our Trust has been recognised for its Commitment to Excellence, innovation in education and transformative outcomes.

Despite being pipped at the post in a final shortlist of three, the nomination is a reflection of the dedication of our staff, the ambition of our pupils, and the strength of our communities and the positive relationships we have built over time.

We are proud of the exceptional work that goes on in our schools, and we look forward to continuing that work for the benefit of our pupils and the communities we serve.

Tonight, we’re at the House of the Lords following our nomination for Multi-Academy Trust of the Year.

Whatever happens tonight, we’re incredibly proud of this nomination which is a reflection of the dedication of our staff, the ambition of our pupils, and the strength of the relationships we share with our school communities that we are honoured to serve.