Staff from across the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) recently travelled to Sweden to partner with two schools within the Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES) Trust — in Kista (Stockholm) and Eskilstuna.

The partnership aimed to explore how schools in socially vulnerable areas have achieved remarkable success. The visit centred on the theme:

From Special Measures to Success in a Socially Vulnerable Area – The Swedish Free School Context.

Over three days, staff from the Trust, Ellesmere Port C of E College, Birches Head Academy and Handforth Grange Primary School

the impressive Chester Town Hall, as part of our Be More Co-Curriculum.

Pupils from Handforth Grange Primary School, Birches Head Academy, and Ellesmere Port C of E College came together to showcase their creativity and geographical understanding.

This year’s challenge invited pupils to design an A3 poster or physical model exploring their local area and what it means to them. The standard of entries was exceptional, making the judges’ task of selecting winners incredibly difficult!

FFET is working with leading education charity Teach First, to provide School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT), allowing the teachers of the future to train within the local community.

The SCITT programme is a one-year teacher-training course for people eager to learn on the job, enabling those who want to train at one of the Frank Field Education Trust schools, making a difference in the community from day one.

In September 2025, the Trust held its annual conference, bringing together staff from across all schools within the Trust to celebrate and explore our shared purpose, culture, and approach.

The event provided an invaluable opportunity for collaboration, reflection, and professional growth.

Staff took part in a series of workshops exploring this year’s theme, focusing on how our shared values and consistent practice can continue to drive improvement and success across the Trust.

Frank Field's Poetry Festival is back for 2025 - Enter Now!

Theme: Justice
Deadline for Entries: 23 October 2025
Finals: 19 November 2025

Finals will be held at Manchester Central Library

What to Do

• Write an original poem exploring the theme of Justice and what it means to you.

• Enter one of the age categories: Year 2 & 3, Year 4 & 5, Year 6 & 7, Year 8 & 9, Year 10.

• Submit your poem using the form below.

Pupils from Ellesmere Port C of E College (EPC) had an incredible opportunity to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer this September, ahead of the Labour Party Conference, taking place in Liverpool.

Our students were invited to take part in the event, where the Prime Minister answered questions on the landmark Hillsborough Law, which the government laid before Parliament in September.

During the meeting, pupils ad the opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful conversation with the Prime Minister on a range of important topics, including their local community, student finance, and education.

Nominations now open for the Lord Field Social Justice Awards. To commemorate the life and service of our founder, the Frank Field Education Trust has created the Lord Frank Field Community and Social Justice Awards. Lord Field spent his adult life fighting against poverty and social injustice and served his community with distinction for over 40 years.

The purpose of the annual awards is to celebrate the pupils in our community who have gone above and beyond, during the last 12 months, to make a difference in school or in their communities by helping and supporting others.

The Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) proudly hosted its first-ever Chess Competition, bringing together students from schools across the Trust, including Birches Head Academy, Ellesmere Port C of E College and Handforth Grange Primary School.

The competition also welcomed external challengers, with students from Ormiston Horizon Academy, Excel Academy, Clayton Hall Academy Our lady and St Werburgs Primary School and Heron Cross Primary School also joining in the tournament.

The Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) is proud to announce the launch of the Lord Frank Field Community and Social Justice Awards, created to honour the life, legacy, and values of the Trust’s late founder, Lord Frank Field.

Lord Field devoted more than four decades of his life to public service, tirelessly championing the fight against poverty and social injustice. His work touched countless lives and inspired a generation to believe in the power of compassion, fairness and community action.

To honour the memory of the late Lord Frank Field, an award will be named after him to mark his legacy and remarkable contribution to education and social justice.

Through a collaboration with the Educate Awards – the largest education awards in the North West – the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) will commemorate its founder, the Rt. Hon. Lord Frank Field, who served as the Member of Parliament for Birkenhead for over 40 years.

The esteemed ‘Community Partnership Award’ will now be known as the ‘Lord Frank Field Community Partnership Award’.

Students from Birches Head Academy, Ellesmere Port C of E College and Handforth Grange have returned from an unforgettable one-week immersive experience in Chengdu, China.

