Barnsole Primary Trust Strategic Plan: Page 1

Transcription

1 Barnsole Primary Trust Strategic Plan: Page 1

2 Contents Introduction Page 3 Our Vision, Mission and Values Pages 4-5 Leadership and Governance Structure Page 6 Earned Autonomy Page 7 School Improvement Strategy Pages 8-9 Talk for Teaching Page 10 Strategic Planning: Page 11 Objectives: Page 12 Joining Barnsole Primary Trust Page 13 Barnsole Primary Trust Services Page 14 Priority Tables Page Page 2

3 Introduction I am pleased to present the first Barnsole Primary Trust Corporate Strategic Plan covering the period This plan sets out our three-year strategic objectives, including our priorities for the coming year. The Board of Barnsole Primary Trust is driven by a moral purpose, determined to see a high performing and successful Multi-Academy Trust that delivers the very best educational experience for pupils at the early years and primary phases. The rapidly changing educational landscape continues to challenge everyone s perceptions and pace for planning change, with greater numbers of schools converting to academies. This plan sets out how we will guide, support and improve our academies, including schools that are interested in joining us, across the geographical area of Medway. There is a relentless drive for continued improvement in teaching, learning, leadership and governance, to achieve the best personal and educational outcomes for every pupil. The Trust believes that every child has the right to access a good or outstanding school. This means a commitment to working collaboratively and effectively using everyone s strengths to meet a common aim. We are proud of the teaching and leadership capacity that is being built across Barnsole Primary Trust; as a result of this strength, the Trust is now poised to move forwards into a period of significant growth. Barnsole Primary Trust is a cost-effective organisation that has a clear business model delivering the efficiency, effectiveness and challenge required to ensure that school improvement is at the forefront of everything we do. I look forward to working closely with all our staff, parents, pupils, governors and the community to deliver this plan to ensure the very best possible outcomes for all children. Sean McKeown Chief Executive Officer Page 3

4 Our Vision, Mission and Values Barnsole Primary Trust was established in May 2017 and is a Charitable Trust and Company limited by a guarantee. Our Vision: Working together for each child to deliver an outstanding primary education. Our Mission: To deliver outstanding academic and personal outcomes. Our Values: Barnsole Primary Trust is committed to a common set of values and core principles, expecting all its academies to fully adopt these in every aspect of their work. Belonging Pupils and staff have a sense of pride in belonging to their school community. Achieving Pupils and staff achieve their full potential as life-long learners. Respecting The basic principle of respect for self and others is deeply rooted within the culture of each academy. No Excuses There is a strong culture of collective and individual responsibility. Safety Pupils and staff feel safe, supported and secure. Page 4

5 Outstanding Pupils and staff continuously strive to do their best and exceed expectation. Leaders Pupils and staff recognise that they are all leaders, and take responsibility for continuous improvement. Encouragement Pupils and staff encourage and motivate one another to achieve individual and collective goals. Our Aims: To ensure that Barnsole Primary Trust academies are Outstanding ; To improve the life-chances of all pupils, with learning outcomes at the core; To ensure that there are no achievement gaps between groups of pupils, including the most disadvantaged; To promote a culture of engagement, collaboration and trust across all academies; To build a leadership culture that develops future leaders; To recognise, value and maintain the unique identity of each academy within its community. Page 5

6 Leadership and Governance Structure As a Charitable Trust, the Board of Barnsole Primary Trust complies with charity and company law requirements. The Board has two core functions: to set the strategic direction of the Trust and to ensure the financial probity of the Trust. As a Multi-Academy Trust, the Board is responsible for all the academies within the Trust. The Board delegates functions to the Local Governing Board of each academy through a Scheme of Delegation. Page 6

7 Earned Autonomy Barnsole Primary Trust believes that the best outcomes will be achieved when each academy s Local Governing Board receives the level of responsibility and autonomy that is appropriate to their specific circumstances. Where an academy is not yet good or outstanding, there will be more support from the Trust. Those academies that are good or outstanding will operate with earned autonomy. For Local Governing Boards to carry out their role effectively, governors must: be prepared and committed to their own professional development; be clear about roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability; have a robust process of self-review to ensure their effectiveness; be prepared to dedicate the necessary time for sustained improvement. Page 7

