Across education, collaboration is key. When schools work together, grounded in shared values and a clear purpose, everything becomes possible.

That principle is what underpins the long-standing relationship between The Compass Partnership of Schools and Eko Trust, and it’s what has led to our proposal to merge into one organisation: The Compass Eko Partnership of Schools.

This proposal is rooted in our collective commitment to our children and young people, especially the most disadvantaged.

The reasons for our MAT merger

But it’s also a response to the wider pressures that we know schools are facing.

The financial landscape in the sector is becoming more complex, with falling pupil numbers and shrinking budgets, forcing schools to make tough decisions about the allocation of resources or even to close.

As leaders, we must be smart and strategic in how we protect what matters most: the quality of education and care for our pupils.

By becoming a trust of 25 schools serving more than 9,000 children and young people across London, Essex, Suffolk and Brighton, we can provide greater stability for the future by gaining greater economies of scale, more shared resources and broader expertise to operate more efficiently, ensuring that schools have the tools they need to thrive not just today but in the future, too.

Our two trusts already work closely together - on school improvement, staff development and operational collaboration.

Formalising this relationship is a natural step. It means we can continue our work with deeper alignment, stronger systems and a broader platform for impact.

Now is also the right time because the challenges that schools face - rising costs, increased pupil needs and national accountability - require us to be bold.

By acting now, we’re ensuring that our schools aren’t only protected but positioned to improve and grow. Our shared vision gives us a strong foundation on which to build something exceptional.

Benefits for pupils

At the centre of this proposal is a belief in the potential of every child and young person. Merging gives us the opportunity to widen the support available to our pupils, improve access to enrichment and strengthen inclusive practice across our settings.

Supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is also a top priority for our trusts, reflecting the growing and increasingly complex needs nationally.

Together, we can further enhance specialist provision, expand targeted interventions and ensure that all staff benefit from increased access to high-quality SEND training through wider collaboration.

Opportunities for staff

We know that supporting staff is critical to improving pupil outcomes. Teachers, support staff and leaders across both trusts will benefit from a wider professional network, shared expertise and enhanced opportunities for development.

At a time when recruitment and retention challenges are being felt across the sector, this merger is about creating an environment where high-quality staff feel valued and are supported to grow.

By offering clear progression pathways, co-planned curriculum resources, trust-wide CPD, meaningful collaboration and access to excellent professional development, we aim to build a culture where staff want to stay for the long term. Importantly, this will include support for staff wellbeing and workload - ensuring that our teachers feel connected, confident and able to thrive.

The feedback from our schools has already been positive. Many colleagues see this as a chance to grow, connect and do more for their pupils. We know that by investing in people, we invest in the future of our schools.

Looking ahead

If our proposal is approved following agreement from the Department for Education and our respective boards, the merger will take place from April 2026. It will be collaboratively led by the two of us, ensuring continuity and shared ownership across the trust.

Throughout this process we remain focused on what matters most: our pupils, our staff and our communities. This is not simply a structural change - it is a shared commitment to something greater.

By putting our children and young people first; supporting those who teach, support and lead them; and bringing together the very best of both organisations, we look forward to seeing all of our schools thriving alongside one another.

John Camp OBE is chief executive offer at The Compass Partnership of Schools

Rebekah Iiyambo is chief executive offer at of Eko Trust

Find our interactive map of England’s multi-academy trusts by clicking here, where you will also find links to all our MAT Tracker content

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