Optimus Education, in partnership with the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), has launched the new Civic partnership of the year award as part of the 2025 MAT Excellence Awards.

This award celebrates school trusts that collaborate with civic organisations such as the NHS, local authorities and universities to address social challenges and improve education outcomes in their communities.

Leora Cruddas CBE, chief executive at CST, said,

‘School trusts have a unique position in their communities. CST has long advocated for trusts to embrace their role as civic institutions and to consider their potential to bring together the diverse organisations that work with pupils and parents. We know this can be challenging with other pressures on trust leaders' time, but - as we hope the nominations for this new award will highlight - it can be transformational for communities and significantly impact the education of the children in our care.’

We are looking for trusts who work in partnership with other civic organisations such as NHS trusts, the police, universities, children's services and local authorities to seek new ways of addressing the pressures on children, families and communities.

Open to trusts of all sizes, the Civic partnership award highlights the power of partnerships in tackling barriers to learning. Nominations are now open, offering an opportunity to recognise impactful civic collaborations that are part of a trust's broader educational mission.

For more information on how to apply, download your nomination pack.