On Tuesday 12th May, our central team took part in our first ever PolyMAT Central Team Activity Day a brilliant morning of teamwork, problem‑solving and exploring the local community we proudly serve.

Expertly coordinated by Mark from our Trust Executive Team, the day brought colleagues together from across the Trust to collaborate, think creatively and work with people we don’t often get to see in person.

We began in the Bannockburn Partnership Unit, where we were split into three teams Red, Yellow and Blue  before discovering that we would be recreating the classic 80s TV show Treasure Hunt. Each team had members at base tackling a series of computing, coding and maths challenges, while two “sky runners” set off using public transport only.

Every solved clue revealed a what3words location, sending runners across Greenwich to find their next checkpoint. After the first shared clue to Woolwich Pier, each team was sent on completely different routes, meaning no two groups had the same journey - or the same strategy. It was a fantastic test of communication, logic, navigation and teamwork.

Across the morning, teams visited locations such as Plumstead Common, Abbey Wood Station, Thamesmead Tump 53, Lesnes Abbey, and finally Southmere Lake, unlocked by a Caesar cipher. Along the way, we learned more about the area our schools sit within and strengthened connections across the central team.

If you spotted groups of people running around Greenwich on Tuesday morning… it was probably us.

A huge thank you to Mark for the creativity, planning and energy that went into organising such a memorable day. We are already looking forward to the next one.

Enjoy these photos we snapped of three beautiful baby goslings at Southmere Lake!

What a fantastic day at the Schools & Academies Show!

On Thursday 7th May, members of our central team - including Data Services, Marketing, Governance Administration and members of our Executive team - headed to ExCeL London for an inspiring day of learning, networking and discovery.

The event was packed with valuable agenda sessions that we attended throughout the day. These included a session on the MAT landscape and its future, a discussion exploring what trust inspections and accountability could look like in an ideal world, and a session focused on communicating with external stakeholders - understanding what you are saying and why. We also attended the Department for Education’s launch of the Cyber Security Hub, alongside hearing a trust’s real experience of a cyber-attack.

It was fantastic to meet so many new people, connect with colleagues from across the sector, and speak with a wide range of organisations - all with a shared focus on helping schools thrive.

As a Trust, we remain committed to learning, evolving and continually seeking new ways to improve and strengthen the support we provide to our schools and communities.

Please enjoy this short video capturing some highlights from the day: