Q&A with REAch2 Academy Trust

What does the REAch2 Academy Trust do?

REAch2 is a primary-only trust, which is unusual given our size. We currently have 62 schools, soon to be 65, spread across the country – from Burton-on-Trent to Brighton and from Lowestoft to Telford. We serve around 22,000 to 23,000 children and employ about 3,500 staff. By number of schools, we’re the second-largest multi-academy trust in the country. We’ve been operating since 2012 and our core purpose has always been to turn around failing schools.

Why did you decide to join EdCity?

REAch2 doesn’t have a central office. Like all trusts, we’re very careful about spending and another challenge is geography. Our schools are spread across the country and most of our team works in schools or from home. That’s why EdCity is so valuable for us. It’s a great place for team meetings because it’s well-connected by transport, making it easy for people to come together from all over the country. We’ve used it for executive meetings, senior interviews and getting our heads together – it’s been fantastic.

What makes EdCity different to other offices or event spaces?

When we need to bring together 100 people for a conference, we have to hire a venue – there’s no way around that. So, if we’re going to spend money, we’d much rather invest it back into the sector. Supporting a space like EdCity feels good because that money ultimately benefits education and related ventures.

It’s also wonderful to be in a place dedicated to the sector. Normally, I rarely bump into anyone from education but at EdCity I meet people all the time. It creates a sense of belonging and connection to something bigger which we absolutely love.