Arthur Terry Learning Partnership welcomes John Willmott School

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) is delighted to announce that Sutton Coldfield’s John Willmott School is now officially part of its growing family of academies.

The improving school joins Arthur Terry as one of ATLP’s two secondary academies in the royal town. The 13-strong respected multi-academy trust runs eight primary schools, five secondary schools and one national teaching school in Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Staffordshire.

Led by CEO Richard Gill, chair of the national Teaching Schools Council, the ATLP has successfully supported John Willmott on its school improvement journey, leading to the academy moving out of special measures last year. This latest announcement has received support from families, staff and governors.

This summer, the school has enjoyed “phenomenal achievements” in GCSE and A-Level results and headteacher Tracey Peters is looking forward to the next stage in the academy’s future.

She said:

John Willmott School is proud to be part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership family. This is the start of a new era and we are pleased to be working with a group of academies with a strong record for continuous school improvement, who share our commitment to providing children and young children with opportunities to excel. We are already seeing the benefits of collaborating with others, including national leaders of education Richard Gill and Neil Warner, who have both been part of Arthur Terry’s outstanding success, will help shape the future direction of this school.

The significant increases in this year’s exam results are cause for further celebration. These fantastic outcomes are testament to the commitment of staff and students to ensure that the very best outcomes were achieved. There is still work to do, but Ofsted has recognised the progress we are making and we aim to build on our achievements in the new academic year ahead.”

Richard Gill said:

I’m delighted to welcome John Willmott School to the ATLP. This is an academy that is proud to be at the heart of its community in Sutton Coldfield and one that is packed with student potential and ambition. I’m honoured and privileged to be working with Tracey and her exceptional team, who will continue to build on the school’s success including this year’s phenomenal results. The ATLP believes that every child has the right to be a powerful learner. We’re committed to raising standards collectively through strong collaboration, teamwork and mutual support. Together we can ensure excellence across schools and I look forward to extending those opportunities to John Willmott.”

The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is based in Four Oaks. It has more than 10,000 students, staff and governors and in 2019 the expanding MAT was named Large Business of the Year (Sutton Coldfield) by the Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce.

Andrew Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield, said:

This is excellent news for John Willmott School and families in Sutton Coldfield. We want all children and young people to have access to quality education in their area and both Tracey and ATLP leaders are committed to delivering lasting school improvement. I wish them every success and look forward to seeing further improvements as we head into this next stage of partnership working.”