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Chaucer School is set to join Mercia Learning Trust later this year, marking the next phase in the school’s improvement journey following a period of significant progress.

The move follows close collaboration between INOVA Multi-Academy Trust (formerly Tapton School Academy Trust), Mercia Learning Trust and the school, with a shared ambition to accelerate improvement and secure the best possible outcomes for pupils.

Neil Miley, Chief Executive Officer of Mercia Learning Trust, said:

We are delighted to be welcoming Chaucer School into Mercia Learning Trust. There is already a strong foundation in place, and we look forward to working closely with staff and the community to build on this and support the school’s continued success.

Mercia Learning Trust will continue to work closely with Chaucer School, its staff and its community throughout the transition to ensure continuity and support for pupils.

We look forward to sharing further updates as the transfer progresses.

At Mercia Learning Trust’s 2026 staff conference, Our Trust in the Future, we were proud to showcase outstanding creative work from pupils across our schools through our Sheffield Inspires competition.

This project linked directly to the citywide Sheffield Inspires initiative, which recently received a global award for Place Brand of the Year. Our trust is proud that the work we did with Marketing Sheffield, including the pupil competition and conference showcase, contributed to this success.

Working with Marketing Sheffield, we invited pupils to respond creatively to the theme ‘What Sheffield Means to Me’. They could enter anything from artwork to poetry, dance, spoken word, film or mixed media. We received many imaginative and heartfelt entries from across our schools.

The judging panel featured Mark Mobbs, who lead the Sheffield Inspires project, and renowned local poet Sile Sibanda. They shortlisted around fifteen pieces for the conference presentation, including paintings, choreography, poetry, personal reflections and creative interpretations of the seven Sheffield Inspires themes.

The showcase was a standout moment for staff. Many were moved by the pride and imagination shown by our pupils, and by the way they expressed a strong sense of belonging and identity linked to their city.

Our connection to the Sheffield Inspires movement has continued to grow. In February, our CEO Neil Miley spoke at the Sheffield Inspires celebration event, highlighting the importance of including children’s voices in conversations about the future of their city. He also spoke about the need to celebrate their ideas and creativity as part of shaping the Sheffield of tomorrow.

Now that the conference is complete, our trust continues to work with Marketing Sheffield to find creative ways to share the pupils’ work more widely. We look forward to showcasing their creativity across the city and connecting their ideas with a wider audience.

We would like to thank every pupil who entered. Your creativity was exceptional, and your contributions have become part of a citywide story that is now recognised internationally.

Find out more about Sheffield Inspires here.

King Ecgbert School has been appointed as a Design and Technology Association (D&TA) D&T Hub School for our region, recognising the school’s long-standing commitment to innovation, creativity and excellence in Design and Technology education.

This achievement highlights the expertise of the school’s dedicated staff, the enthusiasm and talent of its pupils, and the strength of its partnerships with local schools and industry. As part of this recognition, Helen Vardy, Head of Technology at KES, has also been appointed as Regional D&T Leader, a role that will support collaboration, share best practice and help develop inspiring curriculum opportunities for pupils across the region.

As a Hub School, King Ecgbert will play a key part in championing high-quality D&T education, supporting teachers, and strengthening the subject locally and nationally. This exciting development reflects both the trust’s collective expertise and the strong foundations already built within the school community.

If you’d welcome support, collaboration, CPD opportunities, or simply a conversation about D&T in your school, please get in touch.

On Tuesday 10 February, colleagues and pupils from our trust took part in a Sheffield conference as the sole expert panel, having been specifically invited by the Department for Education to contribute directly to national thinking ahead of the forthcoming White Paper and wider education reform.

We were invited to speak directly to over 130 policy makers and delivery leads responsible for curriculum, qualifications and digital strategy across primary and secondary education. This was a significant opportunity to influence national direction and a clear recognition of the esteem in which our trust is held.

Our panel brought together leaders and pupils from across our schools: Neil Miley, Dominic Riddler (Assistant Head, Mercia School), Ben Merritt (Head of MFL, King Ecgbert School), Michele Nott (Executive Primary Headteacher, Nether Edge Primary School), and four Year 13 pupils, Gabriella and Jack (King Ecgbert School), and Priscilla and Alban (Mercia School). Together, we shared honest reflections on what is working in education, what needs to improve, and what matters most for pupils and staff.

We spoke about the importance of strong digital and AI support for teachers, protecting curriculum breadth, minimising specification changes, and ensuring disadvantaged pupils are properly supported. Our pupils powerfully articulated the mental load young people carry and reminded policymakers that schools must not become exam factories, but places where individuals are nurtured, challenged and prepared for life beyond qualifications.

Our Year 13 pupils represented our trust – and young voices nationwide – with maturity, clarity and confidence. Their thoughtful contributions will directly inform national policy discussions.

The session provided a meaningful opportunity to shape future decisions, and is a testament to the strength, professionalism and values across our trust. Moments like this remind us that our collective voice matters.

Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form is delighted to report that five scholars from this year’s Year 13 cohort have received offers to study at an Oxbridge university:

Sasha P – Law, Balliol College, Oxford

Hana U – Law, Pembroke College, Cambridge

Ethan M – Law, Oriel College, Oxford

Maisie S – Medicine, Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Erica T – Natural Sciences, Downing College, Cambridge

Dominic Ridler, Assistant Headteacher and Director of Sixth Form, said: “Our scholars have worked tirelessly on both their studies and their Oxbridge applications, and as a school we couldn’t be prouder of their success. Our sixth form has received another record-high number of applications for entry this year, highlighting our ongoing success as a school and the growing reputation of our sixth form.”

Last August, Mercia’s Year 13 cohort became the first to sit A Level examinations. Twenty per cent of all results were A* grades, with 47% awarded at A*–A and 72% at A*–B. Five scholars also took up places to study at the University of Cambridge, and 13% of the cohort progressed to highly competitive medical courses.

Mercia Collegiate Sixth Form looks forward to further success this summer, and we wish all Year 13 scholars the best of luck as they continue to prepare for their examinations.

We are proud to share that four schools within Mercia Learning Trust have received letters from the Secretary of State for Education recognising their strong attainment outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

This national recognition reflects sustained work across our schools to ensure that disadvantage does not limit opportunity. High expectations, strong teaching and purposeful support are embedded in daily practice, with staff working relentlessly to remove barriers and help pupils achieve their full potential.

These outcomes are not the result of a single initiative or moment in time. They are built through consistent classroom practice, strong pastoral care and leadership structures that place inclusion, ambition and equity at their heart.

This recognition speaks directly to our trust mission: to empower everyone in our communities, especially the most disadvantaged, to succeed. We are incredibly proud of the pupils, staff and families whose commitment continues to make a meaningful difference to children and young people across our trust.

Nether Edge Primary had an unforgettable morning when Olympic champion – and friend of our trust – Jessica Ennis-Hill came to school for breakfast and fitness activities.

The children not only had the chance to meet, hear from and play games with Jess, but also to take part in a unique experience that felt more like a film studio than a school hall. With cameras, directors, producers and make-up artists on site as part of a Weetabix media event, the pupils saw first-hand what it takes to create a professional PR campaign.

Parents joined the class for breakfast before the children enjoyed an energetic obstacle course with Jess. Alongside the fun, she shared her “seven hacks” for starting the day well, focusing on healthy routines, confidence and determination.

For the 26 pupils involved, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Everyone has a stand-out memory they carry from their school days – for these children, it may well be the day Jessica Ennis-Hill came to school to eat Weetabix with them.