8 School Improvement Strategy The core purpose of Barnsole Primary Trust is school improvement. The Trust has the capacity to react quickly and efficiently when joining schools require support. The Trust intends to provide a tiered level of service, tailored to the needs of each school, recognising where each school sits in its ultimate aim to be outstanding. The Trust is based upon six key drivers of school improvement. 1. Understanding and defining the approach to school improvement: understanding how to move schools from inadequate to good and good to outstanding; using cross-academy resources to provide consistency; facilitating and growing school-to-school support; adapting and applying improvement strategies according to each academy s needs. 2. Developing consistency while respecting identity: adopting and evolving non-negotiables in terms of attendance, behaviour, curriculum, assessment and pedagogical approaches; differentiating the approach according to the needs and performance of each academy; appreciating each academy s individuality within its community. 3. Understanding each school and accountability: robust, consistent data and management systems; review and self-evaluation in partnership; commitment to the highest expectation for all pupils and staff; rigorous performance management systems. 4. Distributing, deploying and developing leadership: developing the roles of senior and middle leaders at academy and Trust level; empowering middle leaders to lead improvement; coaching and mentoring future leaders; strategically deploying expertise, ensuring succession planning; promoting, Leadership at all Levels. 5. Improving the quality of teaching and learning: adopting, Talk for Teaching consistently across academies; establishing a robust and effective coaching model at all levels; commitment to the development of outstanding teachers and future leaders; establishing and agreeing principles for continuing professional development. Page 8

9 6. Developing the curriculum: providing an engaging, inspiring and relevant curriculum at all phases; creating opportunities for pupils to acquire essential knowledge, skills and understanding; developing the wider curriculum including social, physical and artistic learning; allowing curriculum leaders the autonomy to lead, develop and inspire learning. Page 9

10 Talk for Teaching : The Improvement Driver Together with the Deputy Headteacher, the Headteacher has led the Talk for Teaching programme that has been an instrumental part of transforming the quality of teaching over time. The high-quality teaching in this school now leads to outstanding outcomes for pupils. Barnsole Primary School Ofsted: March 2016 Talk for Teaching is at the core of the Trust s approach to school improvement and will impact positively on the quality of teaching and learning. Talk for Teaching enables teachers to develop and learn from each other. It establishes a culture of shared learning without judgement, fear or suspicion. A planned cycle of Talk for Teaching includes all staff and governors. Talk for Teaching: A group of six colleagues spend a session in class observing learning. During the teaching session, in-depth reflective teaching and learning conversations emerge. Teachers are never graded and notes are not recorded. Talk for Teaching promotes a culture of reflection and continuous improvement, permitting colleagues to offer suggestions to the teacher at the point of delivery. Following the session, the teacher self-evaluates with input from the group. This model of open-dialogue coaching builds teacher confidence, promotes risk-taking and ultimately impacts on improved pupil outcomes. School Improvement Partners Partners We work closely with a number of partners including: Canterbury Christchurch University; TeachFirst; Medway Local Authority; Cambridge Primary Review Trust; SSAT Schools, Students and Teachers Networks; London Leadership Strategy. Page 10

11 Strategic Planning: Strategic Objectives Barnsole Primary Trust has clear strategic aims founded on the vision, mission and values. This plan sets out the following objectives to ensure that as a Trust, all stakeholders have confidence in the approach and aim to deliver in: Strategic Governance: To ensure that the Board of Directors of Barnsole Primary Trust acts on behalf of its moral and legal owners in the best interests of the Trust, governing lawfully in accordance with its Articles of Association and having governance arrangements that demonstrate legitimate and visionary leadership, clarity of governing and managerial relationships, effective oversight, adequate support structures for sustainability, and to achieve the greatest possible economies. School Improvement - Teaching & Learning: To ensure that all academies provide the very best teaching in order to promote and provide high quality learning for pupils, and that there is support in place for teachers to achieve this. Continued Professional Development (CPD): To implement a CPD programme for all academies to ensure that staff have the right skills for sustained improvement. Quality Assurance: To ensure that there is a rigorous and robust programme of Quality Assurance that helps to support teachers, build expertise and capacity and raise standards in all academies. Integrated Support & Shared Services: To ensure the Trust has robust business arrangements that are highly efficient and effective, ensuring economies of scale. Page 11

