INTRODUCTION - OUR HISTORY
In 2024 the Sidney Stringer Multi Academy Trust will become 10 years old and we launch into a new decade.
With any organisation, we must understand our History; who was Sidney Stringer and how did an Educational Trust get named after him?
Established in 2010 Sidney Stringer Academy, previously known as Sidney Stringer School, was opened in 1972 as the first urban community school in England. The school was rated as Ofsted Good and was rebuilt on the same site, following a fire in September 2007. It formed part of the city’s Swanswell Regeneration Initiative in Hillfields. As part of the consultant, over 80% demanded the name of the school remained the same school due to the importance of Sidney Stringer in the City. £29 million was invested and the new Academy opened in June 2011, in award-winning buildings.
After 3 years of opening the Academy, Ofsted visited and the Academy achieved an Outstanding judgement. Following this in January 2014 the Sidney Stringer Multi Academy Trust was formed. Two schools initially joined Ernesford Grange Community Secondary School and Radford Primary.
The Trust now provides an education for over 3500 children in five schools, soon to be six, through all stages, ages, and settings: there are currently two secondary schools, two primary schools (one a Free School), a Broad Spectrum Special school and, soon to join, a Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) special school.
The Trust is diverse and teaches the full range of children with different abilities, needs, and demographics. There is every type of learning in our Trust and consequently, every type of member of staff, meaning our in-house CPD and across Trust support is a key strength.
We pride ourselves on being an Inclusive Trust and this runs through everything we do and all the decisions we make. Our moral purpose is to ensure that every child reaches their full potential and we achieve this through a collective responsibility.
“We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunities and power in our society” -
Nelson Mandela
Our vision statement, which was established over a decade ago, remains as prevalent today as it was when the original Directors and CEO and founder of the Trust, Ms Tomes, wrote it.
“Working together to achieve excellence”
Through our first decade as a Trust, we have taken schools from Special Measures, Serious Weakness, Double RI to Good and Outstanding. We have built our own Outstanding Free School and led the Local Authority SEMH special school to achieve a Good Ofsted following an inadequate judgement. Alongside all of this, we have led the Coventry SCITT from its inception in 2016 to an Ofsted Outstanding provider in March 2024.
Our Strategy now will build on the success of our first 10 years and our main objective is for us to have an even greater and even more sustainable impact on the system. We must ensure education is sustainable, whether it is environmental sustainability, financial sustainability, or staffing sustainability through recruiting, and retaining the very best professionals in our schools, or ensuring the children are ready for their future ahead of them.
Our mission is quite simple:
“To provide a first-class education, to all children no matter what their starting point, so that they achieve the very best educational outcomes and develop into responsible, respectful, and active adults who can play their part and become actively involved in public life as adults”.
“We are incredibly proud of each of our schools, each bringing something unique and special to our inclusivefamily.”-ClaireTurpin,CEO
Claire Turpin - CEO. Julie Sullivan - Chair of Directors, Sidney Stringer Trust.
What does the Stringer Trust
As our name suggests we are a Coventry Trust for Coventry chil dren. Sidney Stringer School was named after the leader Alderman Sidney Stringer, the Mayor and the leader of the Labour majority in Coventry City Council from 1938-67 who dedicated himself to rebuilding the city after the devastation of the Second World War.
The Sidney Stringer Trust was named after him due to the founder school being name after Sidney Stringer in 1972 when it opened; everything Coventry stood for, and valued, when Sidney Stringer led the city is still reflected in all the Sidney Stringer Trust schools.
This is a very exciting time for our MAT. We are constantly looking at how we can work together for benefit of all the children in our schools.
WeareareproudofwhoSidneyStringerwas,what hestoodforandhowheledthecity.OurTrust valuesarethereforethesameastheCoventry values. These value are:
Community
The spirit of community is at the heart of Coventry’s identity. Its residents are known for their strong sense of belonging, their willingness to support one another, and their pride in their city.
Our schools in the Trust are from across the city and they all have a great sense of community. We are proud of our schools, and there is a strong sense of unity and support among all our staff and students. We are committed to making a positive impact on our communities and inspiring our students to become active and engaged citizens.
To summarise The Sidney Stringer Trust embodies the values of resilience, diversity, progress, and community, reflecting the same aspects, spirit, and character of Coventry. We are committed to nurturing these values in our students, preparing them to become well-rounded, responsible, and contributing members of society.