The visit provided students with a unique opportunity to engage with Chinese culture, education, and history, fostering global connections and personal growth.

Last week, pupils from Birches Head Academy (BHA) delivered an unforgettable performance of Matilda Jr The Musical on the 26th and 27th of March 2025, bringing Roald Dahl’s beloved tale to the stage.

Students from across the academy amazed audiences with their remarkable acting, singing, and dancing, showcasing months of hard work. Under the direction of the performing arts department, the production featured impressive choreography, captivating set designs and musical numbers that had the audience singing along.

The grand final of the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) 500 Word Competition was held on 26th March 2025 at Cranage Estate, celebrating the incredible creativity and imagination of young writers from Ellesmere Port C of E College, Birches Head Academy, and Handforth Grange Primary School.

This exciting event highlighted the winning stories from students spanning a range of age categories, all exploring the theme of "Extraordinary."

Birches Head Academy (BHA) is pleased to share its most recent Ofsted inspection report, which took place on 28 January 2025. The school received positive feedback regarding its ongoing improvements and commitment to providing a high standard of education.

The report acknowledged the school’s dedication to addressing previous recommendations, particularly in areas such as behaviour and attendance. Inspectors found that “there has been a focus on improving the culture across the school and creating a calm, safe environment for all. Pupils and staff know that the bar has been raised… and that expectations are high.”

Pupils from Ellesmere Port C of E College, Birches Head Academy and Handforth Grange Primary School are preparing for an unforgettable educational and cultural journey to Chengdu in China. Departing on 22th March 2025, this immersive trip promises to broaden their horizons through a series of enriching cultural experiences.

The week-long itinerary is packed with opportunities for pupils to engage with Chinese culture, history, and education. Upon arrival in Chengdu, the group will visit the renowned Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Centre, offering a first-hand look at China’s iconic giant pandas and conservation efforts.

February 2025 – A talented group of young performers from Ellesmere Port took centre stage at Ellesmere Port C of E College (EPC) to rock audiences with their production of School of Rock – The Musical.  

Based on the beloved 2003 film starring Jack Black, the musical – featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and a book by Julian Fellowes, follows the story of Dewey Finn, a failed rock musician who impersonates a supply teacher and transforms a class of elite prep school students into a high-energy rock band.

There are three age categories: Years 1 and 2, year 3 and 4, Years 5 and 6, Years 7 and 8 and Years 9 and 10. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are not marked – it’s all about creativity!

Finalists will be invited to go to a glamorous grand final at Cranage Hall where the bronze (2), silver (2) and gold (2) winners in each category will have their stories read out.

There are also prizes to be won – each winner will take home books and the gold winners also win books for their school library.

Not only that, but the winning stories will also be published in a FFET short story illustrated anthology.

Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) is working with leading education charity Teach First, to provide School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT), allowing the teachers of the future to train within the local community.

The SCITT programme is a one-year teacher-training course for people eager to learn on the job, enabling those who want to train at one of the Frank Field Education Trust schools, making a difference in the community from day one.

On Friday, 22 November 2024, pupils from across the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) gathered at Staffordshire University for the first-ever Trust-wide Poetry Festival - a celebration of creativity and values.

This year’s festival featured an impressive collection of poems, all reflecting the FFET Core Values: Humility, Compassion, Honesty, Integrity, Gratitude, Courage, Respect, and Justice.

Handforth Grange Primary School is delighted to announce its recognition as the WINNER of the SEND Provision Award (Mainstream School) at the prestigious 2024 Educate Awards. The ceremony took place at Liverpool Cathedral on Friday 15th November, in celebration of excellence across the education sector. 

The SEND Provision Award recognises schools that excel in providing outstanding support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), fostering an inclusive and nurturing learning environment.

Ellesmere Port - Early Life enjoyed an incredible summer – trips to the zoo, library, farm, lots of stay and plays and a fantastic graduation party! We also attended a VERY busy Community Fun Day at Whitby Park attended by lots of local agencies. Since returning to groups in September, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming 22 new families (and counting!) into our Early Life groups – alongside our wonderful returning second year families. Looking forward, we have exciting plans for festive events for all the family including Halloween parties at our Ellesmere Port C of E College base, and Christmas Keepsake workshops.