12 Objectives To meet the three-year strategic objectives in , the Trust will focus on the following: 1. to ensure pupil outcomes are continuously improving and exceeding previous performance and national expectations; 2. to ensure that structures for governance and leadership of the Trust are clear and directly impact on the quality of provision within the MAT; 3. to ensure high quality professional development; 4. to develop a sustainable growth plan. Page 12

13 Joining Barnsole Primary Trust Attracting Schools A core aim of the Trust is to have high-performing academies within the Trust. The Trust accepts that each joining school will be at a different starting point in their drive for improvement. The key offer is for school improvement across the Trust, with the aim for all academies to be outstanding. The Trust will focus on: communicating the benefits of being part of Barnsole Primary Trust; proactive engagement with the Trust Board. In discussion with the Board, Barnsole Primary Trust will work together to agree the benefit of a school joining the Trust. The infrastructure of the Trust will eliminate the burden on schools to manage support services, allowing them to focus on effective teaching and learning as well as having the opportunity to deliver school-to-school support across the Trust. We will attract schools into Barnsole Primary Trust through: a flexible Scheme of Delegation for their Local Governing Board to continue to lead and manage the school; leading school improvement though collaboration; outstanding CPD offers for all staff; stability in a rapidly changing educational landscape; a chance to generate income and allow access to shared services and economies of scales; capacity to act as a sponsor for a school in an Ofsted category. Page 13

14 Barnsole Primary Trust s Services The Trust provides the following business services: preparing financial statements in line with the Department for Education (DfE) and Education Funding Agency (EFA) requirements; VAT returns; taxation advice; Accounting Officer and Responsible Officer reporting; support with budget preparation and monitoring; monthly/quarterly management accounts; software and processes training for school finance staff; Academy Conversion from start to completion; brokerage of insurance; brokerage of other core services on request. Page 14

15 Strategic Vision Three-Year Plan Key Priority One: To ensure pupil outcomes are continuously improving and exceeding previous performance and national expectations. Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 To ensure the Trust has a strategic vision that moves from implementation into impact, and that the Trust priorities are delivered through all academies. Outcomes for pupils are continuously improving, exceeding previous performance and outperforming schools nationally. Trustees and members identify key priorities using evidence from each academy. The Trust writes a strategic plan that is shared with all academies including: Local Governing Boards; SLT from each academy; parental community. Individual academy development plans reference the Trust strategic priorities. The Trust ensures strategic priorities identified in year one are evaluated across each academy. Address pupil outcomes that are variable. The Trust has strategic plans to ensure performance at every level secures continuous improvement. Trustees hold leaders to account for standards and progress, using a common framework for evaluating achievement. The Trust creates a timeline to ensure priorities are evaluated systematically and that all Local Governing Boards contribute to the evaluation processes. Each academy has links to the Trust priorities within their development plans, which includes the contribution they are making to the Trust strategic aims. The Trust outcomes are comparable between academies and across subjects. Attainment and progress scores are in-line with national averages with no significant gaps. The Trust has a strategic plan that seamlessly sits within the academy plans. There is clear evidence that all the Trust priorities are being delivered by each academy. Achievement and progress scores are above national averages in all the MAT academies with a trend of continuous improvement. Trust outcomes are consistently above national averages. The Trust has mature systems to both challenge and support individual academies. Trustees are skilled in data analysis, and ask challenging questions to ensure resources are deployed in a highly effective way, maximising the potential of the MAT to provide outstanding provision. Page 15

