Interview with Gary Chown, CEO of The Harbour Schools Partnership Multi Academy Trust

“I would like to see improvements in how the system connects. I think some MATs are doing well and working in effective partnerships and I am hopeful that we could deepen this partnership and build a more architecturally responsible legacy.”
 
This is an auspicious week.
In fact, a very auspicious first three days for 36 SWIFT Member schools and 1700 staff within our Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs region.
 
Earlier this week, on Tuesday 1 April 2025, Tarka and Ventrus - two of our esteemed Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) officially merged to become The Harbour Schools Partnership.
Their logo says it all, with the lighthouse as a beacon and a guiding light across the surrounding area.
 
The new CEO is Gary Chown, one of the most experienced Trust Leaders in the South West, and a Trust CEO for the last 14 years with Ventrus.
 
Building on his experience, Gary is committed to partnership working and system leadership and has worked across the South West as an Education Advisor for the Department for Education and also as an Ofsted inspector.
Gary works in a range of partnerships beyond the Trust, locally, regionally and nationally and has extensive school leadership experience and a strong, proven track record of leading school improvement.
 
The timing was clearly perfect to interview Gary about his reflections as a Trust Leader.
 
1. What have you found to be most personally rewarding in your position to date as CEO of a leading Multi Academy Trust (MAT) in our region?
When I became a Head, I soon realised how isolating and isolated the system is around leadership and how schools, at that time, were almost competing with each other, which did not make sense to me, as someone who had come from business. I have always been driven by forming partnerships and relationships that help people to do their job better.

So, when I am in a room with all our 40 Trust Heads together and you can feel the energy, and see the partnerships and genuine connections they are making, both personally and professionally, that helps them to do their job, this is very rewarding for me and makes me feel that we are doing something well.

2. How has working with SWIFT Colyton and Kingsbridge Teaching School Hubs benefitted Ventrus Multi Academy Trust to date?
I think we have got a really good partnership with SWIFT, because it gives us that opportunity to work with other MATs and leaders.  When you lead any organisation, I think there is a danger, that although you are part of something big, you can still become isolated as a single organisation and it is that connection and role that SWIFT plays in bringing together organisations that is a real strength. I love the way that, in particular Martin Smith (Executive Director), constantly positions the importance of partnership. 

3. What is your number one priority in this first week of the newly merged Tarka and Ventrus MATs as The Harbour Schools Partnership?
Except it does not feel like a first week, because we have been working in preparation for this day for the past 14 months!
You could say therefore, it is business as usual, because we have been working in a revised school improvement model and running as one Trust for seven months with our Trust Heads meeting together. All the Senior Team are appointed and everyone knows where they fit in.
 
But to the question of the number one priority in week 1. One of my roles in the first week will be meeting and talking to some of the key players partly to say “we've done it!” We are now over the line and we are formally one Trust together, but also to refocus our efforts on our next steps.
 
I will be making sure that I recognise and reflect with senior colleagues and thank them for their work and check in with them to make sure those systems launched in this first week are embedding well and teams are settled.

4. What do you consider to be the most significant challenges currently facing Schools and Trusts?
The absolute obvious answer is financial challenges.
 
We have not had any real increase in funding and yet costs are spiralling in all areas, on top of that, Devon has got it particularly tough in terms of comparisons to the national picture, which also includes difficulty with recruitment in some areas. A corollary challenge for Devon and finances is that we have falling birth rates in many areas, which obviously reduces funding levels. To maintain a healthy organisation requires a lot of agility and careful thinking and planning.
 
Another major challenge for us as school leaders is mental health challenges within our schools and the number of children who are genuinely struggling with the demands of modern life.

5. What is your hopeful vision for the future of Multi Academy Trusts within the next five years?
I would like to see improvements in how the system connects. I think some MATs are doing well and working in effective partnerships and I am hopeful that we could deepen this partnership and build a more architecturally responsible legacy.
 
At the moment, I think we have built a bit of a muddle with all good intentions, because there have been no overall architects, or real system design; which should be part of the intent. In reality, there are some Trusts we are working with and supporting who are struggling partly because they were not always as well thought-out, or well-conceived or sometimes as well led over time as they might have been. So, I hope to see a maturing of the system that allows for better outcomes for our pupils with stronger MATs supporting others to make them stronger; as well as a consolidation of our practice that might mean a consolidation or a reduction in the number of MATs.
 
My driver personally for Harbour, is to secure a cultural integrity to the organisation that keeps it safe and sustainable for the next 10, 20, 50 years. A legacy not of an empire, but of something meaningful with a legitimacy and long-term capacity to enhance communities and the lives of the people that we serve.
 
I think the other work MATs should look to develop as they get larger, is to be a stronger voice for communities and a stronger voice for the challenges we face alongside other sectors; for example, health. A definite civic leadership role. I think it is easier to step into that civic leadership role when you have got a well-functioning MAT of a certain scale, so as a leader of a large MAT, I will certainly be focusing my energies in that direction in the months and years ahead.
  
We thank Gary for taking time to speak to us and for his thoughtful interview and we wish the new The Harbour Schools Partnership every success for the staff, students and parents.
 
Interview by Jude Baylis, Executive Assistant 

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FIND OUT ABOUT THE HARBOUR SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP HERE