Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust Strategic Plan 2026
Strategic Plan
September 2024 – August 2027
Our Trust: Learning for everyone
I
am pleased to present this Strategic Plan for the Trust that sets out our ambitions for the three years to 2027.
As we enter our tenth year, the Trust has grown and developed immeasurably, rising to many challenges and having much to celebrate. During the time of this Strategy, by summer 2027, we will see some students complete key stage 4 as our first students who have been wholly educated in Yorkshire Causeway schools – an experience which we hope will have provided them not only with a rich education but also great friendships and many good memories. We remain an organisation that is about people, about values and service to our students, giving them the very best that we can to set them up for rich and fulfilling lives. We continue to do this through our focus on relationships with students, with each other and with those around us as we work together to deliver education that is ambitious in its broadest sense.
Consciously much of our focus in this strategy is on our staff, on how we can provide the best conditions and opportunities for them to flourish professionally and personally. We are clear that this is important as it is the foundation of what we can achieve with students. Our staff are the people that can change lives.
Whatever your interest in this Strategy, thank you for reading it, and for the part that you might play in delivering our ambitions.
A. Glover
Alison Glover Chair of Trustees
For surely, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Introduction
As we move into the tenth year of the Trust it is a great time to celebrate how much has been achieved, and the positive impact that this has had on the lives of so many students. We know the importance of the breadth of outcomes that they leave us with academically, morally and spiritually. The skills for learning, the subject knowledge and just as importantly the friendships, confidence gained from trips, travel and performances, the tools we have supported them to develop to cope when things get tough, and not all learned in the classroom.
Our previous Strategy, “Strong and Strengthening” served us at a time when we strove to re-group in a number of ways at school and trust level following the events of 2020 to 2022. At its inception it was informed by the notion of the Trust moving into “chapter 2” where we sought to identify and draw from the benefit of working collaboratively across the organisation and investment in the central Trust team was made with the purpose of reducing operational workload in schools and developing quality and assurances. I am grateful that this renewal of emphasis has been recognised internally and externally as continuing to develop the Trust as a strong, credible and high-quality organisation.
It is also a time to think about what more we would like and need to do and for me, how we can further develop the benefit that our schools can draw from being part of Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust as part of the wider education community.
Formally set out, the purpose of a multi academy trust is to “advance education for the public benefit”, that is, to deliver school improvement and therefore continuously improve education standards in the context of communities. Education will always be subject to the ebbs and flows of politics, changing demographics, approaches to inspection, emerging research and approaches and so much more, but fundamentally, we achieve continuous improvement by being a passionate and committed learning community.
One that exists to support children and young people to learn and prepare for their adult life. Yet also one in which all of us adults need to grow and develop, to recognise the challenges and conundrums that we are facing and think hard about how we might address them, who or what can help us do this and then to celebrate when we emerge having been able to take something from the experience. So much commonality.
It is with this in mind that this Strategy has been developed
Our Trust: learning for everyone:
Ambition for our staff
Ambition for our students
Ambition for our
communities
Ambition for our Trust
Jane Goodwin Chief Executive Autumn 2024
Our underpinning ‘Ambition,
learning and enrichment for all.’
Where everyone is valued and respected, where we share commitment to education that is ambitious, setting the highest expectations and where integrity is the foundation
The alignment of values across our mix of Church of England and community schools is a key part of what makes this Trust a strong organisation. Trustees remain committed to the importance of a mix of schools and to how we develop and support our students through the activities of the Trust centrally and through our working collaboratively within and across schools.
The Parable of the Good Shepherd (John 10, 11-16 (NRSV)) reflects beautifully the ethos of our Trust in the context of our purpose and vision:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
This complements the concept shared at a recent all-staff conference that “a good trust needs to be there for its children and staff in three ways: in front to protect, alongside to support, and far behind when praise comes” 1
1 Extract from Wayne Norrie, Chief Executive, Greenwood Academies Trust: Leading Academy Trusts; David Carter, Laura McInerney; 2020
Our commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging
“School communities that are characterised by a sense of belonging are places where we can flourish together... A vision for education centred on dignity and respect enables flourishing children to learn from and grow alongside others who are different from themselves in good schools which celebrate equity, diversity, belonging, inclusion and justice at every opportunity.”