16 Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 To develop a clear accountability framework for the performance of the Trust and all staff, which is shared, understood and includes strategies for tackling underperformance. The Trust appoints Members and Trustees with the relevant skills and experience to hold academies to account within the MAT, which includes identifying key skills and potential gaps in skills within the MAT governance structure. The Trust has appointed a CEO who will be responsible for leading performance management with Headteachers/Head of Schools. The Trust has identified which Trustees will lead performance management with the CEO. All policies relating to performance management and recruitment are reviewed to ensure they reflect the Trust accountability structures. The CEO holds Headteachers/Head of Schools to account and is held to account by the Trustees for the performance of the Trust. The CEO is accountable for standards in the academies. Performance management of the CEO is a strength within the Trust. There is clarity within the Trust about how Local Governing Boards and MAT Trustees work in partnership to fulfil their roles within school accountability. This includes: performance management of Headteachers/Head of Schools, senior leaders and CEO; appointments of headteachers/head of schools to the Trust. There is a clear path of accountability that enables discussions to take place from the Trust Board Chair to the CEO, the Trust Board Chair to Chair(s) of Local Governing Boards, the CEO to Headteachers/Head of Schools and Headteachers/Head of Schools to their team members, which improves standards. Performance management is excellent across the Trust. Page 16

17 Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 The Trust has clear quality assurance systems in place to continuously improve performance and ensure consistency between academies. All Trust academies receive training for leading academy reviews and self-evaluation. All MAT academies are using a common assessment framework that is shared across academies. Moderation of standards takes place between academies on a regular basis for core subjects. Shared professional development takes place across academies. Data reporting is standardised across the MAT. The MAT is using a common assessment framework that is shared across academies in both core and non-core subject areas. Moderation of standards takes place between academies on a regular basis for all subjects. The Trust has reviewed and revised common reporting frameworks to ensure all school review / peer review and self-evaluation processes are consistent across academies. Self-evaluation activities and events are mapped out in advance and include named staff/ governors/trustees who are responsible for co-ordinating work streams relating to quality assurance. The cycle of self-evaluation and quality assurance is embedded to ensure practice is consistent across the MAT. The Trust is able to use these to ensure continuous improvements in all aspects of provision including: teaching and learning; leadership; personal development and wellbeing; curriculum enrichment; safety and safeguarding; impact of professional Development. The Trust has a common understanding of what outstanding is. All standard operating procedures are consistently applied by academies that welcome this level of effective practice. These practices are reviewed, refined and improved regularly. The Trust has evolved so that common areas of best practice lead to new innovation and greater autonomy within academies to refine working practices. Page 17

18 Strategic Vision Three-Year Plan Key Priority Two: To ensure that structures for governance and leadership of the Trust are clear and directly impact on the quality of provision within the MAT. Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 To ensure there is a clear framework for governance at Trust level and Local Governing Board level, which makes the responsibilities of the Board and LGB clear. The division of responsibilities between Members and Trustees ensures accountability. Responsibilities of LGBs and Trustees are enshrined within the Articles of Association. There is a clear sense of which decisions are taken at Board level and which are taken by LGBs. Communication between Trustees and LGBs is developing so that LGBs feel informed and are aware of decision making made at Trust level. The MAT has established subcommittees; e.g. finance and resources, which support the Trust accountability framework. Members and Trustees have met with LGBs, and opportunities for networking amongst academies are beginning to take place. The skills audit for Trustees has been reviewed to ensure composition reflects MAT needs. Work streams between Trust subcommittees, Trustees and LGBs are not duplicated and the meeting schedule ensures effective use of time and skills. Reporting systems between the Trust and LGBs ensure effective communication between stakeholders. The Trust has completed a review of governance effectiveness across the MAT and has used this to create a MAT governance action plan. LGB composition and work streams across the Trust reflects the deepening ways in which the MAT is working. For example: shared LGB training; LGB governors working across more than one academy; shared policies and reporting formats; governors expertise is utilised across LGBs to ensure real strength in governance leadership. Governors between academies are used to provide school-to-school support in governance leadership where academies the Trust is supporting are considered to be vulnerable. Trustees know the strengths of each academy LGB well and act swiftly to address any concerns or risks identified. The Board has a clear plan for delegated authority, and regularly checks that it is fit for purpose. LGBs are effective at assuring quality standards at their academy, and the CEO and leadership team are subject to the same scrutiny. The Trust is successful as a result of the performance of each academy and the academies are at least good because of the Trust. There is top-down and bottom-up accountability. Page 18

