School Improvement Offer 2023-24

Additional School Improvement Offer 2023 - 2024

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

Mark 4:1-20

Not all academies require our additional services, but we believe all should at least consider them.

We know that each academy is unique with its own culture, challenges and ambitions. Still, all are striving forward under a unified theme: great opportunities and outcomes for its students. To help academies achieve this goal, Three Spires provides a number of services, in addition to the core offer, which are tailored to the needs of the academy.

Irrespective of whether you a member, associate member or belong to another Trust, there is something in here for everyone.

What to expect Pre-Review Meeting & Self Evaluation To reflect on the nature and quality of your school’s current provision and decision making and the impact that it has on pupils

School Visit Including meeting with stakeholders, focused learning walks, observations of intervention sessions for pupils, analysis of policies and relevant documentation (where appropriate)

Written Report Providing a summary of strengths and areas for development

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What we offer Pupil Premium Audit Leadership Performance Management Professional Growth Audit Pupil Book Studies Te a c h i n g a n d L e a r n i n g A u d i t SEND Review IT Audit Single Central Record Audit Health and Safety Audit Governance Health Check Link Champion Walk-thrus

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Pupil Premium Audit Pupil Premium is an important aspect of funding in many schools and academies but with this finance comes responsibility and accountability for school leaders, managers and governors.

What we offer

At Three Spires, a Pupil Premium

What will this look like? ›

audit works with leaders to

analyse how the Pupil Premium

a pre-review meeting and self

›

a thorough review of the

Grant is spent to ensure schools

documentation, extracting key

are achieving good value for

trails for further inspection;

money.

›

1 to 2 days spent in school

parents, governors and

in which the Pupil Premium Grant

pupils;

is monitored and tracked.

›

ensure the school’s provision

promotes full usage of Pupil Premium allocation;

›

enables a holistic approach to student and stakeholder engagement.

talking with leaders, staff, The audit also evaluates the way

›

is adventurous;

evaluation

›

Benefits

analysis of findings presented in a full report

›

half day follow up review six months later*

*at an additional cost

Cost Members/ Associates: £250 Non-Trust Members: £500 4

Leadership Performance Management improvement and children’s education;​

What we offer? ›

children’s education;​

The performance of the principal or Senior Leadership Team is key to the delivery of

set objectives linked to the improvement of

›

enable the improvement of professional

outstanding leadership and management for

practice and identify the leader’s

your academy or Trust. Performance

professional development needs for the

management is the process by which your

next 12 months;​

board acknowledges the role the headteacher

›

career aspirations;​

or SLT is playing in delivering the academy’s vision and strategy, as well as being the

recognise the need to consider the leader’s

›

remain a confidential process unless the

mechanism for holding them to account for

leader decides to share objectives with a

meeting agreed objectives.

wider audience and​ ›

Benefits

will feedback to governors as necessary​

*Additional mid-year review can be completed on request

It promises to be a supportive and motivating experience where the leader in question receives specific and constructive feedback;​

the process is professional and strictly objective.

What will this look like?

›

An experienced reviewer will:​

›

reflect on the leader’s performance and how this impacts directly on school

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Cost Members/ Associates: £100 Non-Trust Members: £200 5

Professional Growth Audit If planned in the right way and built on solid guiding principles, professional growth can be a real driver of academy improvement, providing academies with a framework for translating their improvement priorities into action. It can then be tracked and measured to give a detailed picture of how you, as leaders, are progressing against your improvement targets in a timely and efficient manner.

What will this look like?

The Academy Improvement team will work with leaders to complete the following activities:​

›

pre-review meeting and self-evaluation​

›

identify professional development needs, via discussions with the principal, to ensure they make a tangible contribution to the fulfilment of a school improvement objective;​

›

review current targets ensuring they provide suitable challenge that is consistent with what should be reasonably expected of a teacher in the relevant role and at the relevant stage of their career – whether an NQT, mid-career teacher, or one who is more experienced;​

›

review and provide support with the ‘professional growth’ processes in place for support and inclusion staff;​

›

ensure ‘professional growth’ targets are SMART (specific, measurable,. achievable, realistic and timely) and consistent across the school in terms of role; career expectations and need

Benefits ›

ensure staff are suitably supported and challenged at every stage of their career stage;​

›

improves accountability;​

›

ensures all staff targets are aligned with the school’s main priorities

Cost Members/ Associates: £250 Non-Trust Members: £500 6

Pupil Book Studies What we offer?

