Trust Leadership Today Spring 2025

Spring 2025

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G R O W I N G M U LT I - A C A D E M Y T R U S T S F O R T O M O R R O W

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A SENSE OF BELONGING

WORKERS' RIGHTS

Building community engagement

What do the Government's plans mean for MATs?

In partnership with

Cloud-based admissions and recruitment

MOBILE-FREE EDUCATION A developing trend?

WO R K F O R C E & P E O P L E

F I N A N C I A L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

PA RT N E R S H I P S

PA R T N E R I N G W I T H

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2 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

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LEADERSHIP Today

William Clarence Education Green Park House, 15 Stratton Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8LQ Tel: +44 (0)207 412 8988 williamclarence.com EDITOR David Moncrieff david@williamclarence.com EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Ann Mroz Former Editor, Times Educational Supplement (TES) Louise Bennett CEO, The Institute of Development Professionals in Education (IDPE) Alex Russell CEO, Bourne Education Trust Samuel Skerritt Director of Public Affairs and Policy, Confederation of School Trusts (CST) Andrew Thraves Chair, Big Education Trust David Walker Director, BSA Group Dr Helen Wright Educational Consultant and Coach DESIGN & PRINT Fellows Media Ltd The Gallery, Southam Lane, Cheltenham GL52 3PB 01242 259241 hello@fellowsmedia.com ADVERTISING Alice Ireson alice.ireson@fellowsmedia.com 01242 259249 PUBLISHER William Clarence Education Ltd The William Clarence Education Group is a leading education publisher and provider of admissions, recruitment and careers solutions for parents, leaders and schools across the world. williamclarence.com DISTRIBUTION (Print & Digital) Trust Leadership Today is distributed as follows: all UK Single and MAT Trusts; Schools & Academy Show, NEC. Quarterly print reach: 5,000; digital reach: 65,000; social reach 25,000.

FOREWORD T

he rise of dangerous online content is a concern for parents and educators alike. As the hard-hitting Netflix drama Adolescence demonstrated so effectively, it is all too easy for impressionable children to be drawn into harmful virtual communities. This has fuelled the debate about the presence of mobile devices in schools and led to a number of initiatives exploring the possibility of limiting their use during the school day. In Banning Mobile Phones (p 41) Steve Price discusses a successful pilot project which has been running within the Tudor Park Education Trust.

The impact of social media is only one of many subjects filling trust leaders’ inboxes. The Government’s proposed changes to workers’ employment rights will be another issue which will demand careful consideration, as Louise Brenlund outlines in Workers’ Rights (p 10).

As large-scale employers, leadership teams will need to be prepared for future tensions which can perhaps be LIFE CAN BE partially mitigated by a strong focus on teachers’ CPD, a topic addressed by Karla TOXIC FOR Martin in Building a Culture of Growth (p 38).

ADOLESCENTS Trusts’ growing role as the drivers of school AND ADULTS improvement is highlighted in Steve Rollett’s ALIKE. insightful article on the subject (Trust-Led EDUCATION School Improvement, p 20) in which he SHOULD BE advocates that the activity should be treated as a strategic discipline and not PART OF THE be left to chance.

SOLUTION. But, perhaps above all, we need to remember that our schools are true, real-life communities within themselves and play an important role within local society. This is a key consideration for Oasis Community Learning, which is the subject of the MAT Profile (p 6). Fostering that sense of community is a also a key objective of the development team at Reading School, as discussed by Jas Chhokar in Building Community Engagement (p33).

In his interview, John Barneby of Oasis observes, ‘… we run schools but we’re building stronger communities...’ Maybe this is a goal for us all as members of a society which often seems tortured and fragmented. Life can be toxic for adolescents and adults alike.

Education should be part of the solution. © William Clarence Education No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

The information contained in Independent School Management Plus has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 3

ADVERTORIAL

THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOLS EFFECTIVELY MANAGING ALLERGIES

By Sophia Cornelius – apetito Dietitian.

F

ood allergies appear to be rising in prevalence, at present 1 in 12 children suffer from a food allergy1.

Young children are at particular risk from food allergies with incidences (often life threatening) estimated to be up to four times more likely in toddlers than in adults2.

The transition of a child starting school is likely to be both exciting and nerve wrecking for any parent, but for those whose children have allergies this time may be especially worrying due to having less control of what their child may have contact with. Food allergies will affect the daily life of a child, impacting their ability to make food choices freely, causing isolation at social events, for example birthday parties and increased anxiety due to being ‘different’.

The physical symptoms of an allergic reaction may also impact mood, for example, eczema or hives can affect self-esteem. In addition, allergies can have severe consequences to a child’s relationship with food, leading to food aversions or refusal of foods, increasing the risk of disordered eating and affecting their ability to consume a balanced diet which is crucial for healthy growth and development.

Food allergies cause significant stress both to the parent and the child daily, they come with a very real and lifethreatening danger as well as profound psychological impact and it is essential that schools can effectively manage allergens to ensure the well-being, safety and an inclusive learning experience for all students.

4 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

ALLERGEN POLICY

A clear and concise allergen policy, outlining the procedures for managing allergens on school premises, should be developed, and implemented. This policy should be communicated to all who have contact with the students, including students themselves, as well as those handling the food, e.g. staff, parents, and caterers, to provide a safe environment for children with allergies.

STAFF TRAINING

Training should be provided to all staff, including teachers and cafeteria and lunchtime staff on the awareness of allergens, how to recognise the signs of an allergic reaction and safe and effective management.

Pupils with severe allergies that could lead to an anaphylactic reaction should carry adrenaline-auto injectors, staff members should be trained to use these.

SCHOOL MEALS AND CATERING

Adhering to legislation such as Natasha’s Law is the responsibility of anyone handling food and enables allergens to be identified and necessary procedures to be implemented. Another factor that should be considered and assessed regularly is the risk of cross-

contamination as it poses a significant risk for students with severe allergies.

Cross-contamination can occur at any point when food is being handled, including preparation, cooking, storage and serving, therefore can be very challenging to avoid, especially if schools are scratch cooking for large numbers of students with varying dietary needs and severe allergies.

The risks can be significantly reduced when using pre-prepared meals as they will have been produced in a strictly controlled environment, safely packed and labelled. For added reassurance, apetito tests a sample from every batch of Gluten Free and Free From meals for allergens cooked in their kitchens in their approved on-site laboratory.

It is evident that allergens are too big to ignore, the prevalence is rising, and the consequences of poor awareness can be fatal. Schools should be confident they can provide a safe, nourishing and tasty meal to children with allergens.

Food is essential for health and wellbeing as well as social development, mealtimes are a very social occasion and therefore reassurance that the meal provided is safe is key to supporting engagement between students and a positive relationship with food. ■

For this year’s Allergy Awareness Week from 21st to 27th April, apetito is launching a webinar, hosted by Sophia Cornelius about best practice when catering for pupils with allergies. Scan the QR code to sign up to receive the webinar.

References: 1. Allergy in childhood: Allergy UK: National Charity [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 17]. Available from: https://www.allergyuk. org/about-allergy/allergy-in-childhood/ 2. Statistics and figures: Allergy UK: National Charity [Internet]. [cited 2024 Apr 17]. Available from: https://www.allergyuk.org/about-allergy/statistics-and-figures/

CONTENTS

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6

Supporting Oracy

MAT Profile

Building a Culture of Growth

6

MAT Profile Oasis Community Learning

10

Workers' Rights What does the new employment rights Bill mean for our schools?

17

Greater Detail, Greater Trouble Ofsted's new reports

20

Trust-led School Improvement A stragegic discipline

25

Ask the Recruiter Finding the best CFO for your trust

28

Supporting Oracy The foundation of effective communication

33

Building Community Engagement Fostering a sense of belonging

38

Building a Culture of Growth Driving teachers' professional development through a trustwide approach

41

Banning Mobile Phones A worthwhile initiative?

38

10

Workers' Rights

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AC ADEMY

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ON THE COVER Banning Mobile Phones

TRUS

LEA DER SHI P ToTday G R OW I N

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SCHOOLMA

N AG E M E

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S .C O M

A SENSE OF BELON GING

WORK ERS' RIGHT S

Building community engagement

What do the Government's plans mean for MATs?

In partnership with

MOBILE-FREE EDUCATION

Cloud-based admissions and recruitment

A developing trend?

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Spring 2025

SPRING 2025

WO R K F O R C E &

PEOPLE

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Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 5

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MAT PROFILE

OASIS COMMUNITY LEARNING John Barneby FRSA, CEO of Oasis Community Learning, talks to Zoe MacDougall about the governing principles of the Oasis movement and presents the case for putting community at the heart of education.

OASIS CHARITABLE TRUST The Oasis Charitable Trust serves communities. As a movement for social justice, Oasis gets involved in food insecurity, youth mental health, housing, education, youth justice and human rights.

Established in 1985 by Steve Chalke, Oasis has worked passionately for the last 40 years to build thriving communities worldwide. Charities within the Oasis family include Oasis Hubs, Oasis Community Learning, Oasis Global, Oasis Community Housing, Oasis Football for Life and Stop the Traffik. Oasis St Martin’s Village is a recent venture, bringing together a host of partners to provide wraparound care for young people and tackle knife crime in Tulse Hill, South London, expounding the principle that 'it takes a village to raise a child'. Oasis Restore – the UK’s first ever Secure School – opened last year.

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T

he vision upheld by Oasis is inseparable from the concept of community. John Barneby opens our conversation by making this vision clear. “At the heart of Oasis it’s about relationships and it’s about community.

It’s about how we create places where everyone’s included, where people can make a contribution and have a sense of purpose. When you think what life’s about, of course children need a great education; they need the knowledge

and skills and experiences that a great education offers. But alongside that they need a sense of belonging. Children need to truly belong in our schools, to belong in our communities, to have that sense of purpose – in order to answer those big questions in life like who they are and who they are becoming.”

