CEO Welcome

Welcome to the Beckmead Trust website, thank you for taking an interest in our wonderful children, fabulous families, brilliant schools and amazing staff. The Beckmead Trust is now two years old and what a start we have had in partnership with the Department for Education and councils across London and the south-east.

We are currently re-organising our eight provisions in Croydon into three distinct and defined schools: Chaffinch Brook, Beckmead College and Beckmead Campus. We feel this will help clarity of planning, budgeting and admissions as well as being more understandable for our pupils and families.

The conversion of a failing school in Essex into our trust in May 2020 has been very positive and with the support of the Local Authority we have made good progress in supporting the newly named Moundwood Academy into being a place where youngsters access bespoke and outstanding care and education.

In February this year the Ropemakers Academy moved into its fantastic state of the art new build in Hailsham. It has rapidly become a nurturing haven for some very disadvantaged children. The emerging staff team are a credit to the trust and brilliantly led by two of our new leaders Simon and Liam. 

The Roundwood School and Community Centre opened  in Harlesden in January 2021. In partnership with Brent Council, Roundwood provides schooling through an Alternative Provision and an integrated youth offer and community hub. In spite of the challenges of opening a school in the midst of a pandemic, Juan and his team have created a vibrant school that promotes personal wellbeing and academic excellence. 

Design work in Essex for The Greenwell Academy and The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy is gathering pace as we look to build and we are looking to open these schools in January 2023. Both these schools will have some residential accommodation for a number of children who will board with us during the school week. We are working hard to bring residential expertise into the trust shortly – watch this space!

Preliminary design work is under way which will shortly lead to an application for planning permission for our new school – The London River Academy – in Richmond situated on the old Barnes Hospital site. When this opens it will provide 90 places for children and young people identified as having complex needs.

Most importantly, our growing trust is bound tightly together by our shared values of honesty, empathy, integrity and respect and the cornerstones of our nurturing practice – love, flourishing, social justice and community. Everyone who is associated with Beckmead, classroom colleagues, Members and Trustees, business support and trust staff directly associate everything they do with the best possible outcomes for our exceptional children. I have always maintained that it is a privilege to work with our pupils, families and communities and I am proud that this principle resonates throughout the Beckmead Trust.

Jonty.
Dr Jonty Clark OBE: CEO The Beckmead Trust