Compass School to Join The Charter Schools Educational Trust

Compass School is excited to share that it is to join the renowned The Charter Schools Educational Trust this Summer. The merger, which has recently been approved by the Department for Education, comes as the school also readies itself to move into a brand new, state-of-the art building near Bermondsey tube later this year.
Charter is a local trust that has outstanding schools and excellent sixth forms, as well as being a leading provider of professional development for teachers through the London South Teaching Schools’ Hub.
Compass School Principal Marcus Huntley said:
“We are delighted to be joining the Charter family as we continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of the holistic education we offer our pupils”.
As part of the new partnership, Compass, which is rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, will become “The Charter School Bermondsey”, providing a clear sense of its identity as a Charter school and its proud location at the heart of Bermondsey.
Mr Huntley said:
“We will have a new name, a fantastic new building, and be part of a wider family of schools, while our mission, values and sense of community will remain the same. The Charter Trust shares our values and is committed to the highest academic standards for pupils, enrichment and well-being.”
Cassie Buchanan, CEO of The Charter Schools Educational Trust, said:

“We are delighted that Compass School will become The Charter School Bermondsey upon joining our family of schools. By adopting the trusted and successful The Charter School Bermondsey name, we hope the pupils and staff will have a strong sense of belonging within our large educational community. The name change reflects the ethos shared by all the schools in the trust and will honour the unique identity of Compass School Southwark. All the pupils will continue to receive a high-quality education and benefit from the wealth of resources and expertise that come with being part of The Charter Schools Educational Trust.”

The new The Charter School Bermondsey will have the same admissions arrangements as Compass School, with applications made through Southwark.

Joining such a great multi-academy trust is great news for our community and underscores our ambition for a transformative education for our students.

What is a MAT?

A Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) is a group of schools that work together under a single legal and administrative framework. Currently, Compass School is a Single Academy Trust, and it is government policy that single academy trusts, like Compass, can really benefit from being part of a multi-academy trust.

School Uniform

We are working with our supplier, Price & Buckland, to ensure there is minimal impact on our uniform.

  • New ties will be provided to all students without cost
  • We will provide a free, iron on logo for existing blazers
  • New blazers, PE shirts and tracksuit tops with the updated logo will be available to purchase from Price & Buckland from July. Price & Buckland are creating new unbranded tracksuit bottoms that match the tops also available to purchase from July.
  • There is no change to other unbranded items of uniform
  • Legacy PE kit can be worn until parents are ready to replace these
  • We have asked Price & Buckland to design a summer dress for 2024 to add to the diversity of our uniform