John expands on his theme of community as he begins to describe Oasis’ schools; there are 54 nationwide academies in the Oasis Community Learning Trust, which is the second-largest MAT in the country. And here’s the rub – OCL may be a significant player in the MAT sector, but what John describes is a unique mindset.

“We run schools but we’re building stronger communities. We see education as a lever (one of a number of levers) to pull within a local community. We don’t think of the school as the centre of the hub. We see the community at the centre of everything. We’re not a topdown, large multi-academy trust. We exist to serve these communities, and we happen to run these schools for a period of time. That’s a really important mindset for everyone. When we think about our community model, we’re looking at health, housing, churches,

LEADERSHIP

culture in schools: “Oasis runs a charity called ‘Stop The Traffik’, which is one of the largest anti-trafficking movements in the world: after drugs, people trafficking is the second-biggest area of organised crime. People are bought and sold again and again and again. We’re doing lots of work to track all the trafficking routes around the world and then provide that data to the authorities.

"We are exploring how we can use some of the intelligence-led approaches to proactively predict which children are at risk and intervene – when there’s a problem, we react. So, we’re thinking about how we can flip that so that we’re using all the data and intelligence and networks that we know about to start to take proactive actions against gangs and youth violence.” debt advice centres, food banks. We’re really trying to provide the social infrastructure, the connections which are needed for human beings to flourish.”

FOUNDING OASIS IN 1984 – STEVE CHALKE

Getting to know the history of Oasis helps to understand its context as a movement.

As John explains: “The thing to recognise about Oasis is that it didn’t start with schools. It actually started with housing.

Steve Chalke, our founder, set up a project in 1984 called No.3, which was all about trying to give a framework to girls who had been on the streets, to help them get back on their feet. Steve had been given a house in Peckham. Talking to his wife about what to call this project, she said No.3 was like an oasis for these girls, who had no hope, but who were being given hope again. And that was the beginning.”

RECOGNISING SCHOOLS AS SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Generally, schools are primarily considered as providers of education. Looking at schools through a different lens, John presents a different perspective: “A school is the one bit of social infrastructure that

has a long-term, proactive relationship with a family. You go to the doctors when there’s a problem; social services get involved when there’s a problem, but you go to school every day.

“In a school, you get to know the children, you know what’s going on in their lives. A lot of the relationships with children and families in society exist within our schools. So we think about how to use those relationships to anchor other partnerships, other services around them – like debt advice and food banks, like connections with health, with housing issues. We know when children have been moved four times and are now living in a local hotel. We try to wrap this holistic offer around them.”

PROACTIVE SAFEGUARDING IN SCHOOLS

The Oasis lens in schools brings with it a refreshing perspective. As an example of this, John explains how the Oasis movement has invigorated the subject of safeguarding and addressing gang

RESTORE: THE UK’S FIRST SECURE SCHOOL

A bold addition to the Oasis family is set to be groundbreaking in the field of education. John explains: “One of our recent projects is Oasis Restore, which is a secure school; the first one in the country.

We had to get the law changed to make it happen. That’s all about changing the questions around youth justice. Instead of asking ‘What did you do?’, we ask ‘What happened to you? What happened in your life aged 11 or 12, or 13 for society to feel the need to put you in a secure estate?’.

“When we look at the root causes we often find that poverty, neglect and in some cases abuse sit behind the actions of young people so we need to think differently about how we respond and ultimately restore them. This is a new model in Youth Justice.”

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP IN PRACTICE

John recognises that Oasis Community Learning has a huge support network through the wider Oasis movement. F

CHILDREN NEED TO TRULY BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS, TO BELONG IN OUR COMMUNITIES...

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 7

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OASIS: VISION AND VALUES The Oasis vision is for community – a place where everyone is included, making a contribution, and reaching their God-given potential.

As a movement, Oasis 'strives to be compassionate, joyful, considerate, patient, honest, forgiving, humble, hopeful and self-controlled'.

services within communities – housing, health and justice for instance. How do we create an anchor to bring these different partners together? So I would say to other trusts, you don’t have to do everything – but be a collaboration point.”

LOOKING AHEAD: SECTOR MATURITY

However, he is currently in consultation with other MATs to promote practical ways for schools to engage at ever-deeper levels with local communities.

John advises: “The quickest way to get relationships started in a community is to look at the other partners who are serving it. Who’s the local youth club?

What happens in local churches and other places of worship? When did we last talk to the local GP surgery? What is the local authority doing? Oasis schools belong to the community, not the other way round – we serve them. As a national organisation, we don’t want our schools to be silos, we want them to be part of the local education system as well as part of Oasis. That means working with local authorities.”

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES

From city technology colleges in 1988 through to the first academy in 2002 and the establishment of the first 24 free 8 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

schools in 2011, the UK has seen education move away from direct local authority control towards government-funded independence. However, in something of a reversal, the Children’s Well-Being and Schools Bill currently passing through Parliament promotes greater collaboration with local authorities.

To John, this is a welcome change. He encourages local authority partnership as a fundamental element of growing deeper relationships between the MAT sector and communities. He explains what Oasis is doing to re-engage with local authorities: “We’re doing some really interesting work with Hannah Woodhouse, Executive Director of Children’s Services in Bristol.

Previously, she was Regional Director for Academies at the Department for Education. So she’s seen both sides. We’re working together to think about what the next chapter between local authorities and academies looks like. How do we re-imagine that relationship? Because the local authorities are involved in many

John describes this strengthening of the local authority/MAT relationship as “a sector maturity issue.” Looking forward, his optimism is founded in relational practice: ‘We’re finishing one chapter, which was to become academies outside of local authority jurisdiction. Now we’re starting the next chapter, which is more placebased, more relational and one of those relationships is with local authorities.

Ultimately, we all want the same thing.

It’s all about the children. We need to put our history and differences aside and ask ourselves, what’s the very best we can do with the limited resources we’ve all got? Could we do more together than apart? I put it to you that we could do more together.” ■ ZOE MACDOUGALL is an educational commentator who has worked in both the maintained and independent sectors.

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 9

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WORKFORCE

WORKERS’ RIGHTS

WHAT DOES THE NEW EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS BILL MEAN FOR OUR SCHOOLS?

Louise Brenlund introduces the principal proposed changes to workers’ rights set out in the Labour Government’s new Bill and urges schools to consider the implications for their role as employers and ensure that they start to prepare.

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he Government’s Employment Rights Bill ('the Bill') was laid before parliament on 10th October 2024, at more than 150 pages and containing 28 employment measures, it should not be underestimated. Hailed as 'the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation', it is a significant piece of legislation in the UK. Much of what is proposed is ambitious and will represent a marked shift from existing practices.

The Bill completed its third reading in the House of Commons on 12th March 2025 and is likely to receive Royal Assent by July.

Its implementation is likely to have a range of implications for trusts and schools, particularly in terms of employment practices, the protection of employees and compliance with new legal requirements.

The accompanying document to the Bill, 'Next Steps to Make Work Pay', set out detailed plans about how the Government intends to bring the reforms into effect. It began consulting in 2025 and, following five consultations and a report from the Business and Trade Committee, the Government has put forward amendments to the Bill. The Government is not only pressing ahead with reforms announced in October 2024 but strengthening them.

Many of the reforms are anticipated not to impact immediately, not coming into effect until 2026, following a substantial transition period. However, parts of the Act may come into force in October 2025. This is likely to be disappointing for trusts and schools already grappling with changes to NICs and National Minimum Wage.

Below is an outline of the main issues and impact the Bill might have on trusts and schools.

ENHANCED WORKER PROTECTIONS

The Bill is designed to strengthen workers' rights in several areas. Trusts and schools, like other employers, will need to ensure compliance with these enhanced protections for their staff, including: Unfair dismissal protection: Currently, employees must have at least two years' continuous service to bring an ordinary unfair dismissal claim (save for some exceptions). The qualifying service requirement will be removed, and all employees will be able to claim unfair dismissal from day one.

This will only apply to employees, not workers. However, the Government has confirmed a review of worker status in the long term. It’s anticipated that approximately nine million more employees would be able to bring claims.

Probationary periods: The Bill will balance giving staff protection against unfair dismissal by allowing employers to operate probationary periods with an ‘initial period’ lighter-touch procedure that can be followed. It is not yet clear what process will be required but the Government intends to legislate to 'introduce fair and proportionate Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 11

WORKFORCE

processes for dismissal' during probationary periods. It is anticipated this will include holding a meeting with the employee and a preference for a probationary period of nine months has been indicated. The Government intends to undertake extensive consultation on this proposal before it is set.

Trusts and schools will need to ensure robust recruitment procedures, allowing you to identify any issues early. It will be particularly important that line managers are trained to understand how probationary periods will operate and the process they are required to follow to minimise the risk of successful unfair dismissal claims.

the variation; or • to enable the employer to re-engage the employee, or employ another person, under a varied contract to perform substantially the same duties as before.

The Bill provides an exception, if the employer can show: • the reason for the variation was to prevent or significantly reduce financial difficulties; • the financial difficulties were affecting the employer’s ability to carry on the business as a going concern; • in all the circumstances, the employer could not reasonably have avoided the need to make the variation; • in determining fairness, the Tribunal considers any consultation was carried out

THE BIGGEST UPGRADE TO WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN A GENERATION. Fire and rehire practices: Despite controversy over this practice, the Conservative Government resisted calls for an outright ban and instead put in place a Statutory Code of Practice on dismissal and re-engagement, making clear that fire and rehire should be a last resort.

The Bill will make it automatically unfair to dismiss an employee if the principal or fair reason for the dismissal is either: • the employer sought to vary the employee’s contract of employment, and the employee did not agree 12 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

about varying the contract and if anything was offered in return for the variation.

