ODBST is a diocesan trust. That heritage shapes the trust without dictating to every school in it. Some of our schools are Church of England schools with a clear Anglican character; others are community schools with their own ethos. Both are equally part of ODBST.

What we share, across all our schools, is a commitment to the dignity of every child, the formation of character, the importance of community, and the seriousness of the work. For our church schools, this is held within an explicit Christian framing: daily worship, religious education taught with depth, and the pursuit of a SIAMS judgement that reflects the quality of that distinctive provision. For our community schools, it shows up in the same ethical commitment, expressed in the language of their own communities.