News

Tuesday 24 February 2026 Well Done Olivia We are proud to share this amazing story about St Albans Girls' School student Olivia.With growing concerns around young people's mental health, Olivia believes that all school staff should be equipped with the training and knowledge to recognise early warning signs and respond appropriately, ensuring timely support for all students who need it.The petition, which can be found here , needs 10 000 signatures to receive a Government response, and 100 000 to be considered for a full parliamentary debate. Signing an official government petition takes only two minutes and could make a real difference to every child in every school in England. A huge well done to Olivia for coming up with this impactful idea and making this very important discussion happen!You can read more about Olivia's petition here.
Thursday 12 February 2026 AET Teaching and Learning Conference 2026 It was wonderful to bring together all of our Teaching and Education Support Staff from across all ten of our Ambition Education Trust schools on the 12th February, to take part in our annual T&L Conference, centred around this year's theme ‘Together we Flourish – opening doors; closing gaps'.Delegates were fortunate enough to hear from our wonderful keynote speakers:🔸 Sam Strickland, Principal of The Dustan School and CEO of Luminara Education Trust, explored how we can build and design a culture where all can flourish🔹 Joanna Di-Bella, who leads the Every Child Programme, focussed on how to raise attainment for pupils living with disadvantage, ensuring no child is overlooked, and everyone is supported to succeed.🔸 Robin Launder - The Behaviour Buddy, presented on how best to manage behaviour to enable children to flourish 🔹 Adrian Bethune, founder of Teach Happy, delivered a session for Education Support Staff focussed on th
Friday 6 February 2026 Primary School Orchestra Day at STAGS On the 6th of February, the STAGS Music department welcomed primary students from local schools to take part in an aspirational day of music making. The day started with a mini concert showcasing the broad range of genres enjoyed by STAGS groups - from Beethoven to pop music and even traditional folk tunes. Through a series of workshops and rehearsals, STAGS brought together nearly 100 musicians to discover more about the orchestral families, understand the role of the conductor and learn to perform three joint pieces culminating in a concert to Primary parents at the end of the day. Leadership and support from STAGS students was exemplary throughout the day as they acted as buddies and led mentoring sessions with younger students who play their instruments. A huge well done to all involved and a massive thank you to Mrs Cooper for organising this wondrous collaborative event!
Monday 26 January 2026 Beech Hyde School nears Wildlife Wood Fundraising Goal! Take a look, and enjoy the Beech Hyde campaign video - if you would like to learn more and help the children of Beech Hyde bring their 'Wildlife Wood' to life, please visit Just Giving.com and search Wildlife Wood.
Thursday 15 January 2026 Headteachers Round Table A great start to 2026 hosting our first Headteachers round table of the new year at Sandringham School. The discussion was open, thoughtful, and focused on the shared challenges and opportunities facing our schools, from pupil recruitment to strengthening communication and community engagement. Bringing our school Headteachers together provides an opportunity for honest conversation, fresh perspectives, and practical ideas that will help shape the months ahead. We look forward to continuing these valuable conversations throughout the year. Thank you to all the Headteachers involved today.
Tuesday 2 December 2025 School Improvements at Garden Fields JMI School 🔦 Spotlight on School Improvement: Garden Fields JMI SchoolFinal Part of the Ambition Education Trust School Improvement SeriesFor the final feature in our School Improvement Series, we are focussing on the upgrades at Garden Fields JMI School, where investment has refreshed and modernised key areas of the lower school and EYFS provision.What's New&quest;• Refurbished washrooms, including updated cubicles and tiling• A fully redecorated dining room• New flooring installed throughout the EYFS roomInvestment:• Cubicle & Washroom Refit: £37,382• Redecoration & New Flooring: £41,414.96These enhancements are already making a noticeable difference to daily school life, creating brighter, safer, and more welcoming spaces for our youngest learners. These improvements are a testament to our continued commitment to providing exceptional, future-ready environments across all schools within the Trust.