This is likely to be a high bar for independent schools to meet. As drafted, these provisions are likely to have extensive ramifications for employers seeking to change contractual terms or restructure. However, this is not often seen in a schools’ context so may not have a significant impact.

Collective redundancy: Currently, collective consultation is required if an employer proposes to dismiss 20 or more

employees as redundant in a period of 90 days or less. This number is based on 'at one establishment'. It was proposed that the rules were changed so that the collective consultation threshold was increased so that it is calculated across the whole business rather than a single establishment. It was also suggested that the cap on a protective award if an employer does not properly consult during collective redundancy, currently at 90 days’ gross pay, will be lifted.

Since initial indications, there has now been a major change, collective consultation will be required if there are 20 or more redundancies at one establishment OR a different threshold is met, with details to be set out in regulations. The protective award will be doubled to 180 days.

For trusts and schools, this may mean collective consultation obligations are triggered more frequently, placing a heavier administrative burden in terms of monitoring and record-keeping.

Depending on your structure and employing entities, you may need to be particularly careful should you have a group of schools and/or different businesses.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Currently, only payable after the fourth day of sickness absence and if an employee meets the lower earnings threshold of at least £125 per week (from April 2025). It was proposed both these requirements

WORKFORCE

SCHOOL SUPPORT STAFF NEGOTIATING BODY (SSSNB) A specific body will be created to negotiate on behalf of support staff within maintained sector schools and academies.

The SSSNB will consist of representatives from employers, unions and an independent chairperson. They will ensure that support staff receive fair pay and access to training and career advancement opportunities. The exact remit and formal creation of the SSSNB will need to be further defined through secondary legislation once this Bill is passed.

This may have a significant impact on trusts and schools who will need to be prepared to deal with these changes.

would be removed, there would be an entitlement from day one and the Government would consult on what rate those below the threshold will receive.

It now appears the waiting period will be removed and a new amendment and regulations will give those earning below the lower earnings limit a right to sick pay at the lower of 80% of the SSP flat rate or 80% of average normal weekly earnings.

This is likely to have little impact on trusts and schools as for many it is already common practice to provide contractual and/or enhanced sick pay from day one with payments over and above SSP. Equality action plans: Schools with 250 or more employees will be required to produce action plans on matters relating to gender equality, including addressing their gender pay gaps and supporting employees through menopause.

Again, this may have little impact as many schools are already taking steps to address this.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY PROTECTION

Maternity protection: Additional protection is currently given to pregnant women and those returning from maternity leave or extended family leave in a redundancy situation. The Bill will strengthen protection, making it unlawful to dismiss a new mother within six months of their return to work,

except in specific circumstances. A new amendment specifies that regulations will set out specific notices that will need to be given to dismiss employees who are pregnant, on maternity leave or during a six-month return period, the evidence the employer will need to produce and 'other procedures' that will need to be followed.

The explanatory notes confirm the intention to ban such dismissals except in specific circumstances. We will need to await the regulations for the precise detail of what this will require in practice.

Parental and paternity leave: Currently, an employee needs 26 weeks’ service to take paternity leave and at least one year’s service to take unpaid parental leave. It is proposed that this will become a day one right and other restrictions may be removed.

Bereavement leave: Currently, a day one right but only covers a biological parent or those with parental responsibility.

It is proposed that this will be extended to create a right to leave to a ‘relevant person’. It was not yet clear what or who this may cover and it is being consulted on.

Review: It is proposed that there will also be a full review of the parental

leave system and carer’s leave.

Schools will need to accommodate these extended rights.

You may now see such rights being exercised more regularly and have to consider how best to accommodate this and provide cover.

RIGHT TO REQUEST FLEXIBLE WORKING

Following changes made from 6th April 2024, flexible working is currently a day one right and up to two requests can be made per year. Under the Bill, the Government suggest flexible working will become the ‘default’ position, not just a right to request. The eight statutory reasons to refuse a request will remain but there will be an added obligation on employers to demonstrate that it is F

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 13

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'reasonable for the employer to refuse the request on those grounds'. This does not change the process but may impact schools in several ways: Increased demand for flexible working: Teachers and staff may increasingly request flexible working arrangements, such as remote teaching, part-time hours, or adjusted schedules.

Trusts and schools will need to ensure their policies and practices support such requests while maintaining operational needs.

Managing operational impact: Schools will need to balance flexible working arrangements with maintaining the quality of the education and support services they deliver and ensuring that staffing levels are sufficient to cover all

GETTING READY With the Employment Rights Bill introducing potentially farreaching changes, trusts and schools will need to update or overhaul their internal policies and handbooks.

HR staff and school leaders will need to receive training on the new requirements of the Bill to ensure consistent application and compliance with the law.

The Bill will be likely to have significant consequences for trusts and schools, requiring careful attention to staff contracts, pay practices, flexible working arrangements, redundancy procedures and the treatment of zero-hours workers. Schools will need to keep on top of developments as the Bill progresses and regulations evolve and prepare for these changes by updating their policies, providing training for staff, and possibly increasing their legal and HR support to ensure compliance.

However, it is currently difficult to prepare completely as much of the detail is still missing and awaited.

14 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

A MARKED SHIFT FROM EXISTING PRACTICES. required duties. This could require more strategic planning and investment in staff management.

ZERO-HOURS CONTRACTS

Currently, trusts and schools can agree to enter a contractual relationship with no minimum hours and without the obligation to offer or accept work, typically seen in contracts with invigilators or sports coaches.

The Government committed to 'banning exploitative zero-hours contracts'. Whilst not going that far, the provisions in the Bill are detailed and complicated, but in summary what’s proposed is: • A duty to offer qualifying workers a guaranteed-hours contract based on the hours they have been undertaking during an ‘initial reference period and each subsequent reference period’. This will apply to both zero hours and ‘low’ guaranteed hours. The reference period is likely to be 12 weeks.

• Workers will have the right to reasonable notice if they are required to work a shift, or if a shift is cancelled or changed.

Compensation will be payable for any shifts cancelled or curtailed at short notice. There is not currently information on what will amount to ‘reasonable’ notice or ‘proportionate’ compensation.

Specific detail about how this will operate has been and will continue to be subject to consultation and secondary legislation. The biggest change the Government confirmed is the inclusion of agency workers in these measures, believed to be as a result of trade unions campaigning, so employers cannot avoid the new rules by hiring agency workers.

What is clear is that it is likely to introduce stricter regulations around zero-hours contracts and limit their use, which may have a substantial impact on trusts and schools depending how often you use these types of contacts.

Many trusts and schools rely on flexible staffing arrangements, such as zero-hours

contracts for part-time teachers, support staff and others. Key impacts include: Clarification of terms: Schools will need to provide clearer terms in zerohours contracts, ensuring that staff understand their rights, including any guarantee of work, the right to reject shifts and the circumstances under which the contract can be terminated.

Potential restrictions: There may be limitations on the use of zero-hours contracts for workers who work regular hours over a sustained period. Schools may need to offer permanent contracts or find ways to adjust staffing arrangements.

It would be advisable to start auditing now how you engage workers and whether they may fall under this type of engagement so you can assess how many workers may be impacted.

TRADE UNIONS AND STRIKE ACTION

The Bill will remove restrictions on trade union activity, introduce a process for requesting access to the workplace (which can include digital/virtual access) and require written particulars to include a statement that workers have a right to join a trade union.

Currently, employees are protected against dismissal for taking part in strike action. The Bill proposes that employees will be protected from any detriment imposed on the grounds they have participated in strike action. Following consultations, several additional amendments have been made. ■

LOUISE BRENLUND is Partner and Head of Employment at Warners Solicitors; for further information, please contact her on 01732 375325 or email l.brenlund@warners.law.

Reframing Behaviour

TM

Young people carry more than their backpacks to school.

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Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 15

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16 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

EDUCATION

GREATER DETAIL, GREATER TROUBLE OFSTED’S NEW REPORTS Alex Russell considers Ofsted’s proposed new reporting system and finds it wanting in several key essentials.

T

he revised reporting on school inspections spells trouble for schools at every level. Whilst some parents and carers will welcome the additional detail, many will yearn for simplicity of the previous system despite its obvious flaws.

In February 2025, Ofsted launched a public consultation on changes to the way it inspects and grades schools.

Under the proposal, all state schools will be evaluated in at least nine different categories – including new ones like attendance and inclusion – with each given a colour-coded grade on a new, five-point scale. Importantly though, the inspection framework, upon which these judgements will be based, will remain largely unchanged. This means that inspectors will be using the same evidence base to produce more detailed reports and here lies the problem.

FIG2: SUMMARY TABLE OF FINDINGS

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WHAT DIFFERENCES WILL PARENTS AND CARERS NOTICE?

During this academic year Ofsted’s reports have moved away from the single-word grading to offering single-word grading across several categories. It appears that Ofsted will stick with its decision to drop one-word gradings so there is no longer a grading for ‘overall effectiveness’. The current reports have a summary table of the FIG 1: SCHOOL REPORT findings. For example, see Fig 1.

Inspection of Named School, followed by its address The suggested new Inspection dates XX and YY report card will provide Month Year significantly more information about a Quality of education Inadequate school and gradings Behaviour and attitudes Requires Improvement will range from causing Personal development Good concern to exemplary, Leadership and management Requires Improvement see Fig 2.

Sixth Form provision Good Users will be able to Safeguarding Effective click on each section to

see more details about what inspectors found. Below the main report card, there will be a separate box for safeguarding, which will simply be marked as either ‘met’ or ‘not met’. Other key features include a ‘what this means’ section, which will break down Ofsted’s findings, and a ‘search and compare’ tool to see how local schools compare against each other.

