Transform Learning Trust News Issue 1

Issue 1 • December 2020

This term’s news...

CEO Welcome Transform – Meet the Staff Transform – Meet the Trustees Park House School New Library for 2022!

Transform - New Website

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Contents

Welcome Welcome to the first edition of Transform News. This publication will be produced three times a year for staff, students parents and carers. It will celebrate what has been achieved by the Trust with a summary of the school’s achievements over the previous term, and what is planned for the term ahead.

CEO Welcome...................................2 Transform – Meet the Staff ..........3-5 Transform – Meet the Trustees .......6 Park House School New Library for 2022 .......................7 Park House School Premises improvements ...............8-9 Question time ...........................10-11 Transform – New Website .............12

This term, we held Question Time sessions with staff and with parents and carers of students in Years 7 to 10. We look forward to speaking to parents and carers of sixth formers in January. In the longer term, we will look to hold face to face meetings whenever we can, but our priority at the moment is to minimise Covid cases throughout the school and community by holding as many meetings virtually as possible.

This edition of Transform News aims to give further information on the leadership, governance and staffing of the Trust, in response to the questions raised about the Trust at each session as well as giving answers to some of the frequently asked questions on pages 10 and 11.

The building of a new extension at Park House School during 2021 and 2022 was announced at the meetings. I am pleased to be able to share artist’s impressions of the new build. Please be aware that this building is currently subject to planning approval, so plans are not yet finalised. We will keep you updated as more news becomes available.

On page 9 we celebrate some of the things that have been achieved at Park House School this term, and on page 8 we share what is planned in future. If you have any questions, or suggestions please do let me know, and if you are able to help with any of the planned improvements, I would be pleased to hear from you.

Transform Learning Trust The Stables Park House School 239 Andover Road Newbury RG14 6NQ Tel: 01635 953172 www.transformlearningtrust.org

Finally, I would like to express my thanks to the staff for their hard work and commitment during another challenging term. Thanks also to parents and students for their understanding and flexibility during a term where students were sometimes having to work at home whilst self-isolating. We are all hopeful that by the end of next term, things will begin to look more like normal. In the meantime, I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and Healthy New Year.

Laura Bromberg, Interim CEO Issue 1 TransformNews

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Meet the staff Transform Learning Trust has a small team of core staff who are based at their Newbury office – The Stables, at Park House School. Payroll services, HR services and IT services are outsourced, and a School Improvement Adviser visits each term to provide an external evaluation of our school improvement work.

Transform Learning Trust Central Services Organisa on Chart

Kim Halliwell

Finance Officer

Carrie Carter

Kim Halliwell

HR Services

Payroll Management bought in from Civica

HR Advisory Service bought in from West Berkshire

Laura Bromberg

Catherine Leather

School Improvement Advisor

Opera onal

HR/Payroll Coordinator

Payroll Services

Execu ve Trust Administrator

Claire Thompson

Strategic

Chief Finance and Opera ng Officer

Chief Execu ve Officer

Transform Schools Outreach Service

(PHS addi onal service)

Financial Services

Property Services

IT and Communica ons

School Improvement

IT Services bought in from Excalibur

Chief Executive Officer – Laura Bromberg B.Ed (Hons). M.Ed Having been a Headteacher of a Gloucestershire school for 12 years, I undertook a number of consultancy roles including training to be an OFSTED inspector, and training and assessing Head Teachers in the Headteacher’s qualification (NPQH).

From Headship, I was seconded to work for Gloucestershire Local Authority in their school improvement department, where I supported Primary, Secondary and Special schools with all aspects of school improvement. In 2011, I joined Achievement for All 3A’s as a Regional Director, where I line managed up to 70 school improvement advisers providing leadership coaching in schools across the country.

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I supported the trust last year on a secondment basis, and in September became the Interim CEO for Transform Learning Trust for four days a week.

My responsibility is for the overall success of the Trust, its back-office support, its schools and its students. I am accountable to the Board of Directors.

I can honestly say that I love my role, which I very much see as facilitating and enabling all staff to provide the very best outcomes for our children.

