News / Education
Merchant Venturers to no longer provide school governors following trust merger
Members of the Society of Merchant Venturers will be taking a step back from most of their involvement in children’s education following the merger of the trust that they run.
Sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers (SMV) and the University of Bristol, Venturers Trust is a multi-academy trust responsible for nine schools across Bristol.
After the trust’s proposed merger with national multi-academy trust, E-ACT, neither Merchant Venturers nor university staff will hold automatic places on the schools’ governing bodies.
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But the SMV will remain closely involved with Collegiate School (formerly Colston’s School) in Stapleton due to it being a private school and not part of the Venturers Trust.
SMV treasurer, Caroline Duckworth, said: “The proposed merger with E-ACT presents an exciting opportunity to build on what’s already been achieved by Venturers Trust, helping to ensure the very best outcomes for the 3,900 students at its schools, alongside greater career development opportunities for the 700 members of staff.
“We are proud of our long association with Venturers Trust and we will support the merger process in every way we can.”
Even after the merger, individual members of the Merchant Venturers are likely to sit on some school governing bodies, but as individuals not in their capacity as members of SMV.
Bristol24/7 director Marti Burgess has been a member of the Merchant Venturers since 2019.
Up until only a few years ago, the Society of Merchant Venturers kept Edward Colston’s fingernails and hair on display at their Clifton headquarters – photo: Society of Merchant Venturers
In a statement, a University of Bristol spokesperson said that the university “provides expertise and support to schools across the region in a wide range of ways, including via the voluntary membership of many of our staff on school governing bodies. We anticipate that this will continue.”
They added: “The University of Bristol has worked with the Merchant Venturers to improve outcomes for young people in Bristol via co-sponsorship of the Venturers Trust. This arrangement comes to an end with the E-ACT merger.
“Following the merger with E-ACT, we will continue to work with all schools in the Bristol area to support educational improvement through partnerships, sponsorships, outreach activities and admissions policies.”
Main photo: Barton Hill Academy
Read next:
- ‘Medieval institution built on human exploitation’ has no place running schools
- 10 Questions: Thangam Debbonaire – ‘The Merchant Venturers have no place in a modern, multicultural Bristol’
- Master of Merchant Venturers defends society’s control over Downs
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