Ofsted says a big part of its role is giving parents and carers confidence that their child is getting a good education. Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver explained that by checking back in quickly on schools that need improvement, Ofsted can help ensure action is taken to raise standards without unnecessary delays.

Under the proposed changes, any school with an area rated as ‘attention needed’ will now receive follow-up calls and visits to make sure improvements are happening. These checks will continue Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 17

EDUCATION

THIS WILL MAKE THE JOURNEY OUT OF THE LOWEST GRADINGS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT... for as long as necessary – until Ofsted sees real progress for pupils.

Previously, schools only got this level of monitoring if they had two back-to-back ‘requires improvement’ ratings for overall effectiveness. Now, just one concerning judgement will be enough to trigger extra scrutiny. According to the proposal document, schools facing more serious challenges could get as many as five or six monitoring visits within two years. The goal is to make sure problems are tackled head-on and improvements happen as quickly as possible.

needs a fundamental overhaul. This is not that. So, are these proposals progress or will they simply pile more pressure on schools as the level of scrutiny increases?

NO OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS GRADE

This is a significant change, which Ofsted states has been driven by feedback from its ‘Big Listen’ consultation in the aftermath of the coroner’s ruling that an inspection which saw her school downgraded contributed to the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry. Whilst this tragic occurrence should never be repeated, it was the unfairness of inextricably linking SO, ARE THESE PROPOSALS the safeguarding judgement (often an PROGRESS OR SIMPLY administrative process) to the overall MORE PRESSURE? effectiveness judgement that undermined It is essential to remember that no what would have been a highly successful significant changes to the inspection grading. That is what needed to be framework itself are proposed. It is all addressed and has been in the proposals. about how the inspection findings are The overall effectiveness grade was reported. I have written previously in this simple to use and understand and magazine that the inspection process required inspectors to assess the overall grading under a ‘best fit’ model. This allowed for variations within each grading to be contextualised and compensated for where there were obvious areas of considerable OFSTED REPORT strengths. Many Heads saw this as fair and reasonable and part of the professional dialogue between inspectors and school

leaders. With that removed and much more detail required to be reported, that dialogue could be replaced by the need to justify multiple conclusions and disclosures. This will make the journey out of the lowest gradings even more difficult as every ‘i’ will have to be dotted and every ‘t’ will have to be crossed.

Having worked with thousands of parents during my career, I have never had one ask for more detailed information from Ofsted when judging the school.

Nearly every parent or carer I have met has known the Ofsted one-word grading but has wanted to supplement that by visiting the school and meeting the Head and other key staff. It’s the culture and ethos of the school and their belief in the Head that persuades most parents or careers what is right for their child. I suspect most won’t read the detailed report or, if they do, resort to a one-or-two-word description to define the school.

THE EVALUATION SCALE

Can any school really be exemplary (aka ‘perfect’) day-in day-out? What expectations does that create for parents and carers and what pressure does it place on schools labelled as such to live up to it? Some parents and carers who want to criticise an outstanding school are very quick to use that label as a weapon against it. Imagine if the expectation is one of educational perfection? No organisation that works with individuals can be that consistent. This award will place intolerable and unrealistic pressure on schools to be something that it is impossible to be. Equally, it could expose them to attack if a child does not achieve as their parent or carer expects with the blame being placed fairly and squarely on the school.

At the other end of the scale the introduction of ‘causing concern’ and ‘attention needed’ suggests a nuance

NOW, JUST ONE CONCERNING JUDGEMENT WILL BE ENOUGH TO TRIGGER EXTRA SCRUTINY. 18 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

EDUCATION

that is much easier to award than the current ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’. Having taken ten schools out of special measures and requiring improvement, I know the differences and they are very clear. In my experience, inspectors have been loath to conclude that a school is inadequate unless it really is so (and obvious for all to see). The gap between 'inadequate' and 'requires improvement' always felt significant.

Might it be ‘easier’ to award a ‘causing concern’ grading as it feels gentler that the starkness of ‘inadequate’? If so, this will only ramp up the pressure on school leaders. Furthermore, Ofsted has not published descriptors for each of these categories, making it impossible for parents and schools to consider fully the potential impact and helpfulness of these proposed changes.

ACHIEVEMENT

It appears that achievement rates (outcomes) are going to carry greater weighting than they do now. Given the plethora of external factors that impact on a pupil’s achievement, particularly post-pandemic and many support services so essential to schools that are now overwhelmed, will we return to a system when context is ignored, and the better perceived outcomes become the prerogative of selective schools and those in less-deprived areas? These suggested reforms must not be a precursor to a return to the days when inspection outcomes were almost predetermined based on a school’s overall achievement rate against national averages.

DEVELOPING TEACHING

Too many aspects of the current framework can lead to window dressing and undertaking initiatives for the sake of the inspection process rather than for the benefit of the school. Is developing teaching simply going to relate to the quality of the training that underpins it or will it assess its impact? If so, how can it be dissociated from achievement, the curriculum, behaviour and personal development? Are we in danger of having

one judgement that defines many of the others? This might be very unfair on those schools on a school improvement journey and lead to further pressure on how school leaders are assessed both internally and externally.

ATTENDANCE

more complex breakdown that may not serve the needs of parents and carers as effectively as Ofsted intends. The new five-point scale introduces additional concerns, with the potential for unrealistic expectations at the top end and increased scrutiny at the lower end.

Schools judged as ‘causing concern’ or ‘needing attention’ may face sustained intervention that could add stress without necessarily leading to meaningful, wellsupported improvement.

Further, the increased emphasis on achievement risks a return to simplistic, data-driven evaluations that fail to account for the socio-economic and

I think that this has the potential to be the most unfair judgement on schools and school leaders. From my experience, inspectors are quick to look at absolute figures on attendance and persistent absence, compare them to national averages and judge accordingly. Surely a better, and fairer, way is to look at the processes and procedures being adopted ULTIMATELY, WHILE OFSTED’S by a school and ask whether there is anything REFORMS SEEK TO REFINE THE else a school could do INSPECTION PROCESS, THEY to address absence.

DO NOT ADDRESS DEEPER Ofsted must accept that some factors around STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITHIN THE attendance are beyond FRAMEWORK ITSELF. the school’s control.

INCLUSION

The question here is not whether it is right to have inclusion as a separate judgement but whether inspectors will follow through on schools that are palpably not inclusive and judge them accordingly. Performance gaps are clear for all to see and unless inspections bring the inequality of our so-called inclusive system to the forefront, they will remain. This will bring new pressures to some school leaders and relief to others.

CONCLUSION

Ofsted’s proposed changes to school inspections represent a significant shift in how judgements are communicated rather than how inspections are conducted. While the intention is to provide more transparency and nuance, the reality may be an increase in pressure on school leaders, staff and governing bodies.

The removal of the overall effectiveness grade eliminates a clear and widely understood metric, replacing it with a

contextual challenges schools face.

Similarly, attendance metrics must consider external factors beyond a school’s control to ensure fairness. The inclusion category presents an opportunity to highlight genuine gaps in provision, but only if inspections hold non-inclusive schools to account effectively.

Ultimately, while Ofsted’s reforms seek to refine the inspection process, they do not address deeper structural issues within the framework itself. Without significant changes to how inspections support school improvement rather than intensifying scrutiny, these proposals risk becoming another layer of bureaucratic challenge rather than a solution to the fundamental concerns raised by school leaders, educators and parents. ■ ALEX RUSSELL is CEO of the Bourne Education Trust.

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 19

MANAGEMENT

TRUST-LED SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT A STRATEGIC DISCIPLINE The Confederation of School Trusts (CST) published a conceptual model and launched a call for evidence to find the underpinning practice driving improvement across a group of schools. In this article, Steve Rollett reveals the emerging findings from trusts' submissions, representing over 1,200 schools.

S

chool trusts are increasingly recognised as powerful drivers of school improvement. Pleasingly, recent work by CST is starting to lift the lid on how trusts are improving education at scale. This work reveals that rather than clashing over monolithic notions of 'autonomy versus central control’, we’re seeing a more nuanced model of improvement as a strategic discipline emerges. This sees trusts cultivating approaches to improvement that are attuned to the contexts in which they work, their staff and the school improvement priorities of the group.

Many blend approaches aligned across the trust with other practices that are

To find out more about the School Improvement Hub, visit schoolimprovementhub.org 20 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

determined within individual schools.

And in many cases movement towards greater alignment are driven by middle/ bottom-up decision-making rather than top-down. Put simply, there’s more complexity in how trusts work than some of the familiar narratives have allowed for. And what’s particularly exciting is that there is a palpable thirst within the sector for knowing more and learning from each other.

THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT HUB

In April 2024, CST launched the School Improvement Hub, a free-to-access online portal showcasing research, resources and case studies from trusts with compelling track records. To help trusts better understand and compare practices, this work is underpinned by a high-level ‘conceptual model’ of trust-led school improvement. A key function of the model is to provide a shared language and set of concepts that describe the key aspects of effective improvement processes. The conceptual model was developed in line with evidence from education, other public sectors and business.

Following the launch of the conceptual model, school trusts were invited by ImpactED to participate in a call for evidence, seeking to identify high-quality examples of trust practice and patterns within the sector. We recently published the outcome of this research in a synthesis of trust school improvement approaches (Lessons in trust-led school improvement: A synthesis of evidence from system leaders, available on the School Improvement Hub).

This work has provided a significant insight into how trusts approach school improvement, providing more detail, nuance and clarity about how they improve school quality at scale.

One of the overriding insights is that although education, of course, happens in the classroom, many trusts are deliberate, reflective and deeply strategic about how they impact positively on what happens in the classroom. Below are five emerging insights into what this looks like in practice.

