A “GO-TO” academy trust based in south Essex has created a “close-knit family” to help schools excel after it doubled in size within three years.

The South East Essex Academy Trust runs eight schools across south Essex and is now supporting Cornelius Vermuyden, on Canvey.

The “anchor” school in trust, which was set in February 2011, is Westcliff High School for Girls, which was recently rated outstanding by Ofsted.

In April 2014, Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery, in Westcliff, and Rochford Primary and Nursery School, in Rochford, came on board.

Holt Farm Junior School, in Rochford, joined in September 2014.

In the last three years, the trust has doubled in size, with the Deanes School, Westborough Academy, in Westcliff, and Hadleigh Junior School joining in September 2021.

Finally, the trust welcomed Heycroft Primary School, in Eastwood, earlier this year.

The South East Essex Academy Trust has a history of consistently producing "outstanding" and "good" schools, as well as turning around schools hit with lower Ofsted ratings, including Westborough Academy.

Andrew Cooper, who became the chief executive of the the trust in September 2021, said something “quite special” had been created, shaping the future of education in south Essex.

He said: “We are a close-knit family of local schools, and we use our collective power to manage difficult challenges and make sure our leaders know they are never alone.

“We all work effectively together there’s no room for egos at SEEAT.

“We do have a strong moral compass and if we have the capacity to help a struggling local school, we will do it. Each school in our trust family retains its individuality and distinctive local identity. We don’t have a one size fits all approach.

“We listen to our employees, prioritise their wellbeing and professional development and ensure all our schools are positive places to work. We buck the national trend and have a low turnover of staff in our schools.”

Like Heycroft, Cornelius Vermuyden will have the support of the the trust for 2024 in a bid to help it turnaround.

At this stage, there “isn’t a longer-term plan” on whether Cornelius Vermuyden could the trust.

But the trust has a track record of adopting schools that it initially helps. Heycroft, which was overseen by Southend Council, was the last school to join following a negative Ofsted report.