Resilience
Coventry has faced its share of challenges, from the devastation of the Second World War to economic downturns and industrial decline. However, through it all, the city has demonstrated remarkable resilience, rising from the ashes to rebuild and reinvent itself.
Sidney Stringer Academy rose from the ashes of a fire, demonstrating great resilience and reinventing itself as an academy to then become the lead school in the Sidney Stringer Multi Academy Trust.
Diversity Progress
Coventry is a melting pot of cultures, traditions, and ethnicities. Its population represents a diverse range of backgrounds, nationalities, and perspectives. This diversity is a source of strength, enriching the city’s cultural life and fostering a spirit of tolerance and understanding. The schools in our Trust embody diversity, embracing and celebrating the many nationalities, differences, and cultures that make up our community. We foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, promoting understanding and respect among our students and staff.
Coventry is a city that constantly strives for improvement, embracing innovation and forward-thinking. Its architectural heritage stands as a testament to the city’s past, while its forward-thinking approach to development ensures a bright future. Coventry is committed to economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equality, constantly seeking ways to better the lives of its residents.
The Sidney Stringer Trust never wants to stand still; we are always looking for new ways to improve and progress. We embrace innovation and forward-thinking approaches to education, ensuring that our students are well-equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.
THE SIDNEY STRINGER TRUST
The Coventry Skyline has been specifically used to represent our students looking out over the city of Coventry, and beyond, and aspiring to meet their personal and academic potential.
Our students are Determined, Respectful, Kind, Caring, and Creative and although each school has its own individual set of values these are the ones that are common and important in all our schools.
HOW WE DO THINGS:
OUR
AIMS become lifelong learners.
1. Ensuring that all staff and Governors, that work within the Trust, have a passion for supporting all students in getting the best outcomes no matter what their starting point.
2. Having a commitment to inclusion, overcoming disadvantaged backgrounds and tackling social injustice so that all students have the highest aspirations for their education and future careers so they
3. Supporting the emotional health and well-being of all members of the Trust.
4. Ensuring all of our staff receive high-quality training including identifying and developing leadership potential as well as training future teachers through the SCITT.
OUR VISION
Working together to achieve excellence.
OUR MISSION
To provide a first-class education, to all children no matter what their starting point, so that they achieve the very best educational outcome.
OUR VALUES
These align with the Coventry Values: Resilence Diversity Progress Community
5. Providing an environment where everybody behaves with respect, integrity and care for the environment.
AtSidneyStringer,wefocuson academicexcellence,inclusivity,anddevelopingresponsible citizens - ClaireTurpin,CEO
OUR FAMILY:
“Working together to achieve excellence”
OUR FAMILY: THE SIDNEY STRINGER TRUST
Riverbank Academy:
Riverbank Academy is a special needs school that caters to students with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities, providing tailored education and support to help each student achieve their full potential. The school emphasises a personalised approach to learning.
Sidney Stringer Academy:
Sidney Stringer Academy is known for fostering a diverse, inclusive learning environment. The academy offers a broad curriculum alongside various extracurricular activities, aiming to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for success in further education and beyond.
Radford Primary Academy:
Radford Primary Academy serves children from early years through to Year 6. The academy is dedicated to providing a supportive and stimulating learning environment which fosters child development.
Ernesford Grange Community Academy:
Ernesford Grange Community Academy serves a diverse student population, providing a broad curriculum designed to support academic achievement and personal development. The academy emphasises community involvement, aiming to prepare students for future success through a strong focus on both education and character-building activities.
Sidney Stringer Primary:
Sidney Stringer Primary provides a nurturing and inclusive environment for young children, focusing on both academic excellence and personal development. A broad curriculum aims to equip students with the skills and confidence needed for their educational journey.
Our Trust is very diverse; we teach every type ofchildintheeducationsystemwhichmeans we have staff skilled to meet the needs of its learners. This makes staff development very rich. - Anna Ford- Associate Headteacher
SPIRE 1: HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS
Collaboration Achievement Inclusivity
In a school’s journey to being high performing, we need to assess the stage it is at in its development using Sir David Carter’s Four-stage improvement model. This focuses on the Stage of the school improvement journey and the Key leadership qualities required:
Once we have assessed the stage a school is at then a bespoke programme of support will be developed by the CEO and the MAT Quality of Education Leader in conjunction with the MAT Headteachers. All schools will be expected to contribute to school improvement.
COLLABORATION
To have the greatest impact we must use the resources from across our Trust. We will collaborate and share good practice through these accountability groups:
MAT Safeguarding.