Join Us for the Poetry Festival!

Are you ready to share your original poetry that embodies our FFET values? This is your chance to listen to inspiring guest speakers and be featured in our anthology! Our festival will take place in November 2024 at Staffordshire University.

We invite the top entries from each of our schools to showcase their talent at this exciting event. All poetry styles are welcome!

October 2024 –Handforth Grange Primary School is proud to announce that we have been shortlisted for not one, but two categories at this year’s esteemed Educate Awards:

• Most Inspirational Primary School

• SEND Provision Award – Mainstream School

These nominations are a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication demonstrated by our exceptional staff and pupils. Their hard work continues to inspire and make a lasting impact within our school community, ensuring an inclusive and supportive environment for all.

October 2024 – On Monday, the Year 10 team from BHA faced off against Excel Academy in an eagerly awaited local derby match. The game started with an explosive pace as Vinnie put BHA ahead just 2 minutes in, followed by a second goal from Gael at the 6-minute mark. Excel Academy managed to pull one back after 15 minutes, but BHA responded quickly, with Blake scoring just a minute later to restore the two-goal lead.

27 September 2024 – For National Teaching Assistants Day, we honour and express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our wonderful Teaching Assistants (TAs) across the Trust.

Teaching Assistants play an integral role, providing essential support to both students and teachers alike. We recognise that “Being able to help someone learn something is a talent,” and our TAs exemplify this talent every day. Your dedication and passion for education make an enormous difference and we couldn’t do it without you.

Make a difference in our communities, develop your professional skills and support children and young people by volunteering as a trustee for the Frank Field Education Trust.

Our trustees work together to carry out their core functions:

• ensuring there is clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

• holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils and the performance management of staff

• overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

• ensuring the voices of stakeholders are heard (as recognised by the National Governance Association (NGA)

Mrs Andrea Booth, Head Teacher of Handforth Grange Primary School, expressed her pride and joy in the school’s recent outstanding achievement: “Receiving an outstanding rating from Ofsted is a testament to the dedication and collaborative spirit of our exceptional staff, parents, pupils and the entire school community.

She added: “We are delighted to announce we have been shortlisted for the 2024 TES Primary School of the Year award and we are looking forward to attending the ceremony event in London.

Jon Severs, Editor of Tes Magazine said, “Congratulations to all the shortlisted entries – the standard was so high this year despite the challenges schools face. It is critical we celebrate excellence and share it widely so we can ensure that the fantastic work happening in education is properly recognised.” 

Winners will be announced on 21st June at a glittering gala awards night at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, in London.

The best schools and teachers across the country have been shortlisted in this year’s Tes Schools Awards. The Tes Schools Awards, which have been dubbed the ‘Oscars of education’, is a prestigious awards programme which celebrates the best of education across the UK. It has now been revealed that Frank Field Education Trust and The Ellesmere Port C of E College has been shortlisted in the category of The Tim Brighouse Community Engagement Initiative of the Year award.

It is with huge sadness that we heard about Frank’s passing. 

Throughout his impressive career, Frank gave his life to improving the lives of those around him. His unwavering commitment to social justice not only defined his decades of public service, but is also the foundation stone for so many causes and organisations he was involved in.

That is why, as the founder of Frank Field Education Trust, our mentor and, above all, our friend, he had such a profound impact on our multi-academy trust and all those who are connected to our schools. Frank’s focus on ensuring that all young people have access to the same educational opportunities is at the heart of everything we do. Chris Hampshire Chair of The Frank Field Education Trust, stated that he will do all he can to ensure Frank’s vision and legacy lives on.

Handforth Grange has been awarded the United Against Bullying GOLD School status by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, marking a significant achievement in their commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all pupils. The United Against Bullying programme aims to support schools in their efforts to combat bullying and enhance the overall well-being of all pupils.

Handforth Grange’s attainment of the United Against Bullying GOLD School status underscores their dedication to creating a nurturing and inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued and protected. Achieving this recognition is no small feat, as it requires a concerted effort and commitment from the entire school community.