(Our Hope for a Flourishing Schools System)
Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust is an organisation in which everyone is valued and respected... All students are known, supported and challenged appropriately... There are high expectations of all students, regardless of starting points or situation... Decisions are taken thoughtfully, without discrimination and using the best evidence... Time is given to listening and understanding the views of others in constructive conversations.
• being open about our EDI targets and achievements
• providing training and development relating to EDI for all our employees, governors and trustees
• enabling pupils to learn about people different from themselves, including learning about the protected characteristics
• exposing pupils to positive role models that reflect a diverse society
• listening to different voices and perspectives, including the views of those who may not feel included in our school community
• continuously reviewing whether we are meeting the needs of all our community using inclusive recruitment practices
• using language that is clear, accessible and concise in our communications
1,826
Primary school students
103 Governance colleagues
653 Staff headcount, 361 full time equivalent
Our Trustees and board structure
Jon Davis Accountancy partner
Andrew Marson Chief Operating Officer in pensions administration (EDI and belonging lead)
Rachel Flower Qualified lawyer, mediator, business coach and consultant. Champion of equality and diversity
Alison Glover, Chair MA Counselling student; lawyer (Safeguarding lead)
Chris Beaumont External examiner; National Trust volunteer; former senior lecturer/ Head of Computing in higher education
Vicky Iley Finance manager (tax specialist)
Chris Parkhouse Leadership coach, primary headteacher and teacher
Madeline Hoskin Organisational change and people engagement specialist; Local Authority Assistant Director for Technology
Paul Haslam Executive coach, councillor (Bilton and Nidd Gorge, climate change champion)
Jane Goodwin Chief Executive, Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust; former HR advisory partner in schools, NHS business manager (workforce development)
The Trustees form the Trust Board which interacts with the wider organisation in the following way:
Our strategic priorities
Ambition for our staff
The adults who lead and support the ambition, education and development of our students are the main strength of our organisation and are fundamental to what they can achieve.
We make the following commitments to our staff:
1. Based on Trust and school values, continue to develop the organisation as a positive, welcoming and respectful place to work.
We will:
• further understand and develop a sense of belonging in the context of the Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter;
• develop the profile of the Trust as being a good employer;
• continue to develop our culture and “agency with assurance” approach;
• strengthen how we ensure that we recruit the very best people and focus on what is important to them in order that we retain the very best talent;
• strive to continuously develop our communications with staff, both hearing staff voice, and sharing relevant and helpful information at school and Trust levels.
2. Provide and invest in development opportunities that are accessible and impactful for staff in the classroom and other roles, sitting within a framework where every member of staff knows how they are getting on and can plan ongoing improvement of themselves and others as part of the wider learning community.
We will:
• continue to extend our professional learning offer, platforms, learning communities and partnerships to make available the best evidence-based support and development we can from induction onwards;
• determine and implement our approach to leadership development;
• further refine our mechanisms for development and review conversations so that the strengthening of our organisation is built on the developing strength of our staff;
• as the Trust grows, secure wider opportunities for career pathways and role enrichment where staff can be developed both within and beyond their role, and succession and career plans are deliberately supported.
3. We value the commitment our staff make to the Trust and will support their wellbeing. We will:
• support colleagues with management of the behaviours of students, through listening to and acting on your feedback, having clear approaches and defined support;
• help people achieve a work-life balance that is effective for them, through minimising workload and reviewing working policies and practices;
• in the context of our values and culture, continue to secure opportunities to support wellbeing.
Ambition for our students
We have high expectations for our students, supporting them to achieve both academically and as individuals through a rich and ambitious curriculum, underpinned by an agile and comprehensive system of school improvement. We make the following commitments to our students:
1. Learning will be ambitious, facilitated by the Trust’s approach to school improvement being informed by an evaluation of observable features across a number of indicators and stages.