MAT Teaching and Learning/ Quality of Education.
• MAT Leadership.
MAT Inclusion.
MAT Sustainability.
INSET days and disaggregated INSET time.
Joint curriculum planning time.
Ad Hoc meetings with key stakeholders ie Attendance Leaders, cross-school leadership teams.
Where a strategy works better we will align policies and practice, and where something works well, in one school, we will not force them to change if they can demonstrate it is having a positive impact- The nonnegotiables for alignment are:
Human Resources policies.
Working terms and conditions
To have the same standard of curriculum and in most cases the same curriculum.
Endpoint Assessment at each key stage.
Shared Key Performance Indicators.
Where one policy is required across the organisation we will develop the policy in partnership with all the stakeholders.
STAGE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT KEY LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
1: Stabilise
• School requires significant improvement.
• No clear underpinning for the future.
2: Repair
• Establishing more control.
• Reactive decision-making.
• Make the school feel more like a regular school.
Phase 3: Improve
• More proactive leadership.
• Embedding strategies.
• Improving outcomes.
Phase 4: Sustain
• Confidence in performance.
• Increase innovation in delivery.
• Calm and reassuring leadership.
• Focusing on urgent priorities.
• Ensuring team members have the right jobs.
• High visibility Phase.
• Embedding early improvements.
• Building a medium-term plan.
• Retaining visibility, but increasing focus on quality assurance.
• Monitoring and tracking performance is key.
• Shifting from management to leadership.
• Increasing benefits from collaboration.
• Securing excellence.
• Looking to lead collaboration.
• Increasing focus on 3-5 year planning.
ACHIEVEMENT
We strive for all our schools and the Trust as a whole to get the very best educational outcomes for the children we serve.
We aim for our mainstream schools to be above Coventy and National averages for Key Stage 2, Key Stage 4 and 5 measures. Where students do not attend a mainstream school we still expect those students who can acheive, to achieve in Key Stage 2 SATs, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 examinations and qualifications.
We expect no NEETs, in any of our schools, so that all learners have a positive destination.
Ultimately we want all our learners to be able to leave our schools and add back to society. Therefore developing students civic responsibility is key to what we do everyday. We aim to provide a leadership opportunity for all students within the Trust, whether this be through Tutor, House, Sport captain, Student council, Student Leadership Teams, Prefect, Head Student, Librarain or supporting a project such as Eco Club. We want all students to understand how to contribute to society.
DeniseBurrows,Headteachcher
INCLUSIVITY
“We Meet the Needs of all our Students Through Inclusive Practice.”
“We share expertise to ensure inclusive, high-quality teaching, with diversity, equality, and inclusivity at our core.” - Claire Turpin,CEO
DEVELOPING SEND PRACTICES
With every type of learner in our Trust, we consequently have every type of teacher and support member of staff. This means there are great opportunities to share expertise across the schools and ensure we meet the needs of all our students through inclusive practice.
We are committed to continually developing the SEND practice in all our schools; using the extensive skills and knowledge in our two special schools within our Trust and the expertise in our mainstream settings. We will do this through:
Shared CPD and INSET.
Using experts from across the Trust to support each other.
• Develop our SENDCos so they can set the strategic direction and provide specialist guidance to the wider workforce.
Develop our wave one high-quality teaching. Building our own SEND Central Services to include our own Educational Psychologist, Counsellors, Speech and Language Therapist, Dyslexia assessors. Develop our mainstream provision so when students are struggling to access mainstream there is an appropriate Alternative Provision.
“For all our schools to be at least good and the majority of the schoolstobeOutstanding”.
Ensuring behaviour and attendance is not impacting negatively on student progress by working together to find solutions to poor attendance or behaviour .
All schools to celebrate Inclusivity, Equality and Diversity.
• Be a leading Trust for Trauma-informed teaching.
OUR SCHOOL AIMS FOR 2027:
By 2027, we aspire to create a Trust where every student thrives in an environment that consistently delivers excellence. Our focus is on raising educational standards across all schools, fostering a culture of engagement, and ensuring that every learner achieves their full potential. Through a strong commitment to both academic and personal development, we aim to set a new benchmark in student success and well-being. With a forwardthinking approach to inclusivity and leadership, we are dedicated to shaping schools that not only meet but exceed expectations, preparing students for bright futures. Our aims for 2027 are:
• All our schools to be at least good and the majority of the schools to be Outstanding in all sub-areas of the Ofsted report.