1. SHARED GOALS AS A STARTING POINT

To build a cohesive improvement strategy, trusts begin by establishing clear goals and shared definitions of quality. That could take the form of a simple internal framework or teaching-and-learning rubric that outlines what 'great' looks like in the classroom. For example, some trusts offer a central guide describing the fundamentals of effective lessons, with teachers encouraged to adapt these ideas in ways that feel relevant to their local pupils.

Three Trust-led school improvement strands & their components

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Emp ow er hor im p izo n t a l rove ment

feel more confident about the interventions they choose. Clear, data-driven messages and rationales can be useful for parents and students as well as staff.

3. BUILDING PEOPLE AND CAPACITY

Even with a solid framework of goals and research, improvement ultimately depends on the people who make it happen. Trusts are investing heavily in professional development and subject networks. These networks bring educators with similar roles across different schools together, so they can swap ideas, solve problems and stay updated on new research.

Professional development also goes beyond classroom teachers. Office managers, teaching assistants, site staff – everyone who impacts the school’s daily life – connect in trusts that believe every

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Use e enc evid

One of the strongest themes in modern trust leadership is an emphasis on evidence-informed practice. Trusts want to know that a new curriculum, intervention, or pastoral system genuinely works, rather than rolling out ideas based on hunches or fleeting trends.

A helpful way to think about it is 'external plus internal' evidence: External: Research and guidance from bodies like the Education Endowment Foundation. This might include strategies on reading comprehension or effective feedback.

Internal: Real-time data on attendance, staff feedback and pupil outcomes within the trust itself.

When these two come together, leaders

Set qu al goals ity

n y g

2. EVIDENCE AS A GUIDING LIGHT

e at pt a

ve De pe ex

Why does this matter? Having an agreed definition of quality creates a common language across the trust.

Whether it’s about curriculum design, behaviour management or how best to use data, staff can talk to each other in a focused, consistent way. This approach helps everyone – from senior leaders to classroom teachers – pull in the same direction.

In many cases, trusts strike a curated balance, with certain teaching practices or resources being required or recommended, but individual schools being empowered to decide how to adopt or adapt them. This balanced approach ensures that schools benefit from tried-and-tested methods while retaining scope for professional, contextdriven judgement.

ment imple De-

r clea te ra oals g

EVEN WITH A SOLID FRAMEWORK OF GOALS AND RESEARCH, IMPROVEMENT ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

MANAGEMENT

ow Gr le d an

role contributes to better outcomes for pupils. Some trusts take this further by spotting staff with particular expertise or leadership potential and seconding them temporarily to other schools. This not only strengthens struggling departments but also fosters a sense of unity and ambition across the trust.

In many cases, capacity-building is a lively, bottom-up process. Rather than simply being told what to do, teachers and leaders play an active part in shaping the trust’s shared practices. One trust, for example, encourages schools to identify 'bright spots' – teachers or teams who demonstrate innovative teaching or pastoral approaches that are working well.

Those bright spots then help guide wider improvements across the trust, ensuring that change comes from within as much as from the executive team. Indeed, one of the most striking patterns is that Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 21

MANAGEMENT

while trusts seem to be becoming more aligned, many are doing so in a middle/ bottom-up fashion.

4. STRUCTURED, ONGOING IMPROVEMENT CYCLES

A hallmark of trusts committed to improvement as a strategic discipline is a planned cycle of improvement and review such as that described by the Education Endowment Foundation. Typically, this might look like: Review: Gather data, observe lessons and conduct discussions to identify strengths and areas to work on.

Plan: Decide what initiatives or strategies to try, building on both external research and internal experiences.

Implement: Support schools to put these strategies into action, often with training or additional resources.

Evaluate: Check on progress and adjust accordingly.

This cycle can play out across a single academic year or longer, with each term focusing on a specific step, or it can be condensed into half-termly rhythms.

The key is that it’s a continuous process: leaders constantly refine their approach, remain open to new data and ensure that when something isn’t working, they have a plan for de-implementing it.

5. ANTICIPATING CHALLENGES AND MAKING ROOM FOR INNOVATION

A big part of strategic improvement involves looking ahead to possible roadblocks. In practice, that might mean ensuring that a new approach to teaching mathematics accounts for a shortage of specialist teachers in a smaller primary, or that resources are flexible enough to help schools with a high proportion of pupils with additional needs. The best trusts keep an eye out for these potential hurdles, so they can address them early on.

It’s also important to make space for fresh ideas. Trusts that handle innovation well sometimes do so through controlled pilots: trialling something new in one or two schools, evaluating results and then rolling it out more broadly if it proves successful. This stops staff from feeling overwhelmed by endless 'new initiatives', because older, less effective strategies get phased out at the same time.

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY

While trust-led school improvement has evolved rapidly over the past few years, this journey is far from over.

Increasingly, trusts are emphasising cross-organisational learning, professional development …THERE IS A PALPABLE THIRST WITHIN programmes and networks, and THE SECTOR FOR KNOWING MORE building leadership AND LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER. pipelines, so that

22 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

school and trust improvement capacity is carefully grown over time.

Old narratives that posit leaders must choose between autonomy and alignment seem increasingly unable to account for the complexity and responsiveness of approaches within individual trusts and across the sector. In many cases, shared goals and consistent frameworks support meaningful innovation and context-driven adaptation – alignment and flexibility. They also allow for large numbers of colleagues working across multiple locations to build better practices together – being more than the sum of their parts.

School improvement as a strategic discipline is an ongoing process: each improvement priority deepens collective knowledge and strengthens the relationships that hold the trust together.

This journey isn’t about reaching a final 'perfect' approach. Instead, it’s about a constant process of review, reflection and refinement, ensuring every school, and ultimately every child, within the trust can flourish.

It's also worth noting the school improvement approaches explored in this project resonate well with the wider policy aims of government: a school system that is better connected in order to support collaboration and the sharing of excellence. What we’re seeing in trusts is the deliberateness of this: undertaken as a strategic discipline and not left to chance.

This is the promise of trust-led school improvement – and it is rapidly becoming a reality for schools across England. ■

STEVE ROLLETT is Deputy Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. Before joining CST, he was Curriculum and Inspection Specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders.

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 23

24 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

WORKFORCE

ASK THE RECRUITER FINDING THE BEST CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR YOUR TRUST We have been approached by a number of Chief Executive Officers (CEO) from a range of trusts who are seeking to appoint Chief Financial Officers (CFO); so, for this edition’s Ask the Recruiter feature, Melanie Pye shares some of her insights and expertise to answer questions surrounding how best to recruit a CFO, the key skills required and the value of looking outside the sector.

A

ccording to the Kreston UK Academies Benchmark Report 2025, for two years in a row rises in costs have outweighed income. A multi-academy trust’s biggest cost is salaries and, with the increase in National Insurance and essential maintenance on properties, costs will continue to increase. With cuts in funding and an increased need for SEND provisions, it will be imperative that trust executive teams are creative and broadminded in their thinking and approach when it comes to income generation and making cost efficiencies.

The role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is critical to the success of not only a trust as a whole but also the financial health of the schools within it. They are responsible for making decisive and relevant business recommendations and decisions, for strategic planning and for budgeting as well as leading the finance function. They may also have responsibility for other functions within the trust such as estates and IT. Hiring an experienced CFO demonstrates a commitment to not only student success but also financial excellence and regulatory compliance.

Here are some of the questions we have received:

WE ARE SEEKING TO APPOINT A CFO TO STRENGTHEN OUR TRUST LEADERSHIP TEAM; WHAT SHOULD WE CONSIDER WHEN RECRUITING?

Before going to market it is important to develop a clearly defined and comprehensive job description which codifies not only the day-to-day responsibilities of the CFO, but also the required skills and qualifications, and the post’s reporting lines. It should also be very clear whether sector experience is an essential criterion for appointing the next CFO. Internally, the executive team should define the objectives of the incoming CFO and incorporate these into the job brief. These could include what the trust is looking to achieve in the next five years and how the incoming CFO will fit into the strategic plan. Objectives could be around growth or maintaining stability or simply providing quality education to the community – or a combination.

Remuneration should also be carefully considered; trusts could carry out some market research by asking sector peers, reviewing other job descriptions or simply asking a recruiter for advice and guidance.

It may be that your budget is tight, but do consider return on investment;

a CFO needs to be strategic and often salaries are reflective of their skill set and experience in this respect.

Historically, experience was considered the essential requirement. However, in my opinion, cultural fit has fast overtaken experience in importance – especially when the executive team is relatively small. The successful individual will need to not only collaborate well with the executive team but also their direct reports and at an individual school level.

It is important to encourage diversity of applications. Whilst experience of working in education is valuable in terms of funding and the specific nuances surrounding schools, out-of-sector candidates could bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas and solutions and positively challenge the status quo.

The importance of balancing attitude and aptitude with experience cannot be underestimated, especially where a candidate is the best fit culturally.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SOURCE A CANDIDATE?

Whilst directly advertising on job boards and on TES is often less expensive, it isn’t always time-efficient; so, for a role as business-critical as a CFO, the use of a search consultancy is recommended.

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 25

WORKFORCE

The consultancy will be your ambassador; they should gain a thorough understanding of the role and challenge you on your requirements and what you are seeking to achieve from this key appointment. They can connect with a wider pool of candidates, both in and out of sector, and also target those potential candidates who are not actively seeking a new role. This in turn allows for a more diverse and relevant longlist.

Fundamentally, the search consultant’s role is not only to save you time but to also find the best candidate for the trust both in terms of experience and cultural fit.

experience in line with your strategic plan. Supporting statements also allow out-of-sector candidates to describe any exposure they have had to the education world – i.e. they have been a governor or worked directly with the sector.

WHAT SHOULD THE INTERVIEW PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

The interview process should be structured yet supportive, allowing the candidates to showcase their skills and fit with the trust.

This also allows the executive team to ask behavioural questions designed to assess the candidate’s leadership styles and personal style of engagement, both as a team member and as a leader.

