On Wednesday 28 January 2026, FFET hosted its first-ever Student Leadership Conference at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, bringing together students from across the Trust for a full day of leadership development and reflection.

The conference opened at 10.00am with students taking part in a leadership style task, followed by a keynote address from Mrs Green, Deputy CEO of the Trust titled “What is Leadership?”. The keynote set the tone for the day, encouraging pupils to consider the meaning, qualities, and responsibilities of effective leadership.

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.

Staff from schools across the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) embarked on an incredible trip to New Delhi, India, marking the beginning of a new international partnership with PRATYeK - a charity dedicated to supporting and educating street-connected children.

As part of this inspiring collaboration, a group of teachers from across the Trust travelled to New Delhi in November for a week-long visit.

During their stay, they explored PRATYeK’s community projects, worked alongside local educators, and gained first-hand insight into The National Inclusive Children’s Parliament and the charity’s approaches to children’s rights and education.

We are delighted to publish the FFET Autumn Term 1 Newsletter, showcasing some of the incredible work taking place across the Trust.

This edition highlights a term full of inspiring moments, including pupils meeting the Prime Minister, a Trust-wide conference, Be More events, international partnerships, and the everyday achievements happening across our classrooms, schools, and communities.

As part of its Handforth Experience theme, ‘Earth Conscious’, Handforth Primary School proudly participated in the first-ever live assembly broadcast from Antarctica.

The assembly featured Robert Swan OBE, the first person in history to walk to both the North and South Poles, who engaged with students about environmental stewardship and polar exploration. Jenny Cooke from the 2041 Schools charity also joined the session to launch their new education program, encouraging children worldwide to become Antarctica Champions.

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

In November 2025, pupils from across the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) gathered at Manchester Central Library for the second annual Trust-wide Poetry Festival—a celebration of creativity, talent, and core values. This year’s festival showcased an impressive collection of poems, all reflecting the FFET Core Value of Justice.

The event brought together talented young poets from Birches Head Academy, Ellesmere Port C of E College, and Handforth Grange Primary School. Pupils not only performed their original poetry but were also featured in the 2025 Poetry Anthology.

The Frank Field Education Trust proudly held its 2025 Art Challenge & Exhibition at Chester Town Hall this November, showcasing the incredible creativity and talent of young artists across the Trust.

This year’s theme was “Compassion”, encouraging participants to explore and express this important value through their artwork. Students were invited to submit entries across a variety of mediums, including photography, drawing, sculpture, digital art, and mixed media.

15th November saw the 2025 Educate Awards host a spectacular evening, celebrating outstanding achievements in education and community impact.

In collaboration with the Educate Awards — the largest education awards in the North West — the Frank Field Education Trust (FFET) commemorated its founder, the Rt. Hon. Lord Frank Field, who served as Member of Parliament for Birkenhead for over 40 years, by sponsoring an award in his honour.