• For all our schools to have attendance over the national average and the majority of the schools to be significantly above average.
• For all our schools to have positive Progress 8 or value added and attainment to be above the national average and the majority of the schools to be significantly above average
• Exclusions and suspensions are below the national average and the majority of the schools are significantly below average.
• Every school to have a strong Rewards policy that has an evidential impact on engagement.
• No NEETs across the Trust and all students to be successfully prepared for the next stage of their lives through effective transition and careers education.
• Post 16 destinations strong with a significant number of students progressing to University or Apprenticeships.
• Every school to have a thorough enrichment programme that enhances the learning and cultural capital experiences
• Every school to have strong a structure for Student Leadership opportunities.
• The Trust to have MAT Inclusion Lead who developed our SEND Central Services .
• The Trust to have established a MAT Alternative Provision for students who find it difficult to successfully access mainstream education.
• The Trust to be a leading organisation for Trauma-informed practice.
SPIRE 2: INVESTORS IN OUR PEOPLE
Highly Trained Workforce Healthy People Strong Governance
To be an effective Trust we must invest in our people. These are the children that attend and the adults that work for us. We must value them, invest in them and help them to become the best they can be. Our children now rely on our staff to help them develop and our future children rely on our current children. We must ensure that all students who leave our Trust are ready for the world that awaits them.
WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR LEARNERS
To be happy and healthy children who enjoy school.
To be confident and ambitious learners who thrive.
To develop leadership skills through a range of activities ie student council, sport, trips, theatre/music performances, enrichment.
To have excellent attendance and behaviour.
To successfully progress to the next stage in life.
WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR STAFF
To be lifelong learners where CPD is integral to their daily work.
For appraisal not to be about pay but to be about developing them as staff.
To develop the next set of leaders but also value those who want to stay in the classroom.
To use internal and external CPD to enhance development ie in-house secondment and NPQs.
To develop all staff ie those who are in the SCITT, an ECT or new to the Trust through to our Senior Leaders and beyond.
INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE
“We Meet the Needs of all our Students Through Inclusive Practice.”
“OurTrustthrivesbyinvestingin
ourstudentsandstaff,ensuring allarepreparedforthefuture ahead.”-David Lisowski, Headteacher
WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR GOVERNERS
To be well-trained in Governance.
To be well informed about all of our schools through KPI/ high-quality information and to visit regularly to triangulate.
To have a diverse set of skills to enhance the development of the Trust.
To have a relevant and purposeful scheme of delegation
To be led effectively by Governance Professional.
To continually review structures, meeting schedules and accountability committees.
To succession plan.
As a Trust, our commitment is to create an environment where both students and staff have the resources and support they need to flourish. By fostering growth and providing opportunities, we empower our educators to inspire and our students to achieve. The success of future generations depends on the foundation we build today, ensuring that every student leaves our Trust confident, capable, and ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead.
A FOCUS ON THREE FOUNDATIONS
A Fresh Approach as we approach our Second Decade.
HEALTHY PEOPLE
To ensure we have healthy happy people we will:
Support students and staff to have excellent attendance
Promote a healthy Work-Life Balance through flexible and agile working.
Utilise the well-being committee (staff and students) in each school to ensure we have happy people
Offer an attractive MAT benefits package for our colleagues to support them in their well-being including OH, counselling, flexible working
Ensure all schools have a Workload reduction plan
Develop the use of new technologies to support the reduction of workload ie through shared planning, shared assessment, and using of AI to, for example, collate and interpret data.
HIGHLY TRAINED WORKFORCE
To enable our workforce to be effective we will:
Invest in our staff by delivering a career pathway program with clear progression routes for all groups of staff, providing everyone with outstanding training opportunities to support our mission to achieve excellence for all.
• Actively encourage and support staff to complete externally accredited qualifications e.g. National Professional Qualifications, apprenticeships, further qualifications.
• Implement a fully comprehensive CPD program available to all groups of staff within individual schools and across the Trust to recruit and retain the very best aspiring and existing leaders.
• Regularly audit and track professional development opportunities to ensure all staff have equal opportunities to develop and contribute to our highly trained workforce.
Use the Apprenticeships levy effectively to support staff development at all levels. Ensure CPD and INSET is personalised to the needs of the schools and staff within the schools.
Use appraisal to enhance staff performance and not as a mechanism for pay.