We will:
• underpin our work by research and effective practices;
• further develop and refine our school improvement model as part of the Trust’s commitment to our “agency with assurance” approach for staff;
• support all schools to be places where students can flourish supported by our approaches to inclusion and wellbeing;
• work with partners to continue to have ambition and a solution-focussed approach for all of our students, including those who need more or different because of social, emotional, medical or other factors, so that all students can experience the same sense of belonging as the foundation of their learning.
2. Teachers and other staff will be the best they can be by extending capacity for school improvement.
We will:
• further develop our professional learning offer;
• develop a Causeway Careers model which helps staff plan their professional future in their current or a wider role;
• identify and deploy a team of school improvement talent and interest including - leadership (school and trust)
- central team
- school-based staff with trust-wide roles
- staff in schools
3. Our communities will be supported by collaborative working as an essential component of effective school improvement in this Trust.
We will:
• utilise our school improvement approach to support wider system in helping other schools to improve, through informal and formal arrangements.
Ambition for our communities
Education is one of the key civic partners in our communities. At schools within the Trust much already takes place which adds value to communities and we are committed to making this a planned deliverable and expectation for the Trust, fitting with our formal purpose of delivering “education for the public benefit”.
We make the following commitments to our local and education communities:
1. We will further develop our ways of listening to our stakeholders and taking action on what we hear.
We will:
• undertake planned and cumulative surveys of students, parents/carers and staff which will help us understand views, progress made and what we need to do next;
• build what we hear into our strategic and operational plans;
• communicate to our stakeholders about what we are doing and how it is going.
2. Maximise our opportunities to have an impact on our local communities.
We will:
• continue to commit to, and where possible extend, school sites being key parts of their local communities;
• develop and maintain our buildings and sites in a way that both serves the needs of the students in our communities and upholds high standards.
3. Maintain and further develop our civic connections and partnerships
We will:
• continue to develop our networks locally, regionally and beyond with civic partners within and outside of the education sector to the benefit of students and staff;
• schools will continue to support students in regularly identifying and undertaking civic actions;
• the Trust and schools will seek out and welcome opportunities to engage with other professionals to share learning experiences and effective practice.
4. To be catalysts for progress in the shared response to climate change and ensuring environmental sustainability for the future.
We will:
• deliver high quality curricular input and opportunities for students to engage with and be part of the response to climate change;
• engage students as the citizens of the future in our planning of our school and Trust-level response;
• increasingly manage our estate in a way that responds to the pressures of climate change, thereby contributing to the shared response to environmental sustainability for the future.
Ambition for our Trust
Our Trust will continue to develop and strengthen in order to provide the best conditions for our students, staff and schools to flourish. Seeking to reduce operational frontline commitments so that the focus can be on students, it also needs appropriate systems of assurance in place so that we know what is effective, where we need to do things differently and how we can keep each school working efficiently, effectively and in a safe way.
We make the following commitments to the whole organisation:
1. Growth within our Trust is important as it enables us to work with more staff and students in the way that we believe is effective as well as providing additional opportunities for collaboration, funding and career development.
We will:
• increase the number of schools within the Trust, building on our commitment to a mix of community and Church of England, primary and secondary and potentially to include wider opportunities;
• develop meaningful and effective clusters that can deliver and benefit from high-quality school improvement in the context of their communities.
2. Digital technology is key to how we prepare our students for their lives ahead and how we operate efficiently and effectively.
We will:
• develop and invest in a robust digital infrastructure which underpins high quality learning and systems;
• research, plan and implement our approach to technology use in our classrooms;
• maximise the value we can draw from our technology (with Arbor and Microsoft 365 at the core) to the benefit of staff and students.
3. Resource allocation
We will:
• explore the most effective mechanisms to ensure financial and staff resources are made available to underpin delivery of our objectives, for example through maximising income and continuing to work together to balance budgets whilst investing in provision for our students.
4. Governance is a key component of our organisation.
We will:
• continue to build highly effective governance by recruiting, training and supporting members, trustees and local governors;
• continue to invest in supporting our local governance professionals, ensuring access to training and professional development.
5. Resource allocation
We will:
• develop our approaches to listening and sharing across the Trust community;
• promote the Trust and its schools to ensure that we continue to attract staff and students, so that our schools are full.
