After careful consideration, our school has decided to seek to convert from a maintained council school and form a multi-academy trust (MAT), as a founder school, with Everton Free School and Football College, and other schools in the northwest of England.
The name of our new MAT will be The People’s Learning Trust, and it is linked to Everton Football Club (EFC). It will be the first and only multi-academy trust linked to a Premier League club in the country.
You may well have seen on the news in recent years, that there is an increasing expectation from the UK Government that all schools convert to become Academies. This means moving away from being under the control of a Local Authority and working together with other groups of schools instead.
The People’s Learning Trust are initially a small collection of like-minded schools, with a commitment to inclusive, innovative and research-led education for all young people. Within the new trust, there is a commitment to individual schools continuing to be able to run in the best interests of their children and communities. This means that when we convert you will not see huge changes in what we do or how we operate. What we will begin to see are greater opportunities to work together with other schools, to save money on the things that we must buy individually and to improve our school through sharing of ideas with other like-minded settings. Our new trust will enable us to further develop our sporting offer and focus on neuroscience research with our closer links to Goldsmiths, University of London.
In February, the Department for Education’s Regional Director will be looking at our application to convert, so we now enter a period of information-giving and question-answering. We are now informing all stakeholders and will work to change our school status. Our aim is to convert on 1st September, but this may change.
How The People’s Learning Trust started
The People’s Learning Trust (TPLT) was founded in April 2024 with the goal of transforming education through inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration. Born from Everton Free School and Football College, they are proud to be the only Multi-academy Trust supported by a Premier League Football Club. This unique connection allows them to leverage the power of the wider Everton family to deliver exceptional outcomes for students and communities.
What makes the Trust unique?
Their partnership with Everton Football Club (EFC) and Everton in the Community (EitC) gives us a distinct edge. EitC’s work in using sport to identify and support vulnerable people aligns with our inclusive, trauma-informed approach. Together, they provide students with access to world-class opportunities that combine education, sports, and personal development. This holistic model supports students’ academic achievements while fostering resilience, creativity, and a sense of belonging.
They are committed to supporting students with complex needs, including those at their referral units, where past exclusions may have left them feeling isolated. The personalised, innovative curricula focus on 21st-century skills, preparing students to be active citizens locally, nationally, and globally.
What sets them apart is their collaborative and democratic ethos. Founder Schools in the Trust play an active role in shaping its direction, ensuring alignment with our shared values. Schools retain their unique identities while benefiting from strategic support, professional development, and a quality assurance model that promotes consistency and excellence.
Their ambitious growth model includes working with schools across the Liverpool City Region and beyond. Through partnerships with key organisations, they are expanding their reach to deliver meaningful change.
The People’s Learning Trust are building more than a network of schools; they are creating a legacy of opportunity and success that will benefit future generations.
You can visit The People’s Learning Trust website at: https://www.TPLTrust.co.uk
Find out more about other academies within the trust at https://tpltrust.co.uk/our-academies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)?
A MAT is a Multi-Academy Trust. It is a legal entity that governs a group of schools through members and a board of Trustees. It is set up by a group of schools, sometimes a local collaboration, that share a common ethos and vision.
What is the MAT called?
The new MAT is called The People’s Learning Trust.
Which schools are founder members of the trust?
Overchurch Infant School
Bidston Avenue Primary
Everton Free School and Football College
Meadow Primary
Oldfield Primary
The Bridge Short Stay School
Why are schools joining MATs both locally and nationally?
Across the country, Local Authorities are being eroded in terms of size and power. Both Conservative and Labour Parties have indicated that Academies, as part of MATs, is their preferred educational structure. Schools can use the strong collaboration and accountability afforded by the MAT to drive up standards and share best practice and services across the trust, replacing aspects of former local authority support.
Why would a local authority-maintained school, such as Overchurch Infant School want to join a MAT?
There are several reasons why a school may want to join/form a MAT:
- Further developing the effective teaching and learning practices across schools
- To continue to develop and sustain a high-quality inclusive education for all pupils
- Common teaching and learning practices across schools;
- A common professional development programme (CPD) that adds real value to the education of the young people
- Efficiencies in administrative functions and joint procurement; this will help in these more financially challenging times to advantage our pupils
- Further developing governance with a clear focus on strategic development, teaching and learning, and accountability
- Enhanced reputation for excellence, due to collaboration with other schools in the Trust
- Further develop leadership, management and governance that impacts directly upon the students
- Recruitment, retention and growth of excellent staff
- Improve and sustain overall academic standards
- Ensure that decisions about the school are influenced at a local level; and,
- Secure the long-term future of the school.
What are the benefits of being a founder school?
A founder school is a school that initiates or joins a MAT at its inception, and plays a key role in shaping its vision, values, and culture.
A founder school has more influence and input in the decision-making and governance of the MAT and can ensure that its ethos and identity are reflected and respected in the MAT.
A founder school can also benefit from the support and expertise of the other founder schools, and from the opportunity to create a MAT that meets its needs and aspirations.
Do we need permission to convert to a MAT?
Yes. The school has to obtain the permission of the Secretary of State for Education via the Education Funding Agency (EFA). We are aiming to receive approval from the Regional Director in February 2026.
