From Raising the Floor to Raising the Ceiling

Whole Education 6th Annual Conference

Twitter | @WholeEducation #Seizingtheagenda

Establishing a shared vision for school improvement

Seizing the Agenda

Wakefield City Academy

Our Journey

Marie Hunter – Co Headteacher/NLE/Senior Director -WCATSuzanne Austwick – Co Headteacher/NLE/Head of Teaching School (WRTSA)

Distributed LeadershipCo Headteachers - September 2010Fast track Convertor Academy - January 2011National Teaching School – April 2012Wakefield City Academies Trust – August 2013

Structure of Leadership teamAlan Yellup - CEO2 Co Headteachers Marie – Senior Director of

WCAT Suzanne – Head of WRTSA1 Deputy Headteacher3 Assistant Headteachers 1 Business Manager

Creating A Positive CultureBy: stressing EPM not ECM winning the staff & students consult and listen – open door policy not top down make staff feel valued distributing leadership identifying movers & shakers using Influence not Power establishing a no fear culture taking risks focusing on the positives – praise

Our beliefs hands on/ lead from the front not what you say but how you say it raise standards with dignity – not

coercion or threat communication never complacent team- in it together have a sense of humour !

WCATChallenges• retention of staff• drawing on the academy• time management• retaining ‘Outstanding’• expectations• autonomy

What works for us ! communication- us - SLT - trust meetings SLEs, Associate SLEs prioritise City recognising the benefits Sense of humour !

Culture and leadership across the MAT

Alan – prior to conversion Lead staff from City Base at City new recruits huge team for support

Same v different insist on same principles develop the same culture develop a positive ethos high expectation

autonomy – name, uniform, procedures/ practices local governing body

Nene Park Academy

Part of CMAT

(A Contextualised MAT)

• Previously Orton Longueville School – ex-grammar school with a good reputation in Peterborough

• Below 40% A*-CEM since before 2003• Falling roll – built for 1100, 785 on roll and dropping. PAN 180, Sept 2010 we

had 52 first choices• 35% EAL• Poor ethos• Poor curriculum• Poor standards

• CMAT joined in Sept 2009 (1 person, 1 day/week) on a gaining ground project• Easter 2010, CMAT took over the leadership of the school• Sept 2010, CMAT Principal, Vice Principal, + 5 other staff• Using the support of the Trust was critical

Nene Park Academy

• Outward facing– National Challenge support school– Gaining Ground Support school– SSAT involvement at many levels– Work for and with the LA– Involved with BSF for LA

• Developmental– Introduced distributed leadership– House model (personalisation)– Curriculum model (personalisation)

• Built Capacity

Swavesey Village College

• Immediate fixes– New Bodies who ‘get it’ – The Core Intervention Team– Existing bodies who quickly ‘pick it up’– Staff structural change– Student support structural change– Curriculum change– Expectations

Grafting the Model

• Peterborough United• Nene Park• Local business• LA support/partnership• Other schools• EAL

Using the Context

• Longer term issues– Academisation– Sustainability of the model at NPA – Developing the MAT through partnership

• Lead from the front– School to School support (Triads)– SCITT– Teaching School– Peterborough Learning Partnership– PRS management group

Grafting the Model

• PLEDGES & Inclusion– Take the idea and improve it within the context

• Develop and share– LinC2, 3 yr KS4,

The Return Journey

• Results – 2011, 44%; 2012, 49%; 2013, 60% (in old money)– First Oxbridge entrant this year

• Ethos – Ofsted ‘Good’ in all categories– Took in 200 yr7 this year at the request of LA– 185 first choices for 2016

• Partnerships– Schools– Business– Parents

• Confidence

The Impact