“For all our schools to be at least good and the majority of the schoolstobeOutstanding”.
“We
invest in our staff with clear career pathways and tailored development to support excellence for all.”
- Emma McannHeadteacher
STRONG GOVERNANCE
Ensure the Trust adopts the 5 Pillars in the Trust Quality Descriptors
• High-Quality and Inclusive Education School Improvement
Workforce
• Finance and Operations
Governance and Leadership
Ensure a culture of ethical leadership following the 7 Nolan principles of public life Honesty, Openness, Accountability, Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Leadership
Ensure Governors are well-trained and kept fully up to date with educational issues, initiatives and news
Ensure meetings are productive and wellminuted
Regularly use external scrutiny such as the NGA to review our Governance
• Use 360 reviews to inform the Chair of areas to focus on
Regularly review skills of the Board and LGBs Talent spot potential Directors from the LGBs
• Use the NGA, Governor Hub, The Keys Governance to support training Act in accordance with the Charitable Trust objectives
Ensure the Trust budget with the Trust vision
Effectively work with LGBs to engage communities which is informed by local need
Ensure all stakeholders’ views are gathered and listened to.
EMPOWERING OUR WORKFORCE PROMOTING WELL-BEING: GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE:
Invest in staff development through career pathways, comprehensive CPD, and effective use of the Apprenticeships levy, ensuring equal opportunities for growth.
Foster healthy work-life balance, flexible working, and a well-being committee in each school, with workload reduction and well-being support for all.
Uphold ethical leadership, provide governor training, and ensure transparency through external reviews and community engagement.
OUR INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE AIMS BY 2027:
We are dedicated to creating a supportive and dynamic environment that prioritises professional growth, well-being, and innovation within our Trust. By enhancing staff development through tailored programs, improving recruitment and retention strategies, and promoting flexible working practices, we aim to build a thriving workforce. Our commitment to reducing workload, fostering well-being, and offering comprehensive staff benefits ensures that we continue to attract and retain the best talent, while also preparing the next generation of outstanding educators and leaders. Our aim by 2027 is:
• Ensure an effective appraisal system that fully enhances performance.
• Prepare the next generation of effective teachers through our SCITT.
• Ensure the SCITT remains financially viable and Outstanding
• Develop an ECT programme that enables teachers to become successful teachers.
• Ensure that staff development is effectively supported by the Apprenticeship levy.
• Ensure the Trust is effective at recruiting and retaining staff.
• Develop a culture of flexible and agile working.
• Reduce workload and improve well-being.
• Develop the staff benefits to include salary sacrifice schemes such as cycle to work and medical health insurance.
• Further, develop the voice of all stakeholders in order to ensure areas for development are identified.
• Improve the attendance of students and staff access the Trust.
• Succession plan to ensure strength and stability in the board of Directors.
“We prioritise
staff
growth, well-being, and innovation to build a thriving workforce and attracttoptalent.”-ClaireTurpin,CEO
SPIRE 3: SUSTAINABILITY
Enviromental Financial System
To be sustainable and lead our young people into the next generation we need to ensure we look after our environment, spend our money responsibly and that we work collectively to ensure the education system is fit for purpose for years to come.
ENVIROMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
We aim to ensure that all of our staff and students consider their impact on the environment through all actions that they undertake. We aim to become a carbon-neutral Trust and be recognised as one of the most sustainable in the country. The areas we will focus on are:
Energy and water sustainability
• Lower the impact of food and catering
• Reduce our waste and recycle
• Encourage biodiversity
• Reduce paper use
• Sustainability in the curriculum
ENSURING FINANCIAL STABILITY
“Maximizing value, investing wisely, and ensuring every penny benefits our schools today and tomorrow.”
“Wefocusonspendingwiselyfor
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
We aim to ensure that we spend our annual money on the children who are in schools at that time but at the same time we will invest our funds, ensure we are getting best value for money, and we will use our assets to maximise income. The areas we will focus on are:
Using Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning tools to benchmark our staffing levels and class sizes against similar trust.
Review our staffing structures to ensure we have accurately assessed our base establishment needs and all schools structures are comparable.
Review all job descriptions so everyone is clear what their role is within the organisation.
Consolidate our banks accounts into one account and maximise the interest from this account and reduce workload
“For all our schools to be at least good and the majority of the schoolstobeOutstanding”.
“We strive for a carbon-neutral Trust, encouraging staff and students
prioritize sustainability
in all their
to
actions.” -ClaireTurpin,CEO
currentstudentswhileinvesting fundsandmaximisngincome from our assets.”Denise
Review all our contracts and ensure we are getting best value for money.
