A Suffolk high school and three Norfolk primary schools could become the latest members of the new academy trust set up by Wymondham College.
The college, a state boarding school which is rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted, announced the formation of the Sapientia Education Trust earlier this year, and on September 1 it gained its first new member - Old Buckenham Primary, when it became an academy.
Now, Wymondham College principal Jonathan Taylor has revealed the governing bodies of Seething and Mundham Primary, Burston Primary, and Tivetshall Primary, have all passed resolutions seeking to join Sapientia.
The trust's directors have now formally supported their membership, subject to the approval of the Department for Education.
He said: 'I think that just demonstrates our commitment to supporting primary schools of different types in Norfolk. A couple of these schools are very small, but we have a Norfolk-based trust supporting Norfolk schools.'
Mr Taylor said the trust was 'in further discussions about the possibility of Stradbroke High joining the trust as well'.
He added that the Suffolk school, which became a stand-alone academy in 2012, could join the trust in September 2017.
He said: 'It's fair to say both are very successful schools. We share a similar ethos in terms of promoting high academic standards and the development of the whole child.'
Stradbroke High, which is rated 'good' by Ofsted, educates pupils aged 11 to 16, and Mr Taylor said developing further links with the sixth form at Wymondham College could be one benefit for the school, as well as allowing its staff to link with the college's larger subject departments.
Stradbroke High's head of school, John Axtell, said that part of the role of its executive headteacher, Andrew Bloom, was to explore partnerships, and the possibility of joining Wymondham College's academy trust was one of these.
However, he stressed that the discussions were at an early stage.
He said: 'We are a small school, and looking outside of our walls is always something that we try to do.
'We try to engage every member of the school community, and we obviously have brilliant working relationships with schools that are very like us.
'When we started talking to Wymondham, we realised that in some ways, even though at first look we look different, we do share very similar principles and ethos, in that progress for our pupils is absolutely vital, and Wymondham is the same.
'We found a kindred spirit, really, in that Wymondham has the same values and principles as we have.'
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