Become a Partner for Trust Ambition
At the University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust, partnership is not an additional activity. It is central to how we work.
We believe that strong academies are outward-facing academies. They learn from others, contribute to the wider system and draw on expertise that helps children, young people and staff to achieve more, challenge thinking and shape futures.
Our partnerships help us to strengthen education across our academies, support professional growth, widen opportunity and ensure that our work is connected to the communities we serve.
partnership with purpose
For us, partnership is about shared ambition and practical impact.
Partnership, for us, is not simply about who we work with. It is about developing purposeful relationships that strengthen practice, build capacity and create richer opportunities for children, young people and staff.
Across our Trust, partnership can look like:
- academies learning from one another
- schools working together across local areas
- links with universities, teacher training providers and professional bodies
- national projects that challenge and improve our practice
- global connections that broaden pupils’ understanding of the world
- collaborative work with local authorities, community groups and sector organisations
Why this matters if you are considering joining our trust
Choosing to join a trust is a significant decision. It is not just about governance, finance or compliance, although those things matter. It is also about culture.
Academies considering joining the University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust are joining a community that believes improvement happens through both support and challenge. We value local identity and context, but we also know that no academy should have to solve every problem alone.
Through our partnerships, academies gain access to:
- wider professional expertise
- shared learning across phases and settings
- research-informed practice
- leadership development
- teacher training and workforce development
- central support that is connected to educational priorities
- opportunities to collaborate beyond their own locality
We are ambitious for every academy in our Trust. Partnership helps us turn that ambition into action.
Stronger together across our academies
Our first and most important partnership is the one we build with each other.
Across our 17 academies and SCITT, leaders, teachers and professional services colleagues work together to share expertise, solve problems and strengthen practice. This includes collaboration around curriculum, assessment, safeguarding, inclusion, governance, finance, estates, IT, communications and professional development.
We recognise that every academy has its own story, strengths and community. Being part of UniCAT does not mean losing that identity. It means being part of a wider team that can offer support, challenge and capacity when it is needed most.
When one academy develops effective practice, we want others to learn from it. When one academy faces a challenge, we want them to feel supported by the collective knowledge of the Trust.
Local identity. Shared ambition. Collective expertise.
Rooted in education through our university sponsor
Our relationship with the University of Chichester gives our Trust a distinctive educational heritage.
The University has a long history of teacher education and a strong commitment to widening opportunity through education. Its own academy sponsor page describes this history, including its roots in teacher training dating back to 1850.
This connection supports our belief that education should transform lives, open doors and create opportunity for children, young people and adults.
For academies considering joining us, this university link is part of our wider strength. It connects us to educational research, teacher development and a broader community of learning.
Growing the teachers and leaders of the future
As a Trust with its own SCITT, teacher development is part of who we are.
Portsmouth SCITT supports the development of new teachers across our region, working with partner schools to train and develop the next generation of the profession. From September 2026, Portsmouth SCITT will also act as a Lead Partner for Tes Institute’s accredited secondary teacher training programmes, expanding local routes into teaching across Portsmouth, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
This matters because strong teacher development strengthens the whole education system. It helps academies and schools recruit, support and retain committed professionals who understand local communities and are prepared for the reality of classroom practice.
For our own academies, it also creates opportunities to contribute to teacher training, mentor new colleagues and shape the profession from within.
Contributing to the wider education system
We believe trusts have a responsibility to contribute beyond their own organisation.
That means working with local authorities, schools, sector bodies, community partners and professional networks to support better outcomes for children and young people. It also means being willing to share learning, listen to others and engage with the wider challenges facing education.
Our academies are rooted in their local communities, but they are not isolated from the wider system. Through partnership, we can advocate, collaborate and respond more effectively to the needs of pupils, families and staff.