Is there a set model for how a MAT has to operate?
There are rules regarding how a MAT is funded, but the way in which a MAT operates, its governance structure and vision/ethos are defined by the academy or academies that set up the MAT.
What will happen to our land and buildings?
All land and buildings currently owned by the LA on behalf of the school will transfer to the new MAT on a 125-year lease.
How is funding organised within the MAT?
Funding for schools within a MAT is allocated on an individual academy basis. It is governed through a master funding agreement between the Secretary of State and the MAT and supplemental agreements between the Secretary of State and each school within the MAT.
Will the school lose its financial independence and its ability to manage its own finances?
There will be a common financial procedures manual to be shared between schools but each school will be expected to maintain their own books. However, there is likely to be some centralisation of finances where these make sense and result in possible economies of scale. This is similar to the financial process used by Local Authorities.
Multi Academy Trust Structures
MATs are overseen by Members and a Board of Trustees who delegate certain responsibilities to individual Local Governing Bodies (LGB).
Will the governors’ role change when we become a MAT?
When the school initially converts to become an academy trust the existing governors of the maintained schools will stay as governors. However, some may convert to become trustees of the academy trust.
What is the new structure?
When the school converts to a MAT, there will be three tiers of governance. These three tiers will be:
1) Members of the MAT – responsible for fundamental decisions such as constitution of the academy trust – most strategic decisions are delegated to the Trustees.
2) Board of Trustees of the MAT (‘the board’). These are the individuals who have strategic overview of the MAT.
The Executive Team consists of:
The Central Team:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) and
Headteachers from within each of our Academies.
The central team work alongside schools to manage finance, compliance, support school development, support with school improvement and enable the school leaders to focus on what matters most – quality of education and managing staff and pupils.
3) Local Governing Bodies (LGB) for each academy school. In multi-academy trusts, each academy will usually have its own LGB. These have a similar status to committees of a maintained governing body and the powers they have are those that are delegated to them by the board.
Will working with other schools mean lowering our own standards or possibly detracting resources from our own school?
We have chosen to work together with the other founder schools to ensure that the vision, values and culture of our schools is central to everything that we do. Collaboration and sharing ideas and expertise can only help us improve.
What changes will children and parents see?
There will be very little visible change as a direct result of forming the MAT. The Headteacher, staff, uniform, premises and curriculum will all continue to be very much unchanged. There may be a change to some branding and letterheads in the future.
The changes that we hope you’ll see, will be a general continued improvement in the performance and running of the school and hopefully, some new and improved resources and options for our pupils to benefit from.
How will joining a MAT improve standards for our children?
It will enable us to utilise the expertise of staff from schools in a MAT to accelerate progress for our children. The experience and talent of all the schools together become greater than the sum of their parts. We will have the capacity to develop research with universities, including exciting research programmes.
Will teachers work at different schools?
Staff will remain in their own schools. Being part of a MAT will provide many professional development opportunities. Staff from schools who are part of a MAT may attend joint training, skills will be shared and good practice will spread between the schools. There will be opportunities for staff for training and professional development purposes, but staff will remain constant and cannot be forced to work elsewhere.
How does the admissions process work for academies?
Academies within a MAT are required to comply with the Admissions and Admission Appeals Codes of Practice as if they were maintained schools. They must have admission arrangements that clearly set out how children will be admitted, including the criteria that will be applied if there are more applications than available places. They are also required to participate in Local Authority co-ordination of admissions processes and the Local Authority’s Fair Access Protocol. Any change to our current admissions protocols will always be communicated to parents and carers.
What inspection regimes and assessment data information do academies have to provide?
All academies are inspected by Ofsted using the same framework and timescales as for maintained schools. As a MAT, all schools will continue to be inspected as separate schools. Results are reported in the same way as they are now, i.e. against the school where tests were conducted.
Do MAT schools have to follow the National Curriculum?
Academies within MATs are not required to teach the National Curriculum but rather a broad and balanced one that includes English, Mathematics, Science and Religious Education and promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of children, preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. The majority of schools within MATs continue to follow the National Curriculum.
Who is in charge?
Each school leadership team will remain in charge of their school.
The MAT board and members will take on the Local Authority role and will oversee activities and standards across all schools in the MAT.
There is a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFOO). These roles will have corporate accountability for all MAT operations. Mr Steven Baker OBE is the CEO and Mrs Linda McMullen is the CFOO.
Will you be changing the school’s name?
No – we will still be Overchurch Infant School
Will you be changing the uniform?
No – the uniform and logo will remain the same as now.
Will you be changing the holidays or length of the school day?
No – these will remain the same but could change in the future following discussion with staff, parents and other stakeholders.
When will our school transfer to the new MAT?
The proposed start date is 1st September 2026 but this relies on many external factors and can change.
How can I comment on the proposed changes to Overchurch Infant School?
We’ve set up a dedicated email address for questions and comments in relation to this proposal. You can email these to consultation@overchurch-infant.wirral.sch.uk
All the emailed comments will be seen by the Headteacher, Mr Elliott, and feedback will be shared with the current Governing Body.
The consultation will close on Friday 6th February