You should also probe on real-life scenarios, giving you an insight into candidates’ decisionmaking skills, how they deal with complex challenges, their approach to problemsolving and their ability to making hard decisions. Examples might include ideas to make cost efficiencies and/or strategic and financial planning.

If any of the shortlisted candidates are from outside the sector, questions could be asked around funding for education, Ofsted and educational governance.

This will provide evidence of their

THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCING ATTITUDE AND APTITUDE WITH EXPERIENCE CANNOT BE UNDERESTIMATED …

When considering who to shortlist, CVs are important, but supporting statements are essential; they shed more light on a candidate’s personality, allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of the role and whether they have carried out their research and due diligence on the trust itself. If they are not from an education background, can they demonstrate transferrable skills with comparable examples. These could include managing multi-site business streams, applying for funding or relevant

26 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

understanding of the sector and their ability to move into education.

AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL APPOINTMENT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO NEXT?

The importance of effective onboarding and regular communication cannot be over-stated. When candidates experience a dip in communication post offer, it can create uncertainty or disengagement.

Regular contact and invites to key meetings/ events during their notice period is important, as it fosters a sense of belonging and involvement and allows them to familiarise themselves with the culture of the organisation before they officially step into the role. This can make the transition smoother. Moreover, it helps the appointee feel that they are already contributing and strengthens their commitment to the role.

On their arrival, it is important to set clear expectations. Defining objectives and goals for the first 12 months helps to ensure the appointee hits the ground running and provides a framework for both them and the executive team to measure progress and success. ■ MELANIE PYE specialises in search leadership recruitment at Anderson Quigley.

If you would like to discuss any of the topics in this article, pose a question or require support in recruiting members for your executive team, you can contact Melanie by email at Melanie.Pye@andersonquigley.com

Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 27

STAFF

SUPPORTING ORACY

THE FOUNDATION OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Kate Freeman argues oracy is at the heart of effective communication and that, for schools and trusts, prioritising speech and language is key to unlocking every pupil’s potential and equipping them for future success.

O

racy has become a hot topic in education recently, especially with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer bringing it into focus during last year’s election and its likely prominence in the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

The establishment of the independent Oracy Education Commission, headed by the respected Geoff Barton, as well as its recent report, further underscores oracy’s growing importance on the national agenda. It is essential, therefore, not to lose sight of the underpinning skills of speech, language and communication in the rush to focus on the development of strong oracy abilities.

This article reflects on what is meant by oracy, how speech, language and communication skills contribute to oracy proficiency and how evidence-based packages can help schools in developing pupils as confident and able communicators.

UNDERSTANDING ORACY

Oracy, a term coined in the 1960s by Andrew Wilkinson, is the ability to use spoken language 28 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

purposefully in order to communicate effectively.

It encompasses skills such as active listening, persuasion, collaboration and discussion to influence others.

Oracy-rich approaches can have a positive impact on attainment, particularly in reading (EEF, 2021), and pave the way for future success in employment, teamwork and leadership roles. Employers consistently rank oral communication as a top employability skill (NACE, 2016). Additionally, oracy practice can increase pupil confidence and support friendships, social development and emotional well-being.

Voice 21 and Cambridge University identify four strands within their Oracy Framework: • Physical: Varied pitch, tone and engaging body language to match the message.

• Linguistic: Adjusting language for the audience, using vocabulary effectively to persuade or demonstrate respect.

STAFF

• Cognitive: Presenting well-structured information while considering other viewpoints.

• Social and Emotional: Managing audience interactions confidently and adapting communication to meet diverse needs.

THE UNDERPINNING SKILLS OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

While oracy holds immense potential, ambitious plans to integrate it into the curriculum must embrace the foundational skills of speech, language and communication. These aspects include: • adequate attention skills • intelligible speech sound production • a wide-ranging vocabulary • grammatically correct sentence structures • comprehension of spoken language • ability to construct narratives.

For pupils with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), difficulties in these areas can hinder their ability to develop oracy skills.

Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensuring no pupil is left behind in the quest for oracy.

SCREENING: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO ORACY EARLY

Research highlights the crucial nature of early identification of speech, language and communication needs in enabling adequate and timely support in skills development. Data demonstrates that SLCN is the highest area of SEN support needed in primary school, whilst social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) are the highest reported needs at secondary school, underlining frequently unidentified SLCN. Indeed, written evidence to parliament (RCSLT, 2024) identified very high levels of undiagnosed SLCN found among care leavers (90%) and yet other research found that 81% of pupils with SEMH needs have significant unidentified language deficits (Hollo and Oliver, 2014).

It is for these reasons that experts recommend screening for SLCN at the beginning of each key stage. By flagging potential challenges early, schools can implement interventions that target specific areas of need, fostering the development of speech and language skills that underpin oracy and school progress.

This proactive approach aligns with the Government’s agenda for early intervention and empowers schools to address communication challenges before they escalate.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION SKILLS To effectively build the foundation for oracy, schools and trusts can adopt these strategies: • Identify and address SLCN early: Screen for speech and language difficulties to understand and address the root causes of oracy (and other) challenges.

• Bridge learning and application: Ensure pupils transfer their learning from interventions back into the classroom, applying new skills in discussions and presentations.

• Create a communication-friendly environment: Foster a safe and supportive space where efforts to communicate are encouraged and celebrated.

• Observe and support: Monitor class discussions to identify pupils struggling with vocabulary, verbal reasoning, or clarification strategies. Provide tailored support.

• Value listening: Emphasise active listening as a critical skill, promoting collaboration and understanding.

• Encourage diverse discussions: Provide varied opportunities for communication, such as debates, group work and presentations, pairing pupils supportively to boost confidence.

• Explicitly teach communication skills: Model formal language, respectful responses and effective articulation to guide pupils.

• Reflect and adapt: Encourage pupils to evaluate their oracy development, using feedback to refine teaching approaches.

ASSESSMENT: A DEEP DIVE INTO COMMUNICATION NEEDS

Understanding the specific nature of a pupil’s SLCN is essential for effective support. Specialist assessment tools enable schools to create personalised support plans, prioritising the development of communication skills critical for oracy and academic progress.

They also facilitate meaningful collaboration with parents, speech and language therapists, and other stakeholders, ensuring a cohesive approach to supporting pupils' needs. F Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 29

STAFF

In addition to being able to avoid lengthy speech and language therapy waiting lists, assessment results form the basis of reports on levels of need for individual pupils, as well as across groups of pupils, years, schools and even at MAT or local authority level. These reports are also vital in tracking the progress that comes from evidenced interventions.

INTERVENTION: BUILDING COMMUNICATION FOUNDATIONS

A suite of evidence-based interventions are vital in addressing the wide range of SLCN across schools.

Detailed programmes come complete with the resources needed for delivery in schools. They target specific areas such as phonological awareness, vocabulary development and comprehension, all of which are essential for building the strong speech, language and communications skills which underpin oracy.

Intervention programmes which have been developed by speech and language therapists, and which are personalised to the needs of individual pupils, are available to schools to support every pupil with SLCN, whether individually or in small groups.

These programmes provide focused opportunities for pupils to practice and develop their communication skills. Interventions are adaptable, allowing schools to tailor support to their unique contexts.

By integrating oracy-focused activities, interventions ensure that pupils are not only improving their speech and language but also applying these skills in meaningful, dialogic contexts.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ADVANCING ORACY

Digital tools simplify processes and maximise impact.

These tools make identifying and supporting SLCN more efficient, ensuring inclusivity even in resourcelimited settings. This use of technology also aligns with the Government’s commitment to reducing inequalities in SEND provision.

30 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

ALIGNING WITH NATIONAL PRIORITIES

The Government’s SEND reforms and curriculum updates underscore the importance of oracy as a foundation for learning and life. Speech & Language Link’s approach complements these priorities, incorporating specialist speech and language therapy knowledge and emphasising the development of speech, language and communication skills as the bedrock of educational success.

Through a place-based approach, schools can tailor their SEND provision to the needs of their communities. Flexible tools, enabling individualised responses to SLCN, support this localised approach. Standardised assessments enable schools to check progress against pupils’ age by month rather than year group, assessing need and directing to proven interventions that are adaptable to the unique context of schools and individual pupils. A focus on the whole school recognises how all aspects of school life can impact on pupils’ oracy progress.

In-built monitoring systems support schools to have readily available information for their report cards.

THE IMPACT: EMPOWERING PUPILS THROUGH ORACY

Strong communication skills empower pupils academically, socially and emotionally. Schools prioritising speech, language and communication see improvements in confidence, engagement and academic progress, fostering a generation of effective communicators prepared for life’s challenges.

As the spotlight on oracy grows, so does the need to address the foundational speech and language skills that underpin it. By fostering these skills, educators can ensure all pupils develop the confidence and ability to express themselves effectively. Whether through targeted interventions or whole-school strategies, prioritising speech, language and communication is key to unlocking every pupil’s potential and equipping them for future success. ■

KATE FREEMAN is a highly experienced, qualified Speech and Language Therapist, now working as an independent consultant with a range of organisations, including Speech & Language Link (speechand language.link)

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BUILDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOSTERING A SENSE OF BELONGING Founded in 1125, Reading School is a state grammar school in Berkshire and one of the oldest schools in England. Despite its historic prominence and academic excellence, community engagement and fundraising had been limited, but in 2017, the school created a dedicated role to reignite a sense of belonging to the school.

Jas Chhokar, Society Manager at Reading School, talks to us about her role and the school’s development journey from an initial focus on community engagement to today’s plans for their forthcoming 900-year celebration.

RE-ENGAGING THE READING COMMUNITY

When Jas started as Society Manager at Reading School, her primary focus was to build relationships with the Reading School community.

