About The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust

The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust

The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust was created in December 2013 after several months of planning and preparation. In November 2012 Purleigh Community Primary School was graded as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted and the governors and school leaders wanted to share this expertise with local schools to raise the standard of education in the local area.  Prior to the inspection in 2012 the school had recent experience, and positive outcomes, of supporting local schools through Headteacher secondment, Deputy Headteacher secondment and teachers teaching teachers.

During the spring term of 2013 the Governing Body of Purleigh Community Primary School passed a resolution to convert to academy status and create a multi academy trust with a view to sponsoring schools in special measures or schools who require improvements.  In June 2013 the academy trust became an approved DfE academy sponsor and The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust was born.

The Members and Trustees felt that it was important to remember where the trust was founded and therefore chose the name of the very first headteacher of Purleigh Community Primary School, John Eveleigh during the nineteenth century, to be incorporated within the name of the trust. LINK stands for Learning, Innovation, Nurture and Knowledge and these are key aspects of the trust's vision and ethos.    

In September 2013 Purleigh Community Primary School's Headteacher became Executive Headteacher of Purleigh and Meadgate Primary Schools with a view to the trust sponsoring Meadgate on conversion to academy status.  Both schools joined the trust on April 1st 2014 with Purleigh becoming an academy converter and Meadgate as a sponsored academy.

In March 2015 The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust entered into a funding agreement with the the DfE to sponsor the newly formed Maltese Road Primary School in Chelmsford City Centre. Maltese Road opened its doors in September 2015.  In October 2015 Maylandsea Primary School also joined The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust as an academy converter. In September 2016 Larkrise Primary School also join the trust.

In its short existence the trust has already supported Meadgate Primary School to be removed from special measures as a 'Good' school in February 2014 and now as a 'Good' school once again in February 2017, but with 'Outstanding judgements for EYFS and personal development, behaviour and welfare'. Larkrise Primary School has near doubled its combined reading, writing and mathematics scores since joining the trust and other schools have also increased their outcomes for children.  Maltese Road Primary School has been graded as 'Good' with Outstanding EYFS and Personal development and welfare and Maylandsea Primary School is also a 'Good' school again. 

In May 2019 Larkrise Primary was graded as 'Good' by Ofsted and in November 2019 Tiptree Heath Primary School joined the trust. In September 2022 the trust opened St Luke's Park Primary School on the  St Luke's Park Development in Runwell. 

The trust's aim is to have a group of schools working collaboratively to ensure children achieve their potential through effective school-to-school support and teachers-teaching-teachers.