Join Our Trust
Unified Purpose. Empowered People. At Creative Education Trust, these aren’t just words. They define how we work. Our unified purpose is to transform lives through education that inspires ambition, champions equity, and unlocks opportunity. We empower people—leaders, teachers, staff and students—by giving them the tools, support, and freedom to succeed.
In practice, this means:
- Alignment, not standardisation. We value the unique identity of each school. Different ideas, geographies, and communities strengthen our collective purpose.
- A strong commitment to staff development and wellbeing, delivered through a comprehensive benefits package, our learning and development platform and our rich CPD calendar.
- Leadership is distributed and collaborative, with professional development at every level.
- Our Frameworks for Excellence ensure consistency where it matters most. These frameworks are co‑created with our schools for relevance and ownership.
- High-quality central services remove operational burdens, so schools can focus on teaching and learning.
Our scale enables greater financial sustainability, allowing us to invest more in what matters for pupils and students. This is how we build a Trust where individuality thrives within a strong, supportive network, where success is both expected and achieved, together.
We welcome schools that share our vision and want to grow stronger together.
Creative Education Trust At A Glance
Established: 2010
Current Size: 17 schools educating over 14,500 children and young people [View our schools]
School Types: Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form
Geographic Reach: East and West Midlands and the East Coast of England
Growth Ambition: 25 schools by 2030
Our Mission: To transform lives through education that inspires ambition, champions equity, and unlocks opportunity
Our Vision: A Trust where equity is lived, ambition is ignited, and opportunity is limitless
Our Values: Ambition, Equity, Opportunity
Central Services.
- Education
- HR and Governance
- Finance
- Estates and Facilities
- IT and EdTech.
You can meet the team here.
Our Approach to Governance
- Trust Board: Provides strategic leadership, financial stewardship, and ensures statutory and regulatory compliance.
- Academy Councils: Each school retains local governance, ensuring context, culture, and community remain central.
- Clear Roles & Responsibilities: Schemes of delegation define decision‑making powers at Trust and school level.
- Safeguarding & Compliance: Robust policies and regular audits maintain the highest standards across all schools.
- Collaborative Leadership: Leaders and governors work together, balancing autonomy with alignment to our shared mission and vision.
Benefits of joining Creative Education Trust
Joining Creative Education Trust means becoming part of a community united by a shared purpose and empowered to innovate, collaborate, and grow.
Schools that join us benefit from:
- Putting Students First
Every decision reflects our mission to transform lives through education that inspires ambition, champions equity, and unlocks opportunity. - A Trust That Values and Invests in Its People
We nurture leadership at all levels, ensuring colleagues are supported through high‑quality professional development, comprehensive wellbeing provision, 24/7 assistance, and a Trust‑wide culture where people feel valued and connected. [View our staff benefits brochure] - Access to Education Expertise
Access to deep expertise across all areas of education, from curriculum design and teaching excellence to safeguarding, personal development, pupil recruitment, and leadership. Whether your school is looking to sustain high performance or accelerate improvement, our team provides tailored support to help you achieve your goals. - Unified Purpose
Every school and team works toward the same mission and vision, with a strong sense of shared direction. Our trust-wide frameworks (co-created by staff across our schools) cover Behaviour, Curriculum & Assessment, Teaching & Learning, SEND, Learning & Development, and Personal Development & Safeguarding. They set clear principles that ensure consistency, allowing for local voices where it matters most, while driving continuous improvement across all schools. - Empowered People
Leaders and staff have the freedom to innovate within a strong shared vision. Professional communities and Trust‑wide events promote collaboration and the exchange of ideas. ElevatEd, our Centre for Professional Learning and Development, offers a comprehensive online learning platform as well as leadership pathways, teacher training, apprenticeships, and trust-wide conferences. - High-Quality Central Services
Comprehensive professional support that removes operational burdens and enables leaders to focus on teaching and learning, including:- Education Team: School development, curriculum design, assessment, safeguarding, Ofsted preparation, attendance, personal development programmes, pupil recruitment.
- Human Resources & Governance: Recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, pay and recognition, diversity and wellbeing, plus governance and compliance.
- Finance: Budget planning aligned to school priorities, financial reporting, and compliance with DfE requirements.
- Estates & Facilities: Compliance, health and safety, maintenance, catering, grounds, and major capital projects.
- EdTech & IT: Central EdTech and IT strategy, procurement, helpdesk support for hardware, software, and digital learning tools.
Voices From Across Our Trust
“What stands out most is the culture of family, collaboration and support. I’ve worked with many trusts, but the culture here is genuinely special.”
rEAD oUR Testimonials
A collaborative, supportive professional community
“Being part of Creative Education Trust means being part of a collective — a group that is collaborative, supportive, and unafraid to challenge each other in ways that bring out the best in us.”
— Magnus Wallace, Headteacher, Queen Eleanor Primary Academy & Trust Personal Development Lead
Shared purpose, strong foundations, and a clear direction
“There is clarity, drive and a shared vision. All principals across the Trust are united by a child‑centred mission.”
— Rachael Sandham, Principal, The Hart School
“I joined CET because it has a distinctive ethos and vision — and I wanted to use my skills to help bring that to life.”
— Owen Carter, Board Member
Trust‑wide expertise that strengthens leaders and schools
“Accessing trust‑wide frameworks that we can adapt to our context has made a real difference to our progress.”
— Matt Irons, Principal, The Bulwell Academy
Leadership at every level
“We invest heavily in coaching and leadership development — I want my team to become headteachers one day, and the Trust gives them opportunities to grow into that.”
— Helen Seath, Principal, Caister Academy
“Staff deserve to be developed. Trust‑wide coaching and CPD have transformed our practice and our team spirit.”
— Amy Brookes, Principal, Lynn Grove Academy
A Trust where people feel they belong
“Creative Education Trust is a place where every individual has the freedom to really make a difference to young people’s lives.”
— Abbie Churton, Chair of the Board of Directors
Get In Touch
What can I expect during the process of joining?
Joining a MAT is a reciprocal process where we explore how well we fit together.
- Engage with CET: Start by connecting through our Middle Leadership Programme, attending trust-wide conferences, or participating in thought leadership conversations.
- Initial Conversation: Express interest via our website enquiry form or email. Our Partnerships Team will respond promptly to discuss your school’s aspirations and needs.
- Exploration & Alignment: We’ll arrange a discovery meeting to understand your context, share our frameworks, and explore how CET can support your goals.
- Due Diligence & Planning: A collaborative process to review governance, finance, and operational readiness, ensuring a smooth transition.
- Onboarding & Integration: We will offer tailored support for leadership teams, staff, and students, including access to ElevatEd professional development and central services. We also use this phase to learn from your strengths, ensuring that effective practice from your school shapes our wider frameworks..