A NEW multi-academy trust that will bring four Dudley secondary schools together has been given the go-ahead.

The Dudley Academies Trust will bring together Castle High School, Hillcrest School and Community College, Holly Hall Academy and High Arcal School under the sponsorship of Dudley College.

Under these new arrangements, schools will retain their own identities and existing headteachers will retain day-to-day leadership and management duties while working closely with the college to drive up GCSE attainment in mathematics and English and strengthen support for learners with learning difficulties.

Over time, the trust hopes to better align the schools’ curriculum to local and regional skills needs, with a growing emphasis on digital technologies and science and technology.

Lowell Williams, principal of Dudley College, said: “Bringing together the combined strengths of four secondary schools alongside Dudley College will give us the best chance of providing outstanding technical education to Dudley’s young people. We know that educational outcomes are not as high as they should be and we will work tirelessly to address this.

"Our plans are aspirational, not only for the development of our teaching and learning strategies and our curriculum, but also for the future transformation of the schools’ estates.

"As sponsor, the college will release up to half a million pounds to the trust to kick start this process."

Dudley Council "strongly support" the trust according to Councillor Ian Cooper, cabinet member for children’s services Ian Cooper, who added: “Sharing resources and knowledge in this way can be very beneficial to the schools involved and we are pleased to back these exciting proposals.

"The multi-academy trust will help staff and pupils at the four schools to achieve strong outcomes by working together and inspiring everyone to strive for success.”

Dudley North MP Ian Austin said he was "delighted" that the plans had received the green light from the Christine Quinn, the schools commissioner for the West Midlands.

"The schools involved already have many collective strengths but also some significant challenges that need to be addressed," he said.

"I’m convinced this is good news for the parents, staff, governors and above all students of all of the schools involved. We need to give our young people the best life-chances we can and that means giving them the best education we can. The Dudley Academies Trust will do this."

The Dudley Academies Trust will come into operation from September 1.

Castle High School and Hillcrest School and Community College will convert to academy status on joining the trust, which will annually support 8,500 young people aged 11 to 19-years-old with a total operating income in excess of £60 million.