What is the Special Partnership Trust?

Our Trust was founded in 2016 and is made up of a group of special schools and ARBs who have come together to raise the bar and set new standards for Special Educational Needs (SEN) throughout the South West.

This makes us unlike most other Trusts and puts us in a unique position to do things differently.

We realised early on in our journey that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. So we developed a philosophy that places our young people front and centre. Every decision we take is based on meeting the needs of our young people and helping them succeed. And when we say ‘succeed’ we don’t just mean academically. 

Through collaboration, co-operation, and creativity - underpinned by an ethos built on inclusivity, empowerment, and transparency - we aim to inspire every single young person (as well as their families and our staff) to be the very best versions of themselves they possibly can and to thrive and flourish no matter what circumstances they face.

Our Mission

We’re not afraid to do things differently and we never settle for ordinary. And we have big aspirations to go along with it.

Our mission is to be a force for good in SEN and make a positive difference in people’s lives. We challenge conventions, we pioneer excellence, and we work tirelessly every single day to create better tomorrows for our young people and their families. 

We aspire to be the best in everything that we do. We provide our young people with the highest quality education, give them access to the best opportunities available to them, and take pride in giving them a sense of self worth and purpose - built on a foundation of resilience and independence. 

We do this through an ambitious, specialist curriculum that goes beyond school life and focusses on living as well as learning. We step outside the comfort zone when it’s needed, we care more than people think is needed or necessary, and we genuinely want to improve the lives and experiences of our learners.  

We go beyond what’s expected in everything we do. We give our staff the autonomy to make a real, tangible difference to the lives of our learners. By empowering our pupils, parents, and staff we strengthen our community and lay the foundations to fully prepare young people to be successful, achieving, fulfilled adults.

We dare to be different, we have courage in our convictions, and we strive every single day to draw the best out of everything and everyone in our community. 

Our Vision

Every organisation should have a vision. And this vision should outline the ultimate goal the organisation is hoping to achieve. It provides a strategic direction and a sense of purpose for the organisation, serving as a guiding beacon for its employees and stakeholders. 

Our vision is for a world where every single young person has access to the best education they need - delivered in the best possible environment - so they can thrive, succeed, and flourish no matter what circumstances they face.

Of course, the day-to-day can often look very different to our aspirations and there are challenges that come our way. But we know we can overcome them because we always go back to our ethos of putting our learners first.

Our Goals & Our Values

So what is it that we’re trying to achieve? Really, it’s quite simple. Our goal is to prepare young people for the next step, whatever that step may be for them. 

We do this through fostering a spirit of innovation, by generating excitement, and championing opportunities. Our commitment to our young people is to give them the education and skills they need to lead rich, active, and fulfilling lives beyond school all while being in a space where they feel safe, supported, and happy.

All of this is underpinned by our values. These values sit at the heart of everything we do and underline our commitment to continually improve our offer and work to improve SEN in the South West for the benefit of everyone.

We are:

Ambitious. We believe in setting new standards and consistently raising them through the quality of our work and approach.

Aspirational. We dream big and are brave enough to act on our aspirations.

Invested. We care. It’s easy to say but, for us, it flows through every part of the Trust. We’re invested in improving the lives of our young people both now and into the future.

Purposeful. We don’t do things for the sake of doing them. We’re driven by our purpose and committed to turning our vision into a reality.

Genuine. Honesty, transparency, and authenticity are what all our work is built on.

Inclusive. Every single voice matters. Everyone can have ideas, express views, and be heard. 

Energetic. We make SEN exciting. We’re not bound by convention and infuse our energy and passion through everything we do.

Specialist. We are a specialist trust and this gives us a unique and unprecedented insight into the needs of our young people and their families.

So there you have - that’s us! And if you’d like to find out even more - or feedback on this article - we’d be delighted to hear from you. You can email info@specialpartnership.org with any thoughts or questions.