The Ascent Academies Trust
About Us
We are a family of specialist schools that work together for the benefit of young people with special needs and disabilities. Our six schools span 4 local authorities in the North-East and North Yorkshire, and we provide education for children from 2-19 who have a range of complex and special needs. Most of our schools are located across multiple sites, including co-located spaces in mainstreams schools. Ascent was founded with the aim of developing a vision and strategic plan for special educational needs in Sunderland.
By collaboratively working together they are not only able to increase the opportunities they can offer their own young people and colleagues, but are also able to offer their specialist knowledge to schools and academies across Sunderland, through their advice, consultancy and training arm of the company Ascent Extra Limited.
We are currently responsible for the education and care of approximately 1300 young people and employ over 700 colleagues.
We have seen great benefits of working together in deep and purposeful collaboration and how it impacts on the futures of our young people. We may be 6 schools, but we are a collective provision, who work together for the benefit of all of our children and young people.
Over the years we have developed services, systems and processes that enable our Head Teachers and school Leaders to focus on Teaching and Learning whilst our Central Services Team manage all aspects of Health and Safety, HR, IT, Finance and Estates across our Trust. Although our pupil led funding rightly goes to our schools, we use economies of scale and withstand financial challenges through prioritising needs together.
Join the Ascent Family
Ascent Academies’ Trust is a truly collaborative family of specialist schools. We aspire to work as one to bring about positive opportunities to enable our young people to have brighter futures. We sensibly align ways of working that enable us to work together while also valuing autonomy.
Over the years Trustees and Trust leaders have led our schools towards a level of shared practice that allows colleagues to work seamlessly across our schools and to have common practices and procedures that we all understand to be robust and effective. However, each of our schools has its own unique ethos, culture and feel.
Professional Development and Growing Great People
We focus on developing and supporting all colleagues across our schools and central services team, valuing individual strengths and qualities, investing in professional developing, supporting well-being and growing our people.
As an employer of over 700 colleagues, we are able offer high quality CPD, varied career opportunities and opportunities to grow as a professional. We offer all employees an employee assistance programme to support their holistic well-being needs in and out of the workplace.
Recent vacancies
Assistant Site Supervisor - Hope Wood Academy
How to find us
The Ascent Academies Trust
tbc
info@ascenttrust.org
6, Defender CourtSunderland Enterprise Park
Sunderland
Tyne and Wear
SR5 3PE