19 Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 To develop a clear accountability framework for the financial management of the Trust, which leads to successful financial management and deployment of resources. The Trust has completed all necessary auditing processes in compliance with the Regional School Commissioner, DfE and EFA before opening as a MAT. The MAT complies with DfE statutory financial regulations for auditing and financial returns. These are shared and known amongst all key staff responsible for finance within the MAT. Academies have successfully transferred to PS Financials. The MAT has completed a benchmarking exercise across the academies in order to review and monitor spending and projected spending in key areas. All academies set balanced in year budgets and have identified an agreed top slice to be used to support school improvement. The MAT has appointed a group of Trustees to be responsible for finance and resources across the MAT. Trustees plan effectively and support the Trust strategic vision for finance and resourcing. The CFO works closely with Trustees in planning the Trust growth strategy. The cycle for finance review, reporting and accountability is operating effectively. Reporting systems between the Trust and the Resources and Finance Committee ensure effective decision making at Board level. This includes: budget review; budget setting; financial planning; risk management. Academies work effectively together to procure the best possible deals for the Trust. This includes working beyond the Trust. The Trust has a risk register in place and uses this to review potential risks to the organisation; e.g. budget threats. These risks are shared and discussed at Trust level, and shared with LGBs. Where potential risks have been identified within the Trust, the Trust deploys resources effectively to meet individual academy s needs. Systems for auditing and financial reporting are embedded. This ensures LGBs and Trustees are able to make informed decisions linked to the strategic vision of the MAT. The Trust Board risk is managed well and there is a clear relationship between risk and growth. Strong financial leadership underpins the MAT growth strategy and vision for enhanced professional development within the Trust. The Board has a structure in place that ensures that not only financial risks are managed well, but that there is a three to five year risk anticipation plan in place that is under regular review. Page 19

20 Strategic Vision Three-Year Plan Key Priority Three: To ensure professional development impacts on the quality of teaching, continuously improves and that every member of the Trust has a high quality, enhanced core offer for CPD. Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 To provide bespoke and personalised professional development for every staff member, leading to outstanding provision for pupils and deepening professional capital across the Trust. The Trust develops a core offer to all academies within the Trust that ensures staff development continuously improves. This includes: Talk for Teaching; NQT programme; middle leadership; senior leadership; inclusion; teaching assistants; administration staff. Ensure all 2017/18 CPD core offer programmes are evaluated robustly and revised accordingly to ensure each programme offers consistently excellent learning opportunities. The Trust surveys all staff members to review the quality of CPD provision and identify gaps in professional development; for example: assessment; greater depth learning; SEND. Provision mapping of CPD reflects school / partnership and national priorities Trust risk assesses any training gaps caused by becoming a MAT; for example: safeguarding training; health and safety training; moderation training; governor training; Where the Trust has reduced capacity, we procure CPD from best available source. The Trust has a talent management plan for emerging and senior leaders in the organisation, which means the Trust can deploy its most talented staff to work in more than one academy on secondments or permanent transfers, creating career development and succession solutions. Review of professional development is embedded and informs future planning. Trustees have a comprehensive understanding about how professional development pathways: improve teaching effectiveness across the MAT; ensure the MAT retains its best staff; mature the vision and ethos of the MAT at every opportunity. The Trust has a talent management plan that has matured and now includes staff at all levels across the Trust. The talent management plan reflects the breadth of the organisation including: premises leadership; School Business Management; roles of teaching assistants and other key functions within the MAT; Health and safety (including safeguarding officers). Senior leaders have worked in more than one academy and middle leaders and the best teachers are deployed across the MAT to sustain and deepen impact Page 20