In my spare time, I am a Parish Councillor, Chair of the local Neighbourhood Development Planning group, and a Trustee at Endeavour Trust. My husband and I enjoy weekends away and eating out. I swim each day, and try to do a short walk each weekend at a National Trust property. This inevitably ends in the tea room!

Chief Finance and Operating Officer – Kim Halliwell, FCCA I am a qualified accountant and have worked for NonGovernment Organisations and Local Government for the last 20 years. I have a real passion for public service, both education and housing. This has included working in West Berkshire Finance Team.

In September, I was appointed for one day a week as the interim Chief Finance and Operating Officer. This role involves supporting and challenging the school on its use of public funds. I also negotiate contracts for the school and Trust to ensure that we get the best possible value. In particular this term, this has involved looking at

our cleaning and catering contracts to ensure that they can meet the increased demands that Covid has placed on us all. This role certainly keeps me busy, and I love seeing the gradual improvements in our environment and am particularly excited about the new library building.

In my spare time I am a keen jigsaw puzzler and prefer the ones with no picture as this keeps me guessing! I am up to puzzles of 2,000 pieces and looking forward to my next puzzle of some 3,000 pieces. I enjoy walking, and travelling is top of my list of things to do when I finally retire! As I come from New Zealand I will be able to spend some of my time back home with my family, but I also intend to go motor homing around Europe.

Executive Administrator – Catherine Leather B.A. (Hons)

HR & Payroll Co-ordinator – Carrie Carter

I worked for twenty years for Coutts & Co in both client facing and business support roles in London and across the South East. In 2013 I left the bank to move to the United States, with my family, for a three year secondment.

I am an experienced recruitment and sales consultant with six years’ experience working with office and trade professionals. Within my recruitment and sales role, I managed the payroll weekly for around 200 employees.

After returning to the UK I was looking for a new challenge and took on the role of local authority clerk for Hampshire Governor Services and after two years I moved to Transform Learning Trust where I am PA to the CEO alongside working for the Chair of the Trust and assisting with all governance related issues.

I started with Transform Learning Trust in September 2020 as interim HR and Payroll Co-ordinator. It is a really busy role, involving managing payroll and HR for over 150 contracts.

When I am not at work you can find me on the tennis court, or watching tennis, or any kind of televised sport!

I have exciting plans to bring together our HR and payroll systems over the next few months, to make things run more efficiently. I am loving the challenge! Prior to starting with the Trust, I used the first lockdown to learn something new and to expand my knowledge, studying for my CIPD qualification. I am due to complete this at the end of December 2020.

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Governance I would like to add my welcome to our first newsletter from the Transform Learning Trust. I also thank staff, parents, carers and students for all their hard work this term.

This has been an extraordinary term for the Trust.

I am sure you are aware all our members and trustees are volunteers and that we are regulated by the Regional Commissioners Office and the Funding Agency. We come from a variety of backgrounds, have extensive knowledge of school governance and have national and international reputations in our specialist areas. I am very blessed with a great team who have given more hours than would normally be expected of trustees and have done so willingly.

As I shared with you on our Trust Question Time call, at the end of May the AFA 3A’s Charity informed us that they were withdrawing from offering back office services which gave us three months to recruit all our staff.

Then in the second week of August they announced they were moving out of the Stables which meant we had to purchase all the furniture, equipment and resources. All this to ensure we were up and running on the 1st September and able to pay staff salaries at the end of September.

At the end of July the Trustees met with the Park House School Principal and Trust CEO to rename the Trust and formulate our vision and values. We were unable to remain as AFA Education Trust as the Charity owns the intellectual property in relation to AFA. Since the summer we have been negotiating with the Charity regarding final payments and I am pleased to inform you that those negotiations are now complete. Transform

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Learning Trust is now completely independent of the Charity.

During the term, like many other Trusts, we reviewed our governance structure and again as I shared on the Question Time call we needed to step back and review what will best serve the schools within the Trust. Local Advisory Bodies are essential to have a local perspective and my hope is that working with the Clerk of the previous LAB we will have something in place before the end of the academic year. In the meantime our Trust Question Time sessions will happen for the next two terms.

