South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust has announced the appointment of Professor Andrew Wren as full-time Chief Executive Officer from September.

Professor Wren has combined his role as Furness College Principal with SCMAT CEO and has seen the Trust grow from strength-to-strength.

Nicola Cove, who is currently the deputy principal, was unanimously selected as the new Furness College Principal by the Board of Governors after a rigorous process, which was facilitated by the Association of Colleges.

Professor Wren said the leadership team at SCMAT now has expertise across finance and management, school and curriculum improvement, operations and estates, human resources and communications.

He said he was looking forward to continuing the strong relationship between the college and SCMAT.

“I have worked with Nicola for several years and am confident that I am leaving the college in her extremely capable hands.

“The introduction of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust has been both successful and popular with schools, which is a huge positive for education across this area.

“Local governors, heads and staff are recognising the improvements we are making with our current member schools and want to be a part of SCMAT, which will begin the September term with six excellent schools, one further school awaiting approval and several others expressing an interest to join in the coming months. As the newest trust based in Furness, we are delighted to be one of the most popular.”

Professor Wren will be joined by Kathryn Kittley who is taking up a full-time role as Director of Communications for SCMAT, also from September.

She said: “It has been a privilege to be involved with SCMAT since its inception and I have seen it grow so positively for the benefit of the whole education community. I am excited to see what we can achieve in future given the excellent outcomes already secured for our schools in such a short period of time.”

SCMAT was formed in 2021 to drive up standards in education with Chetwynde School as its founding member. It was joined by Vickerstown and Ormsgill schools in 2022 and Newbarns, South Walney Juniors and Cambridge schools have all been approved by the Regional Director to join in September.

Furness College Chair of Governors Jan Fielding said:  “On behalf of the Board of Governors we would like to express our sincere thanks to Principal Andrew Wren for his hard work, dedication and commitment to the college. He has achieved so much during his period of tenure and leaves the college in a strong position. I know that he will bring the same enthusiasm and determination to his new role as Chief Executive of SCMAT and am certain that his relationship with college will remain strong.”

Education officials have approved applications by three schools to join South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust from September 2023.

The Regional Director, who oversees the academy system in the north-west, gave the go-ahead for Newbarns Primary and Nursery School, South Walney Juniors and Cambridge Primary School to academise at a meeting this month.

Welcoming the news, SCMAT Chief Executive Professor Andrew Wren said it was a hugely positive step forward for education.

“We are delighted that our Trust will start the new term with six excellent schools, one further school awaiting approval and several others have contacted me to express an interest to join in the coming months.

“The Department for Education has shown great faith in the progress we are making as a Trust, our growth plan and the impact we have started to have with our member schools.

“The schools will be an excellent fit in our Trust, they will bring a wealth of expertise whilst benefiting greatly from the open and collaborative manner in which we operate.”

The South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust is led by Furness College and began in 2021 with education at its heart and a real focus on pupils achieving their full potential and gaining valuable academic and life skills.

It is committed to providing excellent education across Barrow-in-Furness and the surrounding areas and will work with industry and the wider community.

Headteachers of the three schools joining in September said they were delighted approval had been granted.

Gary Birkett, head of Newbarns Primary and Nursery School, said: “The help and support we are already receiving from the Trust, its current member schools, and those with membership pending, has been well received.  Although our schools are all quite different from each other, the senior leaders all share a common vision and are determined to work collaboratively, share expertise and resources.”

Zena Lines, head of South Walney Juniors, and Jenny Lavery, head of Cambridge Primary School, both said they were looking forward to making progress under SCMAT with a shared goal towards school improvement and collaboration.

Zena said: “We see this as a positive step towards providing high quality education for our children and we are excited for the future of South Walney Junior School.”

Since it began, the Trust has led a number of initiatives focused on curriculum improvements, staff professional development and inclusive community events including the school MegaMAT Games.