Learn more about The 3-18 Education Trust

We began with the conversion of The Priory School, Shrewsbury to academy status on the 1st June 2012. We have always enjoyed collaborating with schools both in our Trust and beyond as a training provider, offering professional development opportunities for all staff and raising standards through school-to-school support.

We built on our network of schools and became a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) with all schools being equal partners in the growth of the Trust. This enabled us to develop a strong central team with expertise in the quality of education, school improvement, governance, finance, human resources, information technology, buildings and estate management. Our central team is small and efficient and provides a cost-effective support network for schools ensuring as much finance as possible is targeted at the children in each setting.

After undertaking the due diligence process, St Martins 3-16 School joined the Trust on 1st September 2016. St Martins is an all through school in the heart of its community.

In July 2017, the Trust was delighted to welcome Coleham Primary School, a wonderful primary school in central Shrewsbury, to its family.

In March 2020, the Trust welcomed Thomas Adams School, a co-educational community school, sixth form and boarding house in the centre of Wem.

In April 2021, the Trust welcomed William Brookes School located in Much Wenlock. William Brookes is the only Coubertin school in Great Britain and value the rich history of Olympian traditions.

We held our first Trust wide conference with all staff from all schools represented and established our MAT Development Group comprising of all Headteachers and representatives from the central team. It is this group that defined our Trust Strategic Plan and which meets regularly to review our progress in each key area.

In April 2023, the Trust welcomed Much Wenlock Primary School and Nursery. The school sits at the heart of a wonderful community and prides itself on being responsive to the families they serve.

In September 2023, Bowbrook Primary School opened its doors for the first time. As a new build school, Bowbrook is forging strong links in the local area and becoming a valued member of the local community.

In September 2023, Bridgnorth Endowed School became part of our community of schools extending the Trust to the south of Shropshire.

We held our second Trust conference at Telford International Centre and invited all staff and governors to the event. This was a real celebration of the bringing together of expertise from across the Trust education phases. With more than 700 attendees this made for a spectacular event and created numerous opportunities for networking and development.

Hodnet Primary School joined our Trust on 1st February 2024 taking the number of primary schools to five.  Hodnet brings with it a wide range of expertise and is a brilliant addition to the team.

In February 2025, John Wilkinson Primary School and Nursery became the tenth school to join our family of schools. A vibrant, community-focused primary school, John Wilkinson is at the very heart of Broseley in Shropshire with over 180 pupils aged between 2 – 11 years old.

Lakelands Academy became the 11^th school to join The 3-18 Education Trust in June 2026. Lakelands is a school at the heart of its community, and aims to provide an outstanding educational experience for all its young people ensuring they are prepared for further education and the world of work.