21 Strategic Vision Three-Year Plan Key Priority Four: To develop a sustainable growth plan that ensures the Trust retains its ethos, vision and values whilst maturing into a thriving, high performing Multi Academy Trust Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 Provide high quality school-to-school support within the Trust. The Trust has a Trust-wide improvement strategy and commitment to improve schools, and differentiated approaches to school improvement according to need. The Trust works with a range of stakeholders to provide brokered school-to-school support. This includes: individual schools; Medway LA; Kent LA; TeachFirst; Canterbury Christchurch University; London Leadership Strategy. Support packages are commissioned through the Trust, monitored and evaluated locally. Evidence of impact is captured and shared locally. Schools work collaboratively in a range of ways. Schools not yet in the MAT select which elements of support they engage in, but there is a commitment to the success and growth of each school not yet framed around accountability. Other schools are interested in joining our MAT. The Trust has a school improvement strategy that is becoming embedded and has progressed beyond the dayto-day core improvement needs. Systems to track data, the collection of regular KPI and a stronger performance management system are sustaining improvement in the academies. The Trust works directly with the Regional Schools Commissioner to provide targeted support for a range of schools within our targeted growth area. School support is reviewed and evaluated systematically with direct accountability to the RSC and other associated stakeholders. School-to-school support is systematically reviewed by Trustees to ensure the MAT has evidence of resources being deployed effectively, and their impact across academies. The school improvement strategy is sustaining improved performance, standards are rising and improvement is rapid. The self-evaluation across the MAT is maturing so that schools have greater ownership of their own requirements and make more bespoke support demands of the Trust. The Trust has a track record for ensuring school-to-school support has a direct impact on outcomes for pupils. This is evidenced through academies moving upwards from lower Ofsted categories. The Trust has improved the majority of its academies to the point at which those that were once weak now have capacity and strength to support new schools joining the MAT, or schools beyond the Trust. They can also peer review with confidence other academies in the Trust. MAT leaders can articulate their school improvement strategies with confidence. Page 21

22 Trust Aim Beginning Year 1 Developing Year 2 Embedding Year 2 Leading Year 3 The Growth of the Multi Academy Trust develops in a sustainable way The MAT has over staffed and created capacity in anticipation of growth. Leaders within the MAT are already providing school to school support in different ways. The MAT has the infrastructure for school improvement support, including school review and improvement frameworks. The MAT also has capacity to act as a sponsor. Existing Trust leaders are deployed to work in a targeted, strategic way in anticipation of schools wishing to join the MAT. The Trust has anticipated growth of two additional schools. Relationships with individual schools, the RSC and local authorities mean planned growth. Planned growth anticipates an additional three schools from Medway or a neighbouring LA. At least one of these schools is a sponsored project. The Trust has grown to become an established MAT (DFE guidance 5-15 schools pupils) schools), including at least one sponsored project. Financial leadership is embedded across the Trust School improvement strategies are embedded in senior leaders and the emerging middle leadership team. This is securing the future of the Trust and provides highly effective succession planning. The Trust has a clear succession plan The Trust develops a Trust wide commitment to shaping the educational future; locally, regionally and nationally through an The Trust knows there are posts in the organisation that require a succession plan. We have not yet grown enough capacity from within the organisation to address this. The Trust would rely on external support to provide additional capacity; e.g. financial support. All academies in the Trust continue to participate in local and national networks. Learning is shared and distributed locally, leading to partnership improvement. The Trust has employed staff from partnership schools to work across the Partnership at least part time. This includes a part-time Finance Director and project lead support in specific areas. Each senior leader has taken on a partnership role within the Trust linked to a key priority. The Trust has developed partnerships with external groups beyond the immediate academies and networks. These partnerships enable the Trust to be better Leaders work across Trust schools to ensure MAT wide consistency. Trustees complete a succession planning review to ensure other required posts are identified and budgeted for, to ensure maximum effectiveness. The Trust and academies play a key role in wider system leadership through membership of review groups, Teaching School Alliances, supporting other The Trust has a growth infrastructure that ensures a range of MAT functions are completed by a dedicated team. This includes: financial leadership; project management of planned growth; project management of MAT communication. The MAT also has a succession plan that ensures leadership growth and appointments of other key school improvement leadership roles; e.g. Deputy CEO. The trust has a Teaching School Alliance, NLEs, NLGs and SLEs who provide support across the Trust, but also to schools beyond the Trust. Page 22

23 extensive range of networks beyond the MAT connected to regional and national networks that benefit pupils and staff. The evidence of this impact is systematically shared across academies, LGBs and at Trust level. schools, leading and participating in local partnerships and sharing expertise widely. The Trust learns from and contributes to the practice of other MATs in its region. The Trust is a key part of the regional system leadership capacity to improve standards for all, working to support and challenge new and experienced MATs. Page 23