She explains: “Whilst the Old Redingensians Association (ORA) membership community, which runs alongside Reading School, had largely stayed in touch with our older alumni, it became a priority for the Society Office

to re-establish connections with younger former students and former parents.

Working in close collaboration with the ORA, we made it our mission to engage the entire OR community, not limited by membership and to reaffirm that all alumni and parents remain a valued part of the Reading School family.”

THE DATABASE

Having a suitable fundraising database is critical to long-term fundraising success.

It is needed to record contact details, capture data on key engagement activities and build a picture of the interests and motivations of the community.

“We had a basic database with some contact information, but we needed a way of both capturing our relationships with our community and engaging with them... and, as a state school, we had a limited budget.

After researching different options, we eventually chose ToucanTech, F Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 33

FUNDING

the school’s historic trustee, safeguards its long-term sustainability, overseeing endowments and championing strategic initiatives that secure the future of the school for generations to come. Together, these groups form a dedicated network of supporters who share a common commitment to excellence, tradition and opportunity.

THE STORY

AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK IS A COMMITMENT TO SERVICE AND CONNECTION. which provides both a CRM and an online engagement platform, offering us the opportunity to build a thriving community of pupils, parents and alumni.”

THE AUDIENCE

When the development role was introduced, the school's LinkedIn presence was relatively modest, with only 200300 connections. There was no one to communicate with them and grow this.

Over time, this number has grown to over 2,000 alumni connections on LinkedIn alone, complemented by a strong presence on other social media platforms like Facebook and X and, more recently, on Instagram. A social media presence is essential to engage younger alumni and current students.

“Building our presence on social media platforms was integral to building a stronger community; we needed to share the Reading School story. We introduced our most recent leavers to LinkedIn and encouraged them to join by 34 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

demonstrating the power of connection.

Having a school LinkedIn presence also allowed us to spend time searching for lost alumni and then ask them to join the Reading School Alumni Society and share the school’s LinkedIn page and Alumni Society with their networks. It took time, but now we have a community who we can share our successes with ... and ask for their support too.”

The ORA, Reading School Parents’ Association (RSPA), and the Reading Foundation play an invaluable role in fostering a strong, supportive community around Reading School.

The ORA and the RSPA ensure that alumni and parents remain connected, providing networking opportunities and generous financial support for key projects. The RSPA is at the heart of the parent community, tirelessly fundraising and organising events that enrich students' experiences while strengthening family engagement with the school. The Reading Foundation, as

Despite the school’s significant legacy, in the past there was little emphasis on sharing this history, or on the achievements of our current pupils.

Recognising the importance of telling the school’s story in re-engaging alumni and former parents, Jas spent time engaging with the various audiences through their social media channels, increasing Reading School’s social media following.

“We began with a clear objective: to forge connections with our community and, through telling the story of the school's past, inspire the community to support future generations of pupils.

Teachers began to actively contribute to telling our story, sharing achievements from their departments and shaping the voice of the school. This collective effort helped paint a picture of the school around which to engage our growing community. For example, in June, we have two weeks called ‘Belonging Weeks’ where students are encouraged to engage in activities and trips which build character and these activities are demonstrated through quotes, photos and videos.

Recently, Jas has launched the engaging ‘Throwback Thursday’ series in collaboration with ORA Archivist Ken Brown, whose profound knowledge of the school’s history has been invaluable. He has delved into the archives to unearth and share fascinating memories of school life, beautifully connecting them to our 900th Anniversary celebrations.

Additionally, Jas introduced the inspiring ‘Voices of ORs’ initiative, where she interviews former staff and distinguished alumni. Through these conversations, they share their achievements and experiences,

FUNDING

showcasing the enduring thread that links current students to the Old Redingensian community.

ENGAGEMENT BEFORE FUNDRAISING

Reading School’s strategy is clear: development has to be about more than just money. Hence, initially, there had to be a focus on building relationships and fostering a sense of belonging through a range of engagement opportunities.

EVENTS

Supporting whole-school events like prize-giving ceremonies, concerts and drama productions, offered Jas the opportunity to showcase the school’s vibrant culture and acted as a perfect platform to invite parents and alumni into the school.

“Whole-school events have offered me both the opportunity to engage with our alumni and parents but also with colleagues from across the school, and enabled those colleagues to understand more about my role and how they can support us in developing our school community.”

With a growing community, the school has introduced bespoke alumni events, including regular reunions every 5, 10 and 15 years, further strengthening these bonds with the creation of alumni ambassadors.

CAREER SUPPORT

Inviting alumni and parents to support the careers programme, leveraging their expertise to support mock interviews and the biennial Careers Convention and Inspire Lectures has not only provided opportunities for the wider Reading community to directly engage with the school but also for students to benefit from a wealth of experience.

Jas says: “We are fortunate that many of our alumni and parents want to come back and share their expertise and career paths with our students. We are taking steps to roll out career mentoring using the ToucanTech platform, which will benefit our students and create a connection with our alumni. Our biennial Careers Convention sees over 60 delegates made up of local businesses, parents and alumni.”

FUNDRAISING MOVES FORWARD

Having re-established and strengthened relationships with alumni and parents across the Reading School community, the school has promoted fundraising opportunities.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE 365 FUND

The Building for the Future 365 Fund had been established for many years, but Jas felt it was essential to highlight the

TOP TIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS • Encourage a sense of belonging: school is for life and the school community can and will support the school well beyond the point they leave.

• Get your engagement right: building genuine relationships through sharing your school’s story is key. No one will donate if they don’t know what they are donating to and aren’t connected to your school.

• Create a strong case for support: demonstrate the need which explains why are you asking for support; share stories about what a difference your community can make.

• Ask your community for their support... not just their money: can they give their time or share their expertise? Fundraising comes from volunteering.

• Create a love for your school: acknowledge your donors and share with them the impact of their support; this will inspire others to give and may encourage them to give again.

importance of the fund and demonstrate its impact in order to increase support for it from parents and alumni. The Building for the Future 365 Fund requests a modest contribution of £1 per day per pupil to support the sports, co-curricular activities and electives of the school, ensuring a well-rounded education for all pupils. Support for the annual fund from parents and alumni continues to grow steadily (with a brief drop off during the pandemic) and, to date, the fund has supported travel to and from sports fixtures, equipment for electives such as bushcraft and design lessons, booking fees for sports facilities such as badminton courts and the purchase of sports and cocurricular equipment.

“Without our Building for the Future 365 Fund, we would not be able to offer cocurricular activities – there is no funding within the school budget to support these. Our fundraising from alumni and parents is therefore having a direct impact on the pupil experience at Reading School and, through communicating the impact this fund is making, we continue to see a growing number of our community donate annually. It is really important to engage the new parents and pupils who join in Year 7 … to ensure we can keep up the consistency of funding for these additional activities.”

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS AND TRUSTS

Reading School has also forged valuable partnerships with local corporations.

A notable contribution came from a local corporate partner which donated £19,000 towards the Future Stories Science and Me project, an outreach programme aimed at engaging primary school students with STEM subjects. This allowed Reading School’s students to act as role models for local primary school students whilst providing inspirational and engaging science lessons. More recently, The Wolfson Trust has also supported the refurbishment of the Physics laboratories, complemented by an additional £15,000 raised by our parents for new physics equipment. F Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 35

FUNDING

A TEAM EFFORT

Development success depends on the collective effort of colleagues across the school. Building and nurturing relationships requires a united approach and, as the school’s community grows, so too must the development team. This growth ensures the team can continue to foster connections, support future fundraising endeavours and create opportunities to celebrate the past.

Jas explains: "What began as a one-person operation has evolved into a dedicated team of three, including myself and two full-time staff members. Together, we provide essential support to our expanding community, combining a diverse range of expertise to drive our development journey forward, genuinely supported by our Headmaster and senior leaders. At the heart of our work is a commitment to service and connection – whether assisting a staff member with their departmental needs, guiding a student with careers advice, or listening to our alumni as they share their stories and fond memories. These conversations not only strengthen our ties but also remind us why our shared history and future matter so much. Our mission is to make life easier and more meaningful for everyone we serve."

CELEBRATING 900 YEARS

In 2025, Reading School will celebrate its 900th anniversary, and this milestone will be marked by a series of events that focus on engaging with the community and moving forward fundraising. From a Giving Day on 26th and 27th March to launch the school’s new capital campaign to a Grand Reunion, with over 670 already confirmed to attend on 12th July, the school is planning a yearlong engagement campaign with the festivities culminating in a gala dinner on 29th November.

Jas says: “We are thrilled that our work to reunite alumni with the school is being rewarded. Thanks to the generosity of one of our esteemed alumni, our Grand Reunion will offer them the 36 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

opportunity to join our celebrations at the school. We have alumni from around the globe attending!”

FUTURE FUNDRAISING

Reading School’s anniversary celebrations will launch a new £28 million capital campaign, ‘Beyond 900’, to fundraise for essential projects including a new sports centre, expressive arts spaces, a swimming pool and a Sixth Form centre – as well as advancing the Future Stories social mobility programme working in partnership with local primary schools.

Whilst some of this funding will come from the school itself, through the sale of land, significant financial support will be sought through fundraising from the school community.

Above: Before and after images of the Physics Laboratory refurbishment.

Jas explains: “By focusing on building genuine relationships, the school now has a thriving, supportive community. As we embark on our 900th anniversary, I know that through our community engagement we have established the foundations for our fundraising plans. I have no doubt, our community will continue to give generously to support us in achieving our ambitious vision for the future of Reading School.” ■ JAS CHHOKAR is Development and Alumni Manager, Reading School.

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WORKFORCE

BUILDING A CULTURE OF GROWTH

DRIVING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH A TRUST-WIDE APPROACH Karla Martin explains why she believes CPD is critically important to secure a sustainable future for both teachers and trusts, and urges senior leaders to put the activity at the heart of their plans.

