Hills Education Trust
Hills Education Trust consultation – a trust created for the purpose of delivering high quality progression pathways at 16 and 18
About us
Consultation outcome
The consultation proposition
The proposal put to consultation was to create Hills Education Trust, as a multi-academy trust, and to move the standalone Sixth Form College, Hills Road, from the FE and Skills sector into the schools and academies sector by having Hills Road as the founding and flagship institution of the Trust, from 1 September 2025.
The consultation process
Our consultation asked respondents about the extent to which they both understood our rationale for this proposal and the extent to which they supported our proposal. We also invited free text feedback.
We published our consultation on our website on 1 April 2025. We emailed current students, parents and staff and announced the launch of the consultation on social media.
The statutory dissolution of the Corporation of Hills Road Sixth Form College, with a link to the proposal and consultation, was also published in The Times newspaper and the print edition of the Cambridge Evening News on April 25 2025. In addition, we contacted eight local MPs in whose constituencies our students reside; the Secretary of State for Education; Cambridgeshire County Council; all schools in Cambridgeshire with a post-16 offer and all Cambridge Area Partnership schools.
The consultation closed on May 30 2025.
This response was published on our website on 30 June 2025.
The results
Types of respondents
We received a total of 196 responses and would like to thank all respondents for taking the time to share their views.
Question one - rationale: To what extent do you agree that you are clear about the rationale for Hills Road Sixth Form College creating and joining its own Hills Education Trust?
79% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they understood the rationale for our proposal.
Question two - proposal: To what extent do you support our plans to create Hills Education Trust as a Multi-Academy Trust, with Hills Road Sixth Form College as the founder organisation?
78% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they supported our proposal.
Stakeholder responses:
The tables below set out the responses by stakeholders to each question.
Table 1: To what extent do you agree that you are clear about the rationale for Hills Road Sixth Form College creating and joining its own Hills Education Trust?
| Stakeholder type | Staff member |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 45 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 3 |
| Stakeholder type | Current student |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 38 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 10 |
| Stakeholder type | Current parent/carer |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 59 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 21 |
| Stakeholder type | All others |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 13 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 7 |
Table 2: To what extent do you support our plans to create Hills Education Trust, with Hills Road Sixth Form College as the founder organisation?
| Stakeholder type | Staff member |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 46 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 2 |
| Stakeholder type | Current student |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 35 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 13 |
| Stakeholder type | Current parent/carer |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 60 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 20 |
| Stakeholder type | All others |
|---|---|
| Strongly Agree or Agree | 12 |
| Strongly Disagree or Disagree | 8 |
Positive responses
We received numerous positive comments in support of the proposal.
Typically, these responses reflected several themes, most notably:
- That our proposal was a sensible strategic step that placed the College well to be part of the solution to the growing demographic of 16–19-year-olds in the Cambridge region.
- That the schools and academies sector is a more natural fit than the FE & Skills sector, given the wholly A Level curriculum offer at Hills Road Sixth Form College
- There were clear financial benefits in terms of being able to reclaim VAT.
- That, by taking this step, the College was taking control of its own destiny and taking a positive step to maintain control of its own governance.
Some specific comments supportive of our proposal are set out below.
Concerns raised
Where respondents raised concerns or were not in support of the proposal, the reasons given tended to centre around the following themes:
- Concerns over Mult-Academy Trusts based upon media coverage of very large academy chains, with highly centralised policy making over curriculum and pedagogy, and well-publicised reports into excessive executive pay.
- Concerns over the potential for the College’s ethos to be eroded over time, especially if it were to merge with another institution.
- Concerns over the potential loss of autonomy of governance
- Concerns over possible damage to student and staff wellbeing, in the face of continued growth and expansion, unless sufficient mitigation was put in place. In addition, concerns over the possible erosion of staff terms and conditions.
Our response
The College’s governing body and senior leadership team is pleased that there is clear support for our proposal.
The rationale for our proposal is to position ourselves in the schools and academies sector that most closely suits our curriculum offer. We will also be poised to be part of the solution to the need for more 16-19 places that will be required in the region given the growth projections and plans over the coming decade and beyond.
There are no current plans to encourage existing schools or colleges to join the Trust or to merge with other academy trusts. The governing members of Hills Education Trust are committed to ensuring that, if any organisation joins the Trust in the future, it will only be if it is in the best interests of both Hills Road Sixth Form College and the joining organisation, in addition to the communities they serve.
Hills Road Sixth Form College is not immune from change were it to remain in the FE & Skills sector. The 2015-16 Department for Education Area Based Review, for example, led to the merger of a number of institutions in the sector, and such an exercise could conceivably take place again. However, our plans ensure continuity of leadership and governance for the foreseeable future, with both a former Chair of Governors and former Principal of the College serving as members of the board of Hills Education Trust, alongside the existing Chair of governors and two other governors of the Corporation.
Our move to an academy trust will involve a ‘lift and shift’ of existing contractual terms. Academisation will not be used as a means to amend terms and conditions of employment for colleagues. In addition, we are committed to enhancing our facilities and supporting our staff and students as the organisation grows, with any growth needs a factor in our budget and estates planning for 2025-26 and beyond
Outcome and next steps
As a result of this consultation, the governing body of Hills Road Sixth Form College Corporation agreed that it should dissolve and that Hills Road Sixth Form College should become the founding member of Hills Education Trust with effect from 1 September 2025. A resolution to this effect was passed at the meeting of the Corporation on 25 June 2025.
