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INSPIRING ASPIRATION AND DRIVE IN ALL STUDENTS

Inspiring students from all backgrounds to build their personal confidence, find their voice, and aspire to great success in their chosen fields. This will be enabled through access to both outstanding education and best of class co-curricular activities including performing arts, sports programmes, debating and entrepreneurship.

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Who we are

The Law Family Educational Trust (LFET) is a Charitable Trust established to support the Laurus Trust, a Multi Academy Trust (MAT), headquartered in Cheadle Hulme, near Manchester. The MAT encompasses the 4-18 age range in primary, secondary and sixth form contexts across Greater Manchester.

Our aim is to help raise all-round educational attainment levels and eventually serve as a template for state school co-curricular activities nationwide. The approach is rooted in our belief that personal development and aspiration are promoted by participation in a whole range of activities, not just academic ones. We aim to support the Laurus Trust’s Cornerstones programme which promotes the four areas of Academic Aspiration, Leadership and Service, Competition and Physical Endeavour, Culture, Creativity and Rhetoric.

Academic success alone is typically not sufficient for students to realise their aspirations. Broader character development is necessary if students are to access the best universities and careers and subsequently make the most of their opportunities. Every student should learn how to speak effectively and with confidence. By developing activities for which students have a particular propensity or interest they will become better motivated, more respected by their peers, more fully engaged in education, more likely to recognise their potential and more able to make a difference in the world.

A core belief of LFET is that it is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. Failure at any point in time, in any discipline, should be recognised merely as a set-back, an opportunity for betterment and a spring board to future improvement and success.

LFET is wholly funded by the LAW FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.

ABOUT

The Laurus Trust

The Law Family Educational Trust (LFET) is a Charitable Trust established to sponsor the Laurus Trust, a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) with Cheadle Hulme High School (CHHS), the founder school, at its centre.

CHHS is a hugely oversubscribed school renowned for exceptional outcomes through the relentless pursuit of excellence and a determination that every child succeeds.

It is a Teaching School and was judged Outstanding in every category by Ofsted in 2011 and 2015. In the 2019 Progress 8 Headline Measure CHHS came in the top 3% of schools nationally and was named Secondary School of the Year 2018 at the Greater Manchester Schools Awards. In 2016, the high-performing Gorsey Bank Primary School joined the Trust, followed in 2019 by Hazel Grove High School.

The Trust has opened four brand new free schools in Greater Manchester. It also offers teacher training through the Altius Alliance which was judged Outstanding by Ofsted in 2017.

Linda Magrath i is the CEO of the Laurus Trust, and was previously Head Teacher of CHHS. CHHS was rated Outstanding in all categories by Ofsted in both 2011 and 2015.

Tony Little is the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

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The new Laurus Trust offices

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Supporting a Longer School Day

Typically, most State schools have 25 lessons per week, the Laurus Secondary schools have introduced 28 lessons, plus co-curricular activities.

During term time we have a large number of students still in school until between 4.30/5.00pm and often beyond. Those students involved in one of the many shows/concerts/sporting fixtures can add 8/10 hours to the school week.

In addition to our co- curricular offer, additional targeted teaching takes place for an hour or more after school each day in various year groups.

In the run up to the exam season we also run breakfast revision sessions which can start as early as 7.30am and the after school ‘power hour’ again for targeted students.

Many of the Sixth Form students will also have additional hours of curriculum dedicated to preparing them for University admissions tests. CHHS Sixth Form is open until 6.00pm every day and regularly has students and staff there until the building closes.

Professional Learning for staff, such as Masters and DFE NPQ programmes, also takes place after school.

Electives

‘Discover new talents and interests, develop existing ones’

During years 7 - 9 students chose a minimum of two electives per week as part of the co-curricular offer within each of the new schools. In years 10 – 11 a minimum of one elective will be selected.

These electives are compulsory, although students have a choice over the subjects they select. All electives are categorised under our four cornerstones. Electives take place at the end of the school day and last for one hour.

Four Cornerstones

Academic Aspiration

Our vision is for all of our students, regardless of background and circumstance, to make outstanding progress and achieve grades which will open the door to the future of their choice. We want our students to be curious and develop a thirst for knowledge, we want them to be resilient and to value effort; we want them to understand that sometimes failure is an essential part os the learning process and to recognise that developing a positive, ‘can doc’ attitude will help them to set and achieve aspirational goals.

Leadership & Service

We value individuality, celebrate diversity and encourage our students to have the confidence to think for themselves, whilst emphasising the importance of tolerance, teamwork and collective responsibility. We place great importance on both leadership and participation and encourage students from all backgrounds to take on roles of responsibility and engage in School and House activities. By the time they leave us, we want each student to have that true sense of self worth which will enable them to make wise choices, stand up for what is right and what they believe in and, in doing so, be of value to society.

Competition & Physical Endeavor

We believe that physical activity and competition, both inter and intra school, are vital to the holistic development of young people, fostering their physical, social and emotional health. We want our students to approach competition with optimism and vitality; to relish the opportunity to demonstrate determination, creativity and perseverance in order to overcome challenges; to understand that hard work and commitment lead to a greater chance of success and that obstacles are temporary but achievement lasts for a lifetime.

Culture, Creativity & Rhetoric

Alongside our high aspirations for academic success, we passionately believe in the importance of education in its broadest sense and we will ensure the fullest possible participation in art, music and drama. We want our students to appreciate that great writing gives us access to ideas which challenge our thinking; that the power of language gives us the opportunity to make our voice heard and present our own ideas with courage, conviction and impact; that the Arts open up worlds which we might not otherwise inhabit. We will ensure that students from all backgrounds are able to discover new talents and interests and develop existing ones.

All students complete at least 1 term of an elective in at least three of the four cornerstones. We believe this wider cultural experience will help to build confidence, patience, creativity and provide balance and support for the academic curriculum.

Each student will have a minimum of 2 additional hours per week of co-curricular electives and support. This will result in each student experiencing 380 hours of additional co-curricular electives and support during years 7 – 11.

Examples of electives that students may choose from are:

Maths Problem Solving
Enquiring Minds – Africa
Italian
Latin
Philosophy
The Power of Politics
School Council
Drama
Athletics
Tennis
Golf
Debating
The Spoken Word
The Science of Art
Optimates

Apertura – Years 10-12

Apertura is a three-year academic enhancement programme designed to encourage to expose high achieving students to academic enquiry, dialogue and independent research in preparation for applications to competitive universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.

Apertura is a school-based Tripos system comprising lectures, supervisions and research opportunities which mirrors the three years of a traditional undergraduate Oxbridge college community.

At least 12 hours a week in addition to the standard school day will be spent on the delivery of Apertura sessions. Students on the Apertura programme will experience at least 105 hours of additional super-curricular exposure during years 10-12.

Students have a calendar of events including:

Supervisions (small group discussion on topics from across the three Apertura strands)
Guest lectures from academics currently engaged in research, and follow up Q&A sessions
Apertura Research Project lectures and supervisions to allow students to complete their own research in Years 10 and 11
Apertura Theory of Knowledge lectures and supervisions in Year 12 to develop critical thinking skills and to construct responses to ToK questions
Self Sessions, wellbeing workshops to build resilience, confidence and good mental health
Voice coaching to prepare students for presenting their findings from their ARP and AToK work
Summer school for Year 11s at an Oxbridge college
Celebration events for the ARP and AToK and for graduation at the end of Year 12

Enrichment Through Special Activities

The LFET will support higher levels of student betterment across all ability levels through a wide range of special activities including performing arts, competitive sports, debating, entrepreneurship and Young Enterprise Schemes.

Co-curricular activities, in addition to regular sport and exercise, and a sense of competitive spirit will increase personal well-being, health and concentration levels. Collectively they will promote team building skills, leadership, and a passion to perform beyond one’s own expectations in all disciplines.

Recognising that one of the biggest factors in classroom experience and outcomes is the professional knowledge and skill of the teacher, LFET will also offer a Masters Programme for teachers to support ongoing professional development.