AN academy trust which has been at the eye of a storm over the last year has pledged to work openly and collaboratively in order to improve standards.

The Athena Learning Trust, which manages multiple schools across Devon and Cornwall has been issued with a formal ‘notice to improve’ from the Department for Education for breaching a number of governance requirements.

The Department for Education has told Athena it is not implementing the required changes with sufficient speed or detail.

In a letter to parents, Mark Blackman, the interim trust least at the Athena Learning Trust said that the notice to improve related to the historical approach to behaviour management, specifically relating to suspensions and exclusions prior to the implementation of the change programme that it had implemented in response.

Mr Blackman told parents that considerable work had taken place since June with the changes to the trust school improvement team and the support it offers to students at its schools.

A spokesperson for Athena Learning Trust said: “We are committed to working openly and collaboratively with the Department for Education following their Notice to Improve (NTI) to the trust and appreciate their acknowledgment that progress in strengthening the leadership of behaviour, inclusion and SEND arrangements has been made in recent months.

“Trustees are complying with all the terms of the NTI and work is already under way to address the areas identified. We have commenced a review of governance and are mobilising additional change and support across our schools, with a clear focus on strengthening them and ensuring every child can thrive.

“Every child deserves to feel safe, supported and respected, and we take our responsibility for their wellbeing, inclusion and learning seriously. In response to feedback and reflection on past experiences, our leaders in schools have already made changes to their approaches, with further improvements ongoing. The focus is on ensuring that our practice matches the needs of children, with staff expected to exercise professional judgement and make reasonable adjustments, particularly for children with additional needs.

“We have strengthened the way we engage with students and their families, placing greater emphasis on listening to their experiences and acting on their feedback. This is helping to shape our ongoing work to ensure that clear expectations for behaviour go hand in hand with compassion, understanding and appropriate individual support. We want children and families to see and feel the difference this is making in their day-to-day experience of school.

“Work with the Department for Education to identify new trusts for our schools is ongoing. We recognise that this is an important period for our children, families, staff and wider school communities, and we will carry on engaging with them throughout the process.

“Our priority remains the experience children have in our schools every day. We are committed to building on the changes already made, continuing to listen and respond to feedback, and ensuring that our policies translate into practice that supports every child's wellbeing, learning and individual needs.”