TOLLBAR EDGE

Tollbar Edge will be a Trust established as a company limited by guarantee by the end of 2009. Its object is to promote, secure and sustain educational excellence in schools that are currently encountering difficulty or underperforming.

Tollbar Edge is an extension of the existing partnership between Tollbar Academy and Edge Hill University that already underpins through formal contract the training school initiative based at the Academy.

Tollbar Academy is an exceptionally high performing comprehensive 11-18 school situated in North East Lincolnshire, close to the boundary of Lincolnshire. With over 2000 on roll it draws students from its immediate catchment and beyond. With attainment on entry slightly above national average, its results of 86% 5A*-C (including English and maths) and 100% 5A*-C put the College in the top 1% in terms of value added (CVA of 1049 in 2009). Low attainers and pupils with special educational needs make spectacular progress. Unsurprisingly the Academy is heavily oversubscribed. The last OFSTED inspection report of the Academy describes it as outstanding.

In recent years Tollbar has been invited to share its winning ways with other schools, especially those encountering difficulties or underperforming. In this regard Tollbar has been involved in a number of local and national initiatives. Currently the Academy is working with three other schools in the region under the auspices of the Gaining Ground initiative. The development into a Training School was a formalisation and extension of existing work. In the 2009 New Year honours the Principal was awarded an OBE for services to education.

Whilst engagement with other schools is rewarding, Governors are mindful of risks to sustaining the exceptionally high performance back at the Academy, especially if the level of support were to develop into the strategic direction of other schools. To address these risks, Governors decided to extend the processes currently used to support other schools. To this end, Governors resolved to establish a company in partnership with Edge Hill to sponsor schools as academies, with Tollbar Academy as a high-performing establishment at the hub. At the same time, leadership at the Tollbar hub is being freed up to work across the new community of sponsored academies.

Edge Hill has been at the forefront of teacher education since 1885 and today it enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s major providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce with a reputation for the highest quality provision, partnership working and delivery. The School of Education has been rated by OFSTED as outstanding for its primary and secondary initial teacher training provision.

The Faculty of Education at Edge Hill University is strongly committed to and has a successful track record in working in partnership with schools, settings and colleges and believes that multi-stranded partnerships which share the same vision provide the required foundation for real impact. The team is driven by a real commitment to learning, outstanding achievement and providing opportunities for all, and sees its partnership work as crucial in achieving its ambitious vision. The Faculty of Education is always open to new ideas and welcomes partners who want to break new ground in education and training and work as part of a very successful University partnership.

Tollbar Edge will drive improvement in weaker and vulnerable schools, extending the training school partnership between Tollbar and Edge Hill University into a joint company, typifying our open thinking and reflecting our shared ambition to improve the life chances of all young people by ensuring that schools are equipped with a highly skilled and energised workforce.