A

ccording to NASUWT, a third of teachers have either not received any – or have not received sufficient – Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in the past year. With just 64% of teachers and school leaders confirming that they know what they need to do in order to progress to the next level in their careers, it is clear that there is room for more support for teaching staff to enable them to grow and develop.

At the Chelmsford Learning Partnership (CLP), we believe that, while individual schools have a responsibility to develop their staff, the buck ultimately lies with our trust; so, supporting our teachers’ career development is always front of mind. After all, not only does effective professional development contribute to positive well-being, it also fosters motivation and job satisfaction – both crucial for staff retention.

38 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

Trusts also have an advantage they can leverage.

With multiple schools, trusts can develop teachers beyond their own settings, which can enhance skills, confidence and collaboration. By focusing on developing leaders at all levels, trusts can also contribute to their own sustainability by nurturing a pipeline of talent through CPD initiatives beyond the confines of individual schools.

At CLP, our approach to professional development is rooted in three pillars: knowledge, ambition and structures and systems.

KNOWLEDGE

Without understanding your team’s needs and aspirations, you can’t effectively plan their career

TRUSTS CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR OWN SUSTAINABILITY BY NURTURING A PIPELINE OF TALENT THROUGH CPD INITIATIVES

WORKFORCE

EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTE[S] TO POSITIVE WELL-BEING, IT ALSO FOSTERS MOTIVATION AND JOB SATISFACTION development or the future growth of your trust.

People want to be used to their full potential; consequently, CPD needs to go beyond their current role and encompass their wider repertoire of knowledge and skills. To understand where our staff want to be in, say, five years’ time, every interaction (and not just performance management review meetings) is an opportunity to gain meaningful information about their preferred professional direction. Surveys, meetings and even informal conversations are all tools to understand staff goals and ambitions.

AMBITION

Once you have a strong understanding of staff aspirations, you can map their motivations against the trust’s ambitions to identify areas of alignment.

Communicating our vision is important; it helps people feel connected and heard. This is conveyed through our trust-wide staff meetings, newsletters, Trust Training Days and half-termly school improvement visits in order to ensure that it is a central thread through all that we do.

STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS

Finally, once you have defined your ambitions as a trust, you need to make opportunities available to staff. At CLP, we have worked hard to create a

FIVE WAYS TO CREATE A CULTURE OF GROWTH

• Centralise your approach: Continuous professional development is not just a responsibility of your schools but your trust too.

Taking a trust-wide approach means you can leverage the different phases and contexts within the trust to develop the capabilities and knowledge of your teaching staff.

• Understand the development goals of your teaching staff and map these against your trust’s needs: From there, you can create a plan to develop your staff and nurture your pipeline of talent.

• Implement clear systems and processes for development: Not only does this create transparency and build trust, it also ensures that everybody has a strong understanding of development opportunities at every level, whether this is delivering a workshop, adopting a peer review role or becoming a topic champion.

• Provide leadership opportunities for all your staff: These should allow for diverse pathways to ensure that they are available to everybody, as the road to professional development is unique to each member of staff.

• Explore ways to fund professional qualifications: One way to deliver NPQs or MBAs is by using the apprenticeship levy. structured programme of opportunities for all levels of staff to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Professional development for educators is more than a strategic decision, it is a commitment to developing a culture of collaboration and growth for everybody within the trust. By understanding teachers’ aspirations, aligning their ambitions with our joint goals and providing accessible opportunities for development and growth, we are building a foundation for both individual and trust success. ■

KARLA MARTIN is the Director of Standards and School Improvement at Chelmsford Learning Partnership. With a background in mainstream primary and secondary education, Karla is an experienced educator and advocate for children and young people.

Spring 2025 | 39

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BANNING MOBILE PHONES

A WORTHWHILE INITIATIVE?

Steve Price explains why he believes the positive results of a pilot initiative to ban mobile phones in one school in his trust is likely to inform a decision to ban them across the Tudor Park Education Trust as a whole.

I

n a bold move to improve student focus and well-being, Logic Studio School, a small 14-19 studio school specialising in IT, Business and Enterprise, has implemented a strict policy banning mobile phones for its Key Stage 4 students during school hours. The initiative, which has been met with both praise and initial criticism, has yielded notable improvements in student engagement, academic performance and behaviour. Now, its sister school, Springwest Academy, within the same trust, is preparing to adopt a similar approach in the upcoming academic year, reinforcing the growing trend of mobile-free education.

THE DECISION TO BAN MOBILE PHONES

Over recent years, Logic Studio School noticed a worrying trend among its Key Stage 4 cohort: increasing low mood, poor concentration, greater anxiety and increased school refusal. These observations, aligned with national findings on adolescent unhappiness, backed up the school's internal data about some cohorts of students being unsettled at school. With a well-

rich, offering access to PCs, laptops and established one-to-one coaching tablets under controlled conditions to programme designed to support both ensure students engage with uniquely academic and social progress, the school educational material. was able to highlight varying levels of Parental communication and support student unhappiness, poor mood and have been significant throughout this concentration and, in many cases, an process. Winning the hearts and minds of addiction to mobile phones. parents has been a long but purposeful The school’s senior leadership team journey, and their consistent support initially adopted a ‘not seen and not has contributed to the policy’s success. heard’ policy for mobile phones, but Over time, the school has observed this did not go far enough in addressing improvements in students’ effort grades, the issues. Consequently, they moved further validating the initiative. to an approach where phones would be locked away in portable storage OVER TIME, THE SCHOOL HAS OBSERVED containers.

IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENTS’ EFFORT These containers are opened for GRADES... VALIDATING THE INITIATIVE. mobile phone drop-off during prep time and reopened at the end of the THE IMPACT OF THE BAN day for collection. This strategy leveraged Since implementing the policy, Logic the flexibility of portable storage areas Studio School has observed a series of while ensuring phones were inaccessible positive changes. Teachers have reported throughout the school day. a significant reduction in distractions This presents a conundrum: Logic Studio during lessons, with students becoming School promotes the use of technology more engaged in classroom discussions for learning but has had to persuade and activities. The school has also noted a students not to misuse their personal decline in disciplinary incidents related to mobile devices. The school remains ITphone misuse, including cyberbullying Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025 | 41

POINT OF VIEW

and unauthorised social media use during class time. There are fewer trips to the bathroom (to check phones during the day)!

Additionally, the removal of mobile phones has encouraged students to interact more during breaks and lunchtimes. Many students who previously spent their free time scrolling through social media are now engaging in face-to-face conversations, participating in extracurricular activities, playing table games, or spending time for independent study.

"It's been amazing to see students talking, playing and engaging with one another in ways they hadn’t before," said Alex Pett, Principal of Logic Studio School. "The energy around the school has improved further, with students free from their mobile phones and interacting more."

While some students initially resisted the policy, arguing that mobile phones were essential for communication and entertainment, many have come to appreciate the benefits. Taking a collective approach in which all students engage with a ‘digital detox’ has been the most powerful part of bringing students on board with this policy.

PLANS FOR EXPANSION ACROSS THE TRUST

Logic Studio’s sister school, Springwest Academy, has watched this transformation

with keen interest. Despite its different size and designation – a large comprehensive school with 950 students aged 11 to 16 – it has decided to adopt a phone-free school model and is now in the communication and implementation stage.

Recognising the differences between the two schools, Springwest Academy has opted for a slightly different approach.

Instead of locking phones away in storage containers, students will be required to carry their phones in individual pouches that will be sealed at the start of the school day. At the end of the day, students will be able to access unlocking points to open the pouches and retrieve their phones.

Springwest Academy’s Principal, Simon Hart, expressed confidence in the upcoming changes. "We have seen the transformative effects of this policy at Logic Studio School, and we believe that our students will benefit just as much. The distractions caused by mobile phones are a challenge for all schools, and we want to create an environment where students can thrive academically and socially."

REACTIONS FROM PARENTS AND STUDENTS

As with any significant policy shift, the mobile phone ban has sparked a variety of responses. Many parents have expressed support, citing concerns about screen addiction and online safety.

Both schools have assured parents that students will be allowed to retrieve their phones upon dismissal.

Among students, the reaction was mixed initially. Over time, students understand the freedoms they are presented with when they are mobile phone-free during the school day.

BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

The mobile phone debate in schools is not unique to the schools in the trust, Tudor Park Education Trust. Across the UK, there has been a growing discussion about the role of mobile phones in education.

Some policymakers have even suggested a nationwide ban in schools, citing research that links excessive phone use to lower academic performance and increased anxiety among students. Others argue for a more balanced approach, emphasising digital literacy and self-regulation.

LOOKING AHEAD

As Springwest Academy prepares to implement its mobile phone policy, Tudor Park Education Trust is closely monitoring the long-term impact of these changes.

If the positive outcomes at Logic Studio School are replicated at Springwest Academy, it is likely that more partnership schools will follow suit.

For now, the debate over mobile phones in schools continues. While the bans have proven effective in fostering focus and social engagement, questions remain about the best approach to balancing technology use and education. Regardless of differing opinions, one thing is clear: schools are increasingly recognising the need to address mobile phone distractions to create the best possible learning environments for their students. ■

STEVE PRICE is Chief Executive of the Tudor Park Education Trust.

42 | Trust Leadership Today | Spring 2025

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humanutopia have created a range of unique and refreshing programmes, which present young people with new perspectives on the world, themselves and their futures - empowering them by addressing many key issues that young people face, including: - Motivation & confidence - Mental health & wellbeing - Volunteering & leadership - Peer mentoring - Workplace & future readiness Being fully trauma informed, our programmes help young people come to terms with their past experiences, while also teaching them about the latest developments in neuroscience - how the neuroplasticity of their brain allows them to rewire their brain, leeading to sustainable changes and developing new and more positive habits.

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