What will this look like?

Based on Alex Bedford’s evidence-informed

The strength of Pupil Book Study is the

guide to quality assuring curriculum provision,

precise examination of talking with children

the academy improvement team at Three

and studying work in their books.​

Spires, will use the ‘pupil book study’ approach to support leaders to deconstruct the working

›

Review of the subject curriculum, including ​

components of their curriculum and teaching

›

how well the curriculum structure supports pupil learning;​

and learning provision. ​ Unlike an Ofsted ‘deep dive’, this approach

›

what knowledge is planned and taught;​

›

how effectively vocabulary is planned and instructed;​

ensures leaders are using the most powerful and appropriate proxies for learning which

›

content with pupils;​

avoid the traps of making assumptions. ›

what sorts of tasks pupils undertake;​

›

the range and reach of questions and use and impact of retrieval practice;​

Benefits › ›

the process will serve as a manual that prioritises evidence to inform curriculum

how well teachers explain and model

the types and effectiveness of feedback – how well pupils understand and respond to it.

design;​ ›

it will illuminate strengths as well as

focussing leaders to possible limitations in their curriculum;​ ›

enable the professional growth of teachers.

Cost Members/ Associates: £250 Non-Trust Members: £500 THREESPIRESTRUST.ORG

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Teaching & Learning Audit What we offer?

For an independent and objective review the

›

pre-review meeting and self-evaluation​

›

learning walks, book looks and meetings with key members of staff;​

quality of education in your school, the School Improvement team will look into every aspect

›

as part of a focus group;​

of teaching and learning. The overarching aim of a T&L audit is to be developmental,

›

a review of the current teaching and learning model;​

enhancing leadership capacity within school and building sustainable models of school

dialogue with students both in lessons and

›

a review of the homework policy/ learning

from CPD and its effectiveness on student

improvement for future success.

progress;​

Benefits

›

a high quality report which celebrates strengths and clearly identifies next steps.

›

provides an opportunity for leaders to develop systems and sharpen skills in evaluating the overall quality of T&L;​

›

provides evidence to externally moderate a school’s own self evaluation judgements and​

›

provides specific feedback at both individual and whole school level

What will this look like?

Activities completed with leaders in your school could include the following:​

Cost Members/ Associates: £250 Non-Trust Members: £500 THREESPIRESTRUST.ORG

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SEND Audit What we offer?

What will this look like?

A SEND audit looks at how your education

The SEND team will work with leaders to

setting provides for students with special

complete the following activities:​

educational needs and disabilities. In a time of austerity, when academies are having to think

›

meetings with stakeholders,​

differently about how best to meet the needs of

›

focused learning walks​

children with SEND, the audit process

›

observations of intervention sessions for pupils with SEND,​

provides an opportunity to gain a fresh perspective from an experienced SEND and Safeguarding lead. ​

›

exploring identification, monitoring and assessment processes.

The audit provides external validation of a academy’s self-evaluation and will help to develop the SEND strategy, in order to effectively support children and young people to achieve good outcomes.

Benefits ›

an opportunity for leaders to explore different approaches to raising pupil

outcomes​ ›

gain an external perspective from experienced leaders with knowledge and expertise in school leadership and SEND​

›

validate current strategies to build on their success

Cost Members/ Associates: Free Non-Trust Members: £500 *part of the core offer THREESPIRESTRUST.ORG

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IT Audit IT audits play a crucial role in the education sector by ensuring the effectiveness, security, and compliance of information technology systems and processes. These audits evaluate the infrastructure, data management, network security, software applications, and overall IT governance within educational institutions.

What will this look like?

The IT team will work with technicians in the school to complete the following activities:​

›

assess data security measures such as access controls, encryption, and backup procedures;​

›

review the institution’s connectivity, including the telephone system and internet connections;​

›

evaluate the overall system architecture, including components, network infrastructure, scalability and redundancy measure;​

›

complete a website compliance assessment, including a full DfE compliance analysis with a detailed write up regarding findings and ​

›

an evaluation of the effectiveness, readiness, and resilience of the institution’s cyber controls and disaster recovery processes.

Benefits ›

The audit will support schools to:​

›

identify areas of improvement and potential risks;​

›

ensure that technology is utilized to its fullest potential in supporting teaching, learning, and administrative functions;​

›

assess the alignment of IT systems with educational goals, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.

