Trust Leadership Today, autumn 2024 edition

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY TRUST

CULTURE OF KINDNESS

Enabling

ACADEMY TRUST

Today LEADERSHIP

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

Emily Hayes

emily.hayes@fellowsmedia.com 01242 259241

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

The increasing volume of data captured on almost every dimension of school life is impacting the role of trust and school leaders to an extraordinary degree. Data, properly collected and analysed, can open a window into the ‘soul’ of a school – or, indeed, the wider trust – revealing sometimes under-recognised truths about its culture and performance.

In Using Generative AI (p32), Luke Ramsden explores how routinely collected data can be utilised to assist leadership teams to understand more about student behaviour patterns and improve pastoral care to the benefit of the whole community. This view is underpinned in Rosie Clayton’s article School Report Cards (p11) which explains how, as data-rich bodies, schools and trusts can use sophisticated data collection and analytics tools to facilitate deeper quality conversations about organisational development and improvement and, thereby, what constitutes success.

This surely plays into the current debate which Alex Russell considers in Reforming Ofsted (p19), where he argues that a new approach is required to inspections which reflects the reality of the school landscape.

DATA, PROPERLY COLLECTED AND ANALYSED, CAN OPEN A WINDOW INTO THE ‘SOUL’ OF A SCHOOL...

Yet, as Sir Anthony Seldon (Time is Very Short, p36) and Steve Price (A Culture of Kindness, p6) remind us, schools are human organisations and it is essential that we support the well-being and work-life balance of every member of a community if they are to flourish and progress.

Technology as a whole provides trusts with teaching and management ‘tools’ of enormous importance but let us remember that these tools are the servants not the leaders. As Sir Anthony puts it, ‘there is no more important issue than recommitting to the deepening of the human in education today’.

© 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.

PGL Beyond works as a partner to those in education, supporting that drive to make a difference to young people.

Together we want to help turn students’ formative years, into ‘transformative years’.

As a family of leading educational travel brands, we’ve been enriching the lives of young people for over 65 years.

pglbeyond.com hello@pglbeyond.com

Discover how we can partner with your Multi Academy Trust

A CULTURE OF KINDNESS

HOW A SMALL MAT SECURES STRONG STAFF RETENTION AND ATTRACTS NEW TALENT

Steve Price explains why embedding a culture of servant leadership, fostering work-life balance and proactively managing staff well-being has allowed the Tudor Park Education Trust to create an environment where both staff and students can thrive.

In the often high-pressure world of education, where high-intensity workloads often create stress and burnout, a small yet outward-looking multi-academy trust (MAT) is standing out by taking a different approach. By putting staff well-being and kindness at the heart of its culture, this trust is not only securing strong staff retention rates but also attracting new talent. The ripple effect has been felt across its schools, benefiting staff, students and the broader community. Tudor Park Education Trust (TPET), located in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London, currently has two schools under its Trust umbrella. Firstly, Springwest Academy, an 11-16 large comprehensive school, and, secondly, Logic Studio School, a 14-19 specialist business and media school. These schools are colocated on an attractive multi-use campus with two SEND specialist resource units, a

special school, two nurseries and a sports centre. Both schools have above average pupil premium and special educational needs and disability students, and also have a significant number of students from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds who speak English as an additional language. Through innovative and proactive measures, TPET has created a working environment where teachers and support staff feel valued, supported and able to thrive. Here’s how the MAT has transformed its schools by keeping kindness, simplicity and authenticity at the core of its mission.

A LONGSTANDING PROACTIVE APPROACH TO WELL-BEING

For TPET, prioritising staff well-being isn’t a trendy buzzword – it’s been a cornerstone of their strategy for years. As CEO, I recognised and supported early on in my first year that for students to succeed,

THE ENVIRONMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY ALLOWS STAFF TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF CREATIVITY IN THEIR TEACHING...

staff must first be in a positive, supported state of mind. By continuing to nurture the staff ’s mental, emotional and physical well-being, the Trust has seen significant long-term benefits in staff morale, performance and retention.

However, it’s important to note that both schools continue to develop their own culture, and there is an agreed commonality for the schools and the central team to support staff well-being.

CULTURE OF KINDNESS, NOBLAME AND AUTHENTICITY

Central to TPET’s success is the deep-rooted culture of kindness and authenticity that permeates every level of the organisation. The central and school leadership teams have been a key driver of this approach, advocating for servicefocused leadership, where the primary role of leadership is to serve and support their teams rather than to dictate from the top down. This model fosters trust, openness and a sense of belonging among staff, which is clearly evidenced in their stakeholder surveys.

Teachers are encouraged to innovate and experiment in the classroom, confident that they won’t face undue scrutiny if things don’t go as planned.

This environment of psychological safety allows staff to push the boundaries of creativity in their teaching, which has a direct impact on student engagement and learning outcomes. Kindness strategies include a no-blame culture (celebrating innovation), active staff voice at all levels, staff breakfast, refreshments throughout the day, saying thank you and public recognition of discretionary effort.

Leaders regularly check in with staff, not just to discuss work but to genuinely understand how they are doing. This open line of communication makes staff feel seen, heard and appreciated, which has been instrumental in maintaining high levels of job satisfaction. Coaching and supportive line-management continue to be a constant across the Trust.

SIMPLICITY AS A CORE PRINCIPLE

TPET and its schoolsrecognise that the demands on teachers' time and energy are vast, and they actively seek to simplify processes wherever possible. A guiding principle of ‘keeping things simple’ runs through their approach to school leadership, helping to prevent unnecessary complications which can overwhelm staff.

For instance, the schools have implemented a standardised behaviour system and