The Russell Education Trust (RET) is a Multi-Academy Trust.[1] It provides educational support services in the creation and operation of academies established as part of the free schools programme.[2] It is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, with exempt charity status, regulated by the Department for Education.[3] Its board members include experienced educationalists and representatives from RET schools' local governing bodies.[4]
RET was established in 2010 by directors of the school improvement company Education London which, between 2003 and 2017, provided educational support services to Government, notably as a service provider to the London Challenge, as well as to individual Local Authorities and schools.[5][6][7] Education London ceased trading in 2017 due to the retirement of its Operations Director, but continues as community interest company EL (RET) to sponsor RET.[8]
Both organisations were based in the same office building in Leatherhead, Surrey, until 2024 when they moved to Teddington.[9][5]
The Russell Education Trust has worked in partnership with parents, communities, and diocesan authorities to establish the following free schools:[10]
Governance Model
RET established its first two free schools using the Single Academy Trust model that was in place at the time.[16] It formed two sub-trusts, the Bristol Free School Trust and the Becket Keys CofE Free School Trust,[17][18][19][20] which each signed free school funding agreements with the Secretary of State.[16] Like RET itself, RET's sub-trusts are exempt charities, regulated by the Department for Education.[3]
For its later schools RET used the Multi-Academy Trust model.[1][21][22]
The Trust delegates a range of its governance responsibilities to each of its schools' local governing bodies via a formal Scheme of Delegation.[23]
References
External links