Knowledge Schools Trust Completes Merger with Bedford College Academies Trust
Bedford College Academies Trust and Knowledge Schools Trust (KST) have merged as of 1st March 2024 and will operate under the Knowledge Schools Trust brand. We now welcome Wixams Academy and Wixams Tree Primary Academy to our growing group of excellent schools.
Our trusts have much in common, with shared values, cultures, pedagogical approaches, and are both committed to improving the educational outcomes for pupils through a knowledge-rich curriculum.
Combining the experience, expertise and resources of both trusts will lead to improved educational outcomes, as a result of being able to collaborate across our schools and invest more into staff and the educational and pastoral experiences for the pupils.
“We are excited that we have merged with Knowledge Schools Trust to create a larger group of schools which provides continuity for Wixams Academy and Wixams Tree Primary Academy in terms of the improvement of both schools over the past two years. We are committed to build on the foundations at both schools and make sure that they provide an excellent education for the local community in Wixams. There has been significant public investment from Bedford Borough Council to expand Wixams Academy which will provide state of the art teaching and sporting facilities later this year. The increased opportunities for staff development, sharing of great practice between schools and joint events for pupils will be of significant benefit,” said Hywel Jones, Director of Secondary Education.
Ian Hunter, Chief Executive Officer added, “We are delighted to welcome Hywel Jones and his team to KST. This is a great match and firmly cements KST’s presence in Bedford and the surrounding areas. We have ambitious goals for both schools and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to the benefit of our pupils and students.”
As a Trust we aim to continue to grow, looking to add up to three more suitable schools in the local areas over the next few years, enabling pupils to overcome inequality of opportunity through education and to give our staff increased career development opportunities.
