School staff and supporters have been challenged to “dare to care” by a Shropshire education trust as it celebrates its first anniversary.
Four Hills Education Trust was established in November 2025 and is made up of five primary schools across Telford and Albrighton with a clear ethos of doing things differently.
Staff from each of the Trust’s schools came together for a special event at Harper Adams University on November 2 to celebrate the past year and look to the future.
The Trust Inspiration Day featured two nationally-recognised motivational speakers and a programme of workshops designed to encourage staff to think differently about education, wellbeing and the difference they can make to children’s lives.
Award-winning speaker and author Jaz Ampaw-Farr, known for her work on resilience, courage and the power of human connection, delivered the opening keynote address.
The day concluded with a session from Jackson Ogunyemi, better known as Action Jackson, the UK ambassador for happiness, who is recognised for his work helping people develop positive attitudes and resilience.
Kirsty Osman, trust leader at Four Hills Education Trust, said the event was an important opportunity to bring colleagues together and recognise the contribution they make to children’s lives.
“We wanted to do something meaningful to mark our first anniversary, but also to give our staff something they could take back into their schools and use every day,” she said.
“Education is about people and relationships. We know that children do best when they feel understood, supported and encouraged, and the same is true of the adults who work with them.
“That’s really what our Dare to Care message is about. It’s about having the courage to do things differently, being willing to challenge ourselves and remembering that the small things we do every day can make a lasting difference to children’s lives.”
The programme was organised around the trust’s four CARE values – Critical Thinking, Aspiration, Resilience and Empathy – which underpin its approach to education.
Sessions included exploring ways to support neurodivergent children, developing emotionally safe classrooms and helping staff recognise and manage the pressures of working in education.
Joseph Piatczanyn, director of vision and strategy at Four Hills Education Trust, said the day reflected the organisation’s ambition to create a different kind of multi-academy trust.
“When we started Four Hills a year ago, we were clear that we didn’t want to create an organisation where every school was expected to operate in exactly the same way,” he said.
“We wanted schools to keep what makes them special, while giving staff the opportunity to learn from one another, share expertise and try new approaches.
“That means investing in our people. We ask a great deal of those who work in schools, and it’s important that we give them the time, encouragement and support to develop both professionally and personally.
“One of the messages from the day was that caring isn’t always about taking the easy option. Sometimes it means asking difficult questions, having honest conversations or being brave enough to change something because you believe it will make a difference.
“If our staff feel confident, supported and able to do their best work, it’s the children in our schools who ultimately benefit.”
Four Hills Education Trust brings together Albrighton Primary School, Meadows Primary School, Millbrook Primary School, William Reynolds Primary School and Woodlands Primary School.
The trust was formed with the aim of providing a collaborative, values-led approach to education, supporting individual schools to develop their own strengths while sharing knowledge and resources.
For more information, visit www.fourhillseducationtrust.org.uk.