Cost Members/ Associates: £250 Non-Trust Members: £500 10

Single Central Record Audit What we offer?

›

relevant risk assessments in place for those members of staff appointed before 2013;​

The safeguarding lead in the Trust will complete a comprehensive ‘deep dive’ into the

›

‘right to work’ checks, as appropriate;​

Single Central Record, spending time

›

agency and third-party staff checks​

ensuring, there is a robust and up-to-date record of the relevant pre-employment checks

Discussions with the leadership team to

required to ensure safer recruitment.

discuss procedures and maintenance of the Single Central Record.

Benefits ›

ensures compliance with statutory guidance and associated legislation​

›

provides an opportunity for leaders to develop systems and sharpen rigor in this area of safeguarding;

What will this look like?

Activities completed by the lead will include the following:​

›

identity checks have been carried out and signed;​

›

an enhanced DBS check/ certificate provided;​

›

‘Prohibition from teaching’ check;​

›

Check against the Barred List;​

›

Check qualification records;​

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Cost Members:: Free Associate Members: £350 Non-Trust Members: £450 *part of the core offer 11

Health and Safety Audit Health and Safety for schools is an essential aspect of the management of schools and academies and determines how students, pupils, members of staff, and others are kept safe.

What we offer

All academies must comply with

What will this look like? ›

leaders in your school could

the Health and Safety at Work

include the following:​ ›

education sector have duties to

›

health and safety

ensure, so far as is reasonably

improvement plan for the

practicable, the health, safety,

school​

and welfare of teachers,

›

fire risk assessments ​

education staff, pupils and

›

fire safety improvement plan

students – both in the academy and during off-site visits is at the

for the school​ › ›

both safe and compliant with statutory guidance and associated legislation​ ›

leaders will receive strengths, areas for development and appropriate actions that need to be addressed.​

›

half day follow up review six months later*​

full audit of policies and procedures​

forefront of everything they do.

confidence and assurance that the school environment is

health and safety compliance audits​

regulations. Employers in the

›

Activities completed with

the legal requirements outlined in

Act 1974 and its associated

Benefits

*at an additional cost

discussions with leads in the school to discuss systems and processes

Cost Members:: Free Associate Members: £400 Non-Trust Members: £500 *part of the core offer 12

Governance Healthchecks the governance information you are

What we offer?

required to publish? ​ All governing bodies want to be sure that they

›

governance record review - review of your

are providing effective shared leadership with

minutes, training records, link governor

the management team in their schools/

visits, strategies, and action plans;​

academies. ​

›

succession planning for your chair and/or vice chair;​

To assist governors in assessing the

›

review of your skills audits;​

contribution they are making to the success of

›

Support for your clerk/Governance Professional;​

their school/ academy, this health check will review all six features of effective governance,

›

modeling chairing or clerking; ​

which are set out in the Governance

›

support with agenda setting;​

Handbook.

Benefits ›

confidence that you have met your governance publishing requirements;​

›

you will receive a written report setting out recommendations and next steps;​

›

support in readiness for due diligence or an External Review of Governance.

What will this look like?

A health check could cover the following activities; ​ ›

website compliance - have you published

Cost Associate Members: £400 Non-Trust Members: £500 THREESPIRESTRUST.ORG

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Link Governor Walk-thrus What we offer?

What will this look like?

The link governor walk-thrus are a suite of

By the end of the sessions, you will have:

workshops which provide opportunities for governors to truly understand their role as link

›

examined good practice in relation to

champions. Along with exploring and

monitoring and the protocols for arranging

unpicking key academy documentation (SEF

and conducting school visits;​

and development plans), governors will then

›

explored, through discussion, the

learn how to use this information to inform

approaches to monitoring school

subsequent monitoring visits. ​

performance undertaken by other boards;​ ›

As these are practical workshops, delegates

a ‘link governor’ walk-thru handbook, tailored to the needs of your governors.

will be asked to bring to the session copies of their board’s monitoring visits policy/ protocols as well as any other documents which may support the visits. These can be referred to and reflected upon during the workshop.

Delegates will receive an email containing guidance and instructions ahead of the session.

Benefits ›

Confidence that governors are making the best use of visits to academies;​

›

assurance the visits are well planned, focused on academy/ Trust priorities and make a positive difference;

Cost Members/ Associates: £250 Non-Trust Members: £500 THREESPIRESTRUST.ORG

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