THE FACE of education in Bridport is set to change with four schools joining together to form an academy trust.

Bridport Primary School, Burton Bradstock CE Primary School, St Mary’s CE Primary School and The Sir John Colfox Academy, all joined together to form the Minerva Learning Trust on April 1.

The schools have said that they have all decided to work together as they believe collaboration, rather than a competitive approach to education is better.

The trust said that the schools are looking forward to the extra freedom they will have over the curriculum and to using the extra funding they will receive creatively for the benefit of the young people in their care.

Newly appointed executive principal, Kay Taylor, said: “This is an exciting time. We have a very clear vision of what education in Bridport should be like and hoe we can make things better for our staff, students and parents working together. Now at last we get the chance to start putting the vision in to practice.”

The trust’s ambitions include developing more expressive arts opportunities, to support more sporting events and provide a curriculum which will lead to outstanding learning opportunities.

Mrs Taylor said: “This is a great opportunity to develop our own vision of outstanding education.

“We will be working together to ensure a more seamless education from age four to 19 and that will benefit everyone.”

Academies have been a national talking point in recent weeks after the government announced plans to convert all schools in to academies.

The Minerva Trust feels academy status for the schools will give it an opportunity to have more control over the direction the schools move in.

Mrs Taylor said: “This is the chance for us, as leaders in our schools, to grasp our own destiny and shape our own future and we look forward to our vision becoming reality in the next few years.”

Mrs Taylor has been the headteacher at Sir John Colfox but has been replaced by David Herbert as she takes up the role as the head of the trust.

Sir John Colfox converted to academy status in May last year.

Academies are publicly funded independent schools and not in control of the local authority.

An academy aims to raise education achievements, to be inclusive and to raise aspirations and standards and support other schools.