It is exciting that the Trust is working collaboratively with a number of organisations and notably with West Berkshire to support Park House School. The Trust is excited about the new build giving the school a much larger Library Resource Centre and the refurbishment of the existing library into four classrooms. As a Trust we will continue to support various grant applications which will provide students and staff a more conducive learning environment.

In setting our vision and mission statements the Trust were unanimous about our strapline Transformation, collaboration and growth in a dynamic world.

Our hope is that all the schools within our care now and in the future will have a positive experience. As we move into 2021 we do so in the hope that a post Covid world will mean we can meet up in person. In the meantime I wish you all a peaceful, healthy and safe Christmas.

Dr Coleen R Jackson Chair of Trustees

Members Transform Learning Trust has five Members who have a similar role to the shareholders of a company.

They have ultimate control over the academy trust, with the ability to appoint Trustees, They meet once a year, and their function is ‘eyes on, hands off’ (DFE Academies Financial Handbook). Currently, three of our five Members are also Trustees. We are in the process of recruiting an additional three members, so that the board of Trustees will have complete separation from the members.

Dr Coleen Jackson

Stephanie Tyrer

Nicky Wright

Bishop Ian Brackley

Professor Sandra Jowett

Trustees The Trustees, are both charity trustees and company directors. We refer to them as Trustees, though they perform both roles. They ensure the strategic direction of the Trust, hold executive leaders to account, and oversee the financial performance or the organisation – ensuring that money is well spent.

Dr Coleen Jackson

Stephanie Tyrer

Nicky Orr

Mark Larby

David Marson

Members Nicky Wright

Robin Precey

Find out more about our members and trustees on our new website...

Achievement, Curriculum and Ethos Commi ee

Finance, Audit, Resource andRisk Commi ee

Trustees

Local Advisory Body

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New library planned for Park House School Plans for new library at Park House released with hopes for completion in April 2022 Exciting plans* have been submitted for the provision of a new library and resource centre at Park House School. The plans would see a new extension build between ‘the house’ and the main school block. The extension would house a new library and resource centre, with the existing library converted into three classes and a smaller group room. If planning is successful, it is hoped that building will begin by June 2021, and the building will be in use from April 2022. We look forward to updating you in the New Year. *Please note that the plans shared are artists impressions and may be subject to change

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Park House premises improvements One of the Trust’s key priorities is to improve the premises and facilities at Park House School. This term we have: had a number of premises audits undertaken, with the aim of producing a ten-year building plan from which we can target all premises expenditure

Premises improvements since July The fantastic site team at Park House, are available every day to attend to urgent site issues, In addition to the school’s maintenance issues, since July the following upgrade works have taken place.

The school’s reception area has been refurbished, re-carpeted, and made Covid secure.

commissioned a specialist firm of ‘bid writers’ to submit bids to the national funding agency

The reprographics room has had a complete refit, new carpet and a small post room added

undertaken a considerable number of day-to-day repairs, as well as smaller scale premises improvements

Three classrooms have had replacement carpets.

A rolling programme of carpet replacement has been created.

Whilst offices were vacated, the Principal’s office was painted.

Data collection Health and Safety two-day inspection West Berkshire Covid safety inspection Fire Safety Risk Assessment Asbestos Survey Fire maintenance inspection Full flat roof inspection

Two large offices which are used for staff and parents’ meetings were painted.

The art rooms had a hot water boiler fitted A staff toilet had worn flooring replaced, and walls painted The nurse’s room was painted, and worn furniture removed The rooms to the rear of the school kitchen have been painted Larger potholes have been filled

Premises related bids and grants A Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) bid is being prepared by an external consultant to replace around 12 flat roofs in urgent need of repairs A second CIF bid is being prepared to replace the schools on-site leaking water pipes.

Over 50 taps have been replaced throughout the school If any parents or community members have any premises expertise that they would be prepared to offer, we would be grateful to hear from you.

Please email: ceo@transformlearningtrust.org

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Question time Parents and carers of students in Years 7, 8 and 9 and then 10 and 11 were recently invited to submitted questions to the Trust, which formed the basis of a presentation from Dr Coleen Jackson (Chair), Mrs Laura Bromberg (CEO) and Mr Tom Goodenough (Principal). The same invitation will be extended to parents of sixth formers in January.