Burrows, Headteacher
SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY
Develop a centralised Finance team that works efficiently and budget holders have a clear understanding of their role.
With the world around us changing and it being very different to what it was when the Trust was first formed we need to be mindful of the challenges that lay ahead. We need to foresee these challenges and mitigate them so the education system is sustainable. We will:
• Embrace new technologies and remote learning.
• Attract the very best people into schools by embracing the challenge of a healthy work-life-balance and hybrid working lives.
• Share our expertise outside the Trust though networks, collaborations and contributing to quality assurance such as Ofsted.
• Encourage other schools to join our Trust so we can further influence the education of more children
• build our relationship with the DfE, Regional Director and Local Authority so they can rely on us to support when they need us or we need them.
• Build the Trust reputation as a leading schools in SEND, Inclusivity and Trauma informed practice.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY AIMS BY 2027:
By 2027, we aim for our Trust to achieve long-term sustainability, focusing on responsible resource management, financial strength, and environmental stewardship. Our vision includes reducing waste, promoting green initiatives, and ensuring efficient use of funds across all schools. Through strategic planning and effective implementation, we are committed to creating a sustainable future for both our schools and the environment. Our aim by 2027 is for our Trust to be sustainable, and for:
• Energy and waste to be effectively monitored through dashboard so we can measure the impact of our strategy.
• Food waste to be composed and plastic use to decrease by 50%.
• Wilding land to increase within the Trust
• Printing to be reduced by 25%.
• A thorough review of the curriculum to ensure full coverage at all key stages of environmental sustaninability.
• A carpooling scheme implemented and EV salary sacrifice scheme in place with relevant infrastructure in each school carpark.
• All schools to be in a financially strong position and Trust reverse to be set at 6-7% of annual income.
• ICFP used effectively across the Trust to benchmark us against other schools nationally to ensure good value for money.
• All contracts to have been reviewed and best options are always chosen through a thorough tendering process.
• Lettings to add at least £200k to annual revenue.
• The Trust to have expanded to at least 8 schools.
• Staff recruitment and retention is one of the best in the city and nationally.
“By 2027, we aim for our Trust to be sustainable through responsible resource management, financial strength, and environmental stewardship.”-Anna Ford, Headteacher
NEW TECHNOLOGIES:
The Bedrock which our foundations and Spires are built on:
Imagine a learning environment where every teacher, student and leader regardless of location, has instant access to the tools, resources, data and information that they need. This vision becomes a reality with the Multi Academy Trust’s (MAT) IT strategy.
Built on the foundation of Google Workspace, the MAT fosters a seamless, cloud-based ecosystem. This centralizes collaboration, ensuring everyone can access the same information and files. Consistency reigns supreme, with a uniform Management Information System, Cloud Workspace platform, Cloud Telephony System, and a clear, centralized IT roadmap.
Empowering educators is at the heart of this strategy. The IT roadmap prioritises instant access for all users thanks to a “cloud-first” approach. This means resources for teaching, learning, and administration are readily available 24/7, from any device. The MAT is also moving towards low-powered, portable devices, promoting sustainability and minimizing energy consumption.
Leveraging the power of AI, the MAT is exploring automated assessments and data analysis to reduce educator workload. Additionally, business intelligence integration provides teachers and leaders with instant, actionable data.
Sustainability is driven by technology, with real-time data guiding a data-driven approach. This enables progress tracking, accountability, and continuous improvement in energy efficiency and resource management.
Overall, this forward-thinking IT strategy positions the MAT for success. By prioritizing collaboration, accessibility, and data-driven decision-making, the MAT empowers educators and fosters a thriving learning environment for all.
HOW WILL WE MONITOR AND EVALUATE OUR PROGRESS?
We will measure our progress of this strategy by using both qualitative (eg staff, student and parent surveys and feedback) and quantitative data (e.g. student progress data, education standards ie Ofsted and Quality Assurance Reports). We will report through an agreed set of Key Performance Indicators, KPIs, on a termly basis to Directors through the Directors Standards meetings which will be in January, April, and Sept. We will also report on progress in each of the Spires on a termly basis at the end of each term.
The Strategic plan will also form the basis upon which schools develop their own school improvement plans and progress towards these will be reported through the Local Governing Body and fed back to the Trust Board through the Chairs of these committees.
