History
Coastal Academies Trust started as a hard federation between King Ethelbert School and Dane Court Grammar School in 2009. The government agenda of creating Multi-Academy Trusts was, to us, an exciting and positive way forward for education as we were already committed to collaborative working between schools which leads to higher standards, positive challenge and better outcomes and experiences for students.
Our Trust now consists of four local Thanet secondary schools and two Thanet primary schools:
Dane Court Grammar School (Ofsted rating: Good 2022)
Hartsdown Academy (Ofsted rating: Good 2021)
King Ethelbert School (Ofsted rating: Good 2024)
Cliftonville Primary School (Ofsted rating: Good 2024)
Royal Harbour Academy (Ofsted rating: Requires Improvement 2020)
Newington Primary School (Ofsted rating: Outstanding 2017)
Coastal Academies Trust was created to form a local partnership of schools with shared collective goals across Thanet. The fact that we are formally joined together as a Trust means that we have true accountability and collective responsibility for each other and the diverse nature of each type/position of our schools, bringing together different elements of the education sector, makes it exciting, innovative and unique. We are able to have a direct influence across the whole community of Thanet and we are, over time, helping to raise the aspirations and life chances for everyone in this economically deprived area of the county.
Our schools have the autonomy to run their own provision in the right way for their students and their own school community and context but we share a collection vision and we find joint solutions to the problems that young people and the local community face. We involve our families in learning and we deliver a curriculum to suit the varying needs our students have. We are committed to creating positive attitudes towards learning for our young people and to engender resilience, reflection and creativity for all. As a collective we can take calculated risks to drive education in Thanet forward, for example, offering the International Baccalaureate in our sixth forms and offering a unique KS3 curriculum which draws explicitly and directly from the learning done at primary level. As a local Trust we ask our parents to trust us which works so much better when there are not conflicting interests between schools. We want each other to succeed and no one will be left behind. We join with local businesses, charities, support groups and other public services such as NHS to bring together the best life chances for all. For too long Thanet has been left behind and Coastal Academies Trust was created, quite simply, to change this.
Our Trust is also committed to developing staff so each person who works for us feels part of a larger community and can develop their own skills and knowledge with true professional development. We work together in all aspects of education on finding solutions for educational topics such as the curriculum, attendance, outcomes, destinations and life skills for our young people. We also offer bespoke professional development pathways in middle and senior leadership as well as for aspiring headteachers. If our schools are going to really succeed we need to attract and develop good staff and we are excited about the opportunities we can give to our excellent teams.
Our Trust does not have a top down approach on how to make our schools great – instead we collectively work on our vision and values, our goals and aspirations knowing that by being together we can achieve so much more than by going alone.
Our partnerships with other local schools and Trusts is important to us and we welcome the support we get from all of them.
Vision
We will work together to provide the best possible education for young people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds enabling them to flourish, both in school and in the future. We are a partnership of equals. We believe in learning from each other and sharing best practice. We have a common aim which is to make Thanet a centre of excellent education. We embrace the collective network of our schools and we celebrate being part of our Trust.
Values
Community
We work together to support and challenge each other as a community of schools for the benefit of the communities we serve. Collectively we can make more of an impact on social equality in a community that has called out for change for so long. Our students and staff will be given a voice – in Thanet, in Kent, nationally and as part of the global community.
Aspiration
There will be no limits to the expectations we have for everyone in our Trust. Achievement and ambition will always be rewarded.
Transformation
We will constantly strive to move forward our schools and recognise that the key to transformation is excellent leadership, constant analysis and an understanding of how to manage and bring about change. We will work together, as well as with key partners, to ensure that our students have access to transformational life chances.
Executive Team
Kate Greig, Chief Executive
Kate has worked in a variety of school roles in East Kent for over 20 years including being a headteacher for over 11. In September 2020 she was appointed as CEO of Coastal Academies Trust. She is particularly interested and involved with leadership development at all levels of the profession and she is a director of Lead Learning South East and East Kent Learning Alliance. She has many years of experience in writing and delivering senior leadership and headship qualifications as well as being a mentor to new headteachers.
Kate is a director of IBSCA and has been instrumental in increasing the uptake by Kent schools of the IBCP as a curriculum offer post 16. She is a member of the educational advisory committee for the Royal Shakespeare Company and is a Trustee of the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.
Kate believes that collaboration is the key to being a successful school. She is Chair of Thanet Headteacher Forum which is extremely proactive in the local area. She has a strong link with many schools in Kent as well as Kent University, Christchurch University, NHS in east Kent and local businesses.
Heidi Russell, Chief Operations Manager
Heidi Russell is the Chief Operations Manager of Coastal Academies Trust. Her role is to work with the CEO and Headteachers to ensure the central services within the Trust contribute to achieving strategic business outcomes. She advises, develops and implements policies, procedures and practices having regard to current legislation and best practice so as to ensure delivery of a comprehensive service.
Heidi has over 20 years of working within HR and is fully CIPD qualified. She acts as a source of HR expertise providing advice, guidance and information on a wide range of issues affecting individual schools and the Trust.
Heidi is a Trustee of another local primary MAT and she chairs their Personnel and Appraisal Committee.
Judy Brace, Chief Finance Officer
Judy Brace is the Chief Finance Officer for Coastal Academies Trust. She co-ordinates financial reporting and financial planning across the trust. This helps to ensure that there is financial stability in the schools, so that they can continue to educate and care for young people in Thanet and provide a high standard of education. She also supports the schools to ensure that taxpayers’s money is spent transparently, honestly and with value for money.
Lauren Pasola, School Improvement Lead
A former Advanced Skills Teacher, Head of Department, Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher, Lauren draws upon her 17 years of teaching experience to drive school improvement through transparent, but rigorous quality assurance processes, providing continual support through a network of expertise. She develops leadership capacity across the Trust and designs and delivers senior, middle and support staff programmes, combining leadership theory with practical application. Lauren also seeks and provides opportunities for staff and student collaboration CAT-wide, enhancing students’ educational experiences and continually striving to improve the education of students across Thanet.
Paul Higgin, Trust Estates Officer
Paul Higgin is the Trust Estates Officer for the Coastal Academies Trust. He coordinates the health and safety and regulatory compliance within the Trust. Paul has worked in both primary and secondary environments. Paul is a Trustee of another local primary MAT and he chairs their health and safety committee.
Our Academies
