DEBORAH Leighton Plom and fellow governors from Queen Elizabeth’s School attended the Crediton Farmers’ Market on Saturday, March 4 and will be there again tomorrow morning (Saturday).

The governors are keen to gather the community’s views and give them information on the potential formation of the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust.

A Multi-Academy Trust - or MAT - is a group of schools that work together in a formal arrangement.

All schools within a MAT are governed by a single board of trustees.

The board of trustees is responsible for decisions relating to how each school is run but there will still be a local governing body who will monitor and challenge the quality of education in each school.

QE governors and staff are working with governors and staff from other local schools on forming the Dartmoor MAT.

The vision for the MAT is:

• It will provide the highest possible quality of education for all local children. This will be cross phase; from pre-school to age 19.

• It will have a co-operative ethos.

• Education should be community-based, inclusive and will respect and retain the ethos of each school including church schools.

• Be an underpinned top quality Teaching School (The Dartmoor Teaching School); have a strong capability to develop all staff. All schools in the MAT will be part of the Teaching School Alliance.

• It will develop high quality cross-phase teaching.

• It will mirror existing staff terms and conditions and will recognise from the outset the importance of retaining and attracting staff of the highest calibre.

• It will continue in the benefits to the community of local schools and always attempt to maintain rural schools subject to their viability.

Parents and others interested in the future of Queen Elizabeth’s School are invited to go along to the Town Square tomorrow morning for an informal chat with Deborah and the other governors if they are interested in finding out more.

Alan Quick