Our Purpose

Within our school communities, working together to provide an excellent education and life-enhancing relationships with the Christian faith and Jesus Christ.

We do this through:

• Being a family of schools that is committed to well-being and supporting each other, so that all children, learners and staff across our Trust, flourish.
• Connecting with each other to share practice and provide an excellent education that is  built on distinctly Christian values.
• A commitment to inclusion, ensuring that all learners thrive through an education that teaches wisdom, instils hope, nurtures community and embeds dignity and respect.
• Strong bonds of collaboration, innovative approaches to education and a shared purpose amongst schools, families and communities.

Our Vision

As a Diocesan Trust, our Christian values are intrinsically linked to our commitment to provide an innovative, high quality education, so that children and learners make excellent progress and fulfil their academic potential, by ensuring that:

• We live out our Christian values to develop future citizens who can contribute positively to a caring, compassionate nation

• We share a Trust-wide commitment to providing an education that enables children and learners to flourish and achieve - academically spiritually, morally, socially, culturally, physically

• We celebrate diversity, address inequality, overcome disadvantage and raise aspirations so that learners can achieve their highest academic potential.

• Access to an inspirational curriculum and excellent teaching enables our children to acquire a deep body of knowledge and a zest for life-long learning

• Our schools  can thrive under outstanding local leadership, accountable to the Executive team and Board of Directors

• We identify talents and provide opportunities for staff to develop, pursue career developments and contribute significantly to wider improvements

• We maintain a strong emphasis on safeguarding and the mental health and well-being of all our pupils and staff

• Our schools are self-sustaining, inclusive learning communities of professionals who connect and collaborate to share best practice and innovative approaches rooted in informed evidence

Our Values

Difference

We embrace the uniqueness of our schools and celebrate the differences within each community

Local

We respect and empower local leaders to make decisions to serve their local communities

Collaboration

We are stronger and more effective when working together within our Trust, and actively seek partnerships beyond it

Inclusion

We value the rich diversity of our staff and learners and ensure all are valued and supported

"Trust leaders are determined to value each school's individuality.  As a result, they have worked closely with school leaders to co-produce a set of overarching curriculum principles, while also protecting the uniqueness of each school's context."

"Local governors value the autonomy that schools have, as this helps them to retain their identity."

"Intelligent collaboration is at the heart of the trust's philosophy.  Collaborative practice is an integral part of daily life for leaders at all levels in schools."

"Opportunities for staff in trust schools to collaborate are well thought out, purposeful and extensive.  Trust staff value opportunities to support the development of staff in other trust schools.  The impact on the quality of education for pupils is tangible in the primage age-phase and developing in the secondary age-phase.  The wealth of network meetings available, for example for subject leaders, SEND leaders and early years leaders, is having a positive impact on building staff's expertise.  Staff new to the trust, including early career teachers, are inducted well."

"Executive leaders have supported school leaders extensively to ensure that school curriculums are increasingly knowledge-rich, well organised and ambitious for all pupils, including those pupils with SEND."

"...Fiercely passionate about the curriculum being accessible and equitable for all pupils."

Ofsted (MAT Summary Evaluation) 2023

What LDST means to our employees and children

Love:  Loving God, yourself and others

Discipleship: Following in the footsteps of Jesus

Success: Being the best you can be and encouraging others to be the best they can be

Trust: A family of schools, a family for life, supporting each other