The Mercian Trust
Dan Parkes currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Mercian Trust, where responsibilities include leading a diverse family of schools with a focus on social justice and mobility in Walsall and the West Midlands. Appointed CEO in March 2019, Dan previously held the position of Executive Director for Partnerships, Innovation, and New Schools Development, contributing to the establishment of new schools including a free school. Additionally, Dan is a member of the West Midlands DFE Advisory Board and the Secondary Headteachers Reference Group, providing advisory support on national education policy. Dan has a history of leadership roles in various educational institutions, including founding Principal of Walsall Studio School, where notable achievements include securing a Good Ofsted judgement and winning national awards.
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The Mercian Trust
A Multi Academy Trust of nine schools and 10,000 students in Walsall and Sandwell. Often referred to as the most diverse family of schools in the country, the Trust comprises of two selective grammar schools, five large comprehensive schools, a technical and vocational Studio School and an Alternative Provision free school for children at risk of exclusion from mainstream education. All trust schools come together around a common purpose of increasing opportunities and improving outcomes for students and a shared social mobility and social justice mission. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS 🤝 A successful Trust merger creating one of the largest school trusts in the region 🏆 National recognition for the Trust’s two selective grammar schools who are the most successful in the country at increasing the number of local disadvantaged students passing the entrance test and joining the schools ✂ Opening a brand-new purpose-built campus in Walsall Town Centre including an alternative provision free school for students at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream schools alongside a forthcoming Digital Skills Hub to provide real-time connectivity between students, industry professionals and employers. 📰 National recognition for pioneering work around youth mental health, including establishing an in-house multi-disciplinary team of clinicians and allied health professionals delivering interventions and providing support to vulnerable students. 📅 Organising and hosting regional annual conferences on key youth issues at Villa Park 🔌 A multi-million-pound investment in the digital infrastructure of Trust schools underpinning the ongoing transformation of how staff teach, students learn, leaders lead and the whole Trust operates in readiness for the AI-supercharged careers and workplaces of the future ✅ A catalogue of successful inspections where all trust schools maintained or improved their Ofsted judgements (including two Overall Outstanding Inspection Outcomes).