Dr Coleen Jackson

Any answers...

Catch-up and interpretation of data Mr Goodenough explained that the school is assessing students more frequently than usual to identify any potential gaps in learning. Longer term plans have been adjusted to ensure that gaps are filled over time. When things return to normal, it is planned that Tutor time will include more independent study time, to give students the opportunity to assimilate more knowledge. Parent evenings and pupil reports are being reviewed to give parents better information, and post-cards home will be introduced so that staff can send reward and praise directly back to parents.

Questions for the Trust Dr Jackson and Mrs Bromberg presented on the recent history of Governance at Park House School, and the longer term strategy of introducing an Advisory Committee / LAB to include parents in the Governance of the school, which is seen as vital.

This will be after a couple of terms of consolidating of the work of Trustees, and identifying the specific roles where LAB members can be of support. We are pleased to be keeping in touch with some of the former LAB members, and the Clerk of Governors.

In response to questions on IT provision, Mrs Bromberg explained that improving IT at Park House School is a key priority for the Trust. There are currently issues around ‘patchy wi-fi’, and actual hardware provision. A hotspot map of Wi-fi is currently being updated, and each holiday another 10

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Laura Bromberg

Tom Goodenough

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area of the school is being improved. In the summer, 20 new computers were purchased for the sixth form. Mr Goodenough explained that the introduction of Year 7 laptops had somewhat stalled due to Covid. In addition to wi-fi improvements, some staff training is needed, and this has not been possible face-to-face.

Parents were also thanked for their patience, when the whole telephone system was destroyed as the result of an electrical fault in August. A new system (using VOIP) is now installed, ensuring that we are fit for the telecommunications changes which lie ahead nationally.

GCSE options and subjects Parents were advised that a survey for options will be out next month, and this is the starting point for options choices. Students will be supported in their choices, by discussion with their tutors and Heads of Department. Students will also be able to try out some lessons. There is a review process to ensure that students are making appropriate choices.

Three separate sciences will be available.

Parents questioned as to whether GCSEs could all be assessed in the same way. Unfortunately, this is not possible, as each subject needs to be assessed against the mark scheme for that subject, and different subjects lend themselves to different types of assessment. For example, a one-hour geography exam, may contain a question worth 16 marks, whilst a one-hour English exam has a range

of questions totalling 104 marks. An art project may be assessed against a three-week piece of work.

Each subject therefore, has to be assessed against its own mark scheme.

Teaching and Learning Mr Goodenough discussed how the school is reviewing the use of homework and its use of online learning tools to support and consolidate learning. This is linked to a thorough curriculum review which will include a lot of work on how feedback is given and recorded, as well as how testing is used. Part of this review is how we can use the online tools we now have at PHS to allow students to have a more available and permanent record of their progress/feedback. “In short, we are currently content with the direction of travel on testing/assessment and are in the process of reviewing how this then feeds through into the learning process to maximum effect.”

Parents questioned why there was not more direct ‘live’ teaching during the current periods of selfisolation. Mr Goodenough explained that this was partly because the wi-fi in some parts of the school would not cope with live streaming. Staff would need to discontinue working with classes, to fix IT issues. It also would not be possible to

simultaneously deliver live lessons to students in school, whilst streaming to others. They are two different teaching styles, which could not take place simultaneously. The school will however endeavour to produce some live lessons each week.

Cyber Bullying It was acknowledged that the current amount of online presence which students have places a greater risk of on-line bullying. Students have and will continue to have assemblies (virtual at the moment) and have Character and Values lessons aimed at helping them understand the issues. As always, we would prefer this route of educating students.

However, we are also not shy in having a deterrent to this behaviour - we are currently rewriting our school behaviour policy and, as with most schools, we will be including what we will do in incidents that occur outside of school. We will use the powers given to us by government to investigate and sanction students for incidents that happen online and outside of school where they are likely to affect students in school.

The Sixth Form leadership team is about to re-establish a Covid-friendly student council and anti-bullying and student wellbeing will be the top of their agenda too.

Park House Senior Students

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New Transform Website launched

www.transformlearningtrust.org

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