Our Trust

The Emmanuel School Trust (TEST) is an education charity established to help address the shortage of school places and in response to the coalition government’s free school initiative.

TEST is a faith-based organisation which has its roots in the Christian faith. Our schools are inclusive and welcoming, where students of all faiths and none, from different backgrounds and abilities are valued and respected.

The Emmanuel School Trust (TEST) is an Academy Trust set up in 2011 in response to the incumbent coalition government’s Free School initiative and in view of overwhelming evidence of the following issues in the London Borough of Waltham Forest:

Social deprivation in our community
Urgent need for additional primary spaces in the local area
Need to further improve standards of provision for our pupils
Parental demand for choices

It’s first school is the Emmanuel Community School (ECS), a primary academy in Walthamstow, London. It opened in September 2012 and was rated good with outstanding features by OFSTED in 2014 and subsequently rated outstanding in all areas of the Section 47 inspection in 2017.

History

TEST’s initiative to establish new free schools was championed by Titilayo Oluwatudimu and the organization grew out of the concern and commitment of parents, teachers and pastoral leaders from Emmanuel Community Church International [formerly Emmanuel Christian Centre] in Walthamstow. ECCI is a registered charity which provides a range of weekly Christian activities including collective worship services, week-day evening meetings, counselling, support and advisory services. Established over 100 years ago, it aspires to be a local church with a global vision, one which “Loves God Passionately, Builds Church Biblically and Serves the Community Relevantly”.

The third strand of the strapline called for active involvement in its local community and to this end, ECCI provides age-related ‘Sunday school’ classes, mid-week children’s clubs and youth activities as well as holiday activity and residential camps. It also runs a nursery school which has been in operation for over 30 years, is rated as Good by OFSTED and highly regarded by parents and carers. ECCI also collaborates with other local churches in providing accommodation and feeding to homeless persons. All ECCI activities are open to children and adults of all faiths.

Prior to the establishment of TEST, ECCI had set up The Greenleaf Trust in 2006, an incorporated charity and company limited by guarantee, to facilitate the delivery of a range of services that respond to individual and community needs with emphasis on young people. The flagship of The Greenleaf Trust is the award-winning ‘Spark to Life’ programme, which is actively engaged in youth gang prevention, rehabilitation of offenders and delivering interventions in schools to individuals assessed to be at risk of criminal influence. Spark to Life works closely with the Metropolitan Police Force, local authorities and other key stakeholders and was commended for its efforts and impact on young people by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan in 2018.

ECCI and its sister organisations, The Greenleaf Trust and The Emmanuel School Trust, are each committed to positive community transformation and change. They uphold a firm belief in the intrinsic worth and value of every individual and aspire to actively listen and respond to the needs of the communities that they serve.

More information about TEST can be seen on the website here.

The Emmanuel School Trust is an exempt charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee whose Company Registration Number is 07640769. The Trust can be contacted at the details below:

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In accordance with the Academies Financial Handbook, below are the relevant business and pecuniary interests for The Emmanuel School Trust Local Governing Body Members, Directors and Members:

Name	Trust Category	Current Employment/Company involvement	Personal/Percuniary interest	Holding Shares or Securities	Date Appointed
Mr B Greaves	Director Chair of Trust	Senior Global Services Engineer - Information Technology & Trader Voice Services		Nil	11/18/14
Dr A Oluwatudimu	Director/ Member	Director of Estates at University of Creative Arts	Wife is CEO/Director of Education of Trust	Nil	5/19/11
Rev A Hodgkinson	Director / Member	Retired Minister	Nil	Nil	5/19/11
Rev D Williams	Director	Minister at Emmanuel Community Church Int and Director of Greenleaf Trust	Daughter is on local governing body of ECS	Nil	6/13/12
Mrs T Oluwatudimu	Director	CEO/Director of Education for Trust.	Husband is a Member/Trustee	Nil	6/13/12
Mr R Irish	Director	London Legacy Development Corporation	Nil	Nil	6/4/14
Ms E White	Director	Retired/Nil	Nil	Nil	6/7/18
Mr M Overare	Director	CEO of Kenetix Ltd	London Riverside Church/London Riverside Foundation		12/24/21
Mr N McQuoid	Director	Headteacher	Nil	Nil	11/12/21