Barrow’s Furness College has launched a partnership with a nearby town school.
The college has approval to invite primary and secondary schools to join a new Multi Academy Trust and Chetwynde is the first to sign up.
The trust will see the Barrow college share its expertise and strengths with its Rating Lane neighbour Chetwynde and other partners who join to further improve education for young people.
Furness College principal and chief executive Andrew Wren said a South Cumbrian trust was an exciting new opportunity.
He said: “This innovative new trust will have education at its heart and a real focus on pupils achieving their full potential and gaining valuable academic and life skills,.
“We have a proven track record of working successfully with other colleges for the benefit of young people, employers and the wider community.
“We are delighted that Chetwynde, with its strong ethos and unique place in the history of education in this town, has become our first partner.
“We’ve had interest from various schools and we hope to launch this in September.”
The Regional Schools Commissioner has approved the trust and prospective board members have been identified, a statement from the college said.
Chetwynde headteacher Steve Jefferson said: “We have been working closely with Furness College for a number of years and have been impressed with their willingness to share expertise and knowledge for the benefit of the whole education community.
“When we heard about the trust, it seemed a perfect way to formalise that relationship and give our students a more seamless opportunity to learn new skills and prepare for the next steps in their education.”
Professor Wren said as well as benefiting from connections with the University of Cumbria’s Institute of Education where he is professor of practice, the trust would strengthen links with the schools opening doors for pupils to be able to engage with the college as part of their curriculum.
“It will help young people to learn new skills and experience future opportunities on our campuses with guidance from our expert teachers with valuable industry experience,” he said.
