About us
About Vine Schools Trust
A Multi-Academy Trust passionate about school improvement
Welcome to the Vine Schools Trust – a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) created by the Diocese of Chelmsford. We are a family of Church of England primary schools with the vision to serve local communities within Essex and the East of England by providing excellent education rooted in our Christian values.
The CEO leading school improvement
Emma Wigmore is an experienced teacher and leader with over 20 years’ experience. She was previously been a Headteacher for nine years and an Executive Headteacher for four years.
Emma has a great track record of consistently improving underperforming schools. When appointed in 2019, 50% of our schools were judged as ‘at risk’. Today, 20 of our 21 schools have been judged ‘Good’ by Ofsted.
In 2024, Emma received the esteemed CEO of the Year Award at the MAT Excellence Awards.
My name is Emma Wigmore and I am proud to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Vine.
We are passionate about school improvement and delivering high quality teaching and learning in all of our schools. We want our children to have the best possible experience as they flourish into confident learners with a strong sense of morality and values. You can see the wonderful work our schools do every day on their school websites and in our news section.
On our website you will get a sense of what we offer to the schools within our family and our prospective joiners. If you have any questions, particularly if you are a leader or a governor in a school that may be interested in finding out more about what it means to be a part of Vine Schools Trust, please do get in touch.“
Who are the Vine Schools Trust?
The Vine Schools Trust was established in October 2013 as an independent not-for-profit company. It was created by the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Education.
The Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Education supports children and young people across 460 parishes in Essex. Their mission is to promote life in all its fullness through education and offer life enhancing encounters with Christianity.
The Vine Schools Trust is based in Chelmsford, Essex. However, our Church of England academy schools are located throughout the entire county of Essex.
Our Strategic Plan
We are dedicated to providing the highest quality education. Our strategic plan details how we will continue to develop all schools within the Vine Schools Trust family now and in the future.
What is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)?
A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) is family of schools that collaborate to form a single Trust. The Trust is then operated by a Board of Trustees and Trust Members. Together, the Trust works to ensure that each of the academies within the MAT are performing well and that they have access the support to deliver a high standard of education.
Our Trust Members are the conscience of our organisation. They appoint our Board of Directors and ensure that the values and vision of our Trust are upheld. They are also responsible for monitoring the academies and managing Vine Schools Trust’s central services.
Although the Vine Schools Trust is partnered with numerous primary schools in Essex, we do not believe in total uniformity. We believe in individuality and know that each school has its own personality and so do their local communities. We think that unique identity should always be celebrated within a MAT.
Why are we a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)?
The purpose of our Multi-Academy Trust is to create a mutually supportive family of academies who are dedicated to driving positive change. We work in partnership with our schools to ensure we are delivering support and solutions that will help them flourish.
our vision and values
Empowering All to Flourish
The Vision & Values of a leading Multi-Academy Trust: Like branches on the vine and members of one family, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.
About us
Frequently asked questions
We understand the importance of your values. Our own vision and values are at the core of everything we do across the Trust. In the early stages, we will discuss your school’s mission, vision and values to ensure that we are a cultural fit and explore our shared goals.
At Vine Schools Trust, we believe in preserving each school’s identity while fostering collaboration. We work in partnership with our schools to ensure we are delivering support and solutions that will help them flourish. We want to celebrate your uniqueness.
When you join the Vine Schools Trust your school becomes a part of our family. We are dedicated to creating a supportive and collaborative environment where schools can grow, learn, and thrive. Together, we can create new opportunities for our pupils and strengthen their education experience.
- Our dedicated team have built our MAT from the ground up
- We have extensive experience in the academy conversion process
- We have built relationships and a reputation with the DFE, RSC EFA and Teaching Schools
- Our Trust has the benefit of economies of scale in procurement of goods and services
- The Vine Schools Trust has a skilled professional central team who care