Tuesday 25 November 2025 School Improvements at Sandringham School School Improvements
Friday 21 November 2025 Garden Fields are awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark We are delighted to share that Garden Fields is one of 310 schools that has been awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) this month, a nationally recognised accreditation that celebrates a commitment to developing excellence in science leadership, curriculum design, teaching and learning. Led by the University of Hertfordshire, for over a decade the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) has been setting children on a path to a life filled with exciting possibilities and opportunities, by giving them access to a strong foundation in quality primary science education. At the heart of the programme is a structured development cycle that embeds critical reflection and promotes a culture of continuous improvement. Helen Sizer, PSQM Director said: ‘By achieving The Primary Science Quality Mark, a school has shown commitment to raising the profile and quality of science education through the development of effective science leadership, visionary curriculum design and excelle
Monday 17 November 2025 Anti-Bullying week 2025: Power For Good It was wonderful to see students from our secondary schools come together at The Adeyfield Academy, who proudly hosted students from Ridgeway Academy and St Albans Girls' School for the Ambition Education Trust Anti-Bullying Student Conference 2025. Centred around the Anti-Bullying Alliance’s theme of “Power for Good,” students shared their ideas on compassion, created some impactful anti-bullying posters, and made meaningful pledges to lead positive action within their own school communities. Our Goodwill Ambassadors and Anti-Bullying Representatives led activities with enthusiasm - it was fantastic to see such collaboration and commitment from all involved. Our primary schools also embraced the theme, taking part in a range of activities that encouraged pupils to use their Power for Good and recognise how small acts of kindness and respect can make a big difference. From anti-bullying superheroes to Odd Socks Day, pupils showed creativity and enthusiasm as
Wednesday 12 November 2025 School Improvements at The Ridgeway Academy
Tuesday 11 November 2025 School Improvements at St Albans Girls' School (STAGS) Part 4 of our School Improvement Series takes us to St Albans Girls' School, where major infrastructure upgrades are transforming the site's safety and efficiency.Two large-scale CIF-funded projects have delivered significant upgrades to the building and facilities across the whole school.Key Improvements include:✅ Waterworks – Complete replacement of 60-year-old pipework, installation of new mains water distribution throughout the school, and upgrades to all taps, heaters and valves in washrooms, the kitchen, and staff room: £880K invested✅ Electrical Works – Full rewiring of the school, installation of a new fire alarm and upgraded detection and emergency lighting to meet L2 compliance standards: £2.2 million invested✅ Covered Walkway – A new STAGS PTA funded walkway connecting Parks Building with the main school, creating a more comfortable and weatherproof link for all staff and students: £21K investedThe
Thursday 6 November 2025 Congratulations Oliver! We are incredibly proud to celebrate Oliver C from Verulam School, who has been recognised by Hertfordshire County Council for his outstanding commitment to their Services for Young People programme, which supports young people across St Albans and Dacorum. Oliver received the ‘Be Happy’ award - a prestigious award celebrating young people who have made significant progress in their personal and social skills over the past year. This award highlights how Oliver’s growth has positively influenced his resilience, emotional well-being, and long-term aspirations. Congratulations Oliver, on this well-deserved award 👏🌟
Tuesday 28 October 2025 School Improvements at The Adeyfield Academy 🔦 Spotlight on School Improvement: The Adeyfield Academy
Tuesday 28 October 2025 School Improvements at Wheatfields Junior School
Monday 20 October 2025 School Improvements at Verulam School ⭐ Spotlight on School Improvement: Verulam School(Part 1 of Ambition Education Trust School Improvement Series)At Ambition Education Trust, we are proud to invest in learning environments that inspire success, creativity, and wellbeing. Verulam School has recently undergone a £1 million refurbishment that has transformed the school's Science labs, D&T rooms, Computer/IT suites, and also upgraded the canteen and Sports Hall changing facilities. all improvements form part of our ongoing commitment to improving facilities across our Trust schools.Through Section 106 funding and contributions from local property developers (designed to support and enhance local services), Verulam School has been able to significantly improve its overall facilities. This funding has played a key role in delivering a range of upgrades that directly benefit students, staff, and the wider school community: ✅ Science Labs (6 labs + 3 prep rooms): £370K✅ Design &
Monday 1 September 2025 A Summer of School Improvements It has been a busy and productive summer across Ambition Education Trust, with significant improvements taking place at many of our schools. Our teams have worked tirelessly to ensure upgraded, high-quality, safe, and sustainable learning environments are ready for the start of term.Here's a snapshot of the work completed so far:✅ Ridgeway Academy A full and extensive refurbishment of seven Science labs supporting our commitment to improving the learning environments of all students by providing high quality modern facilities.
Monday 16 December 2024 Welcome to our new website We hope that you find it easy to use and full of the information you require, whether you are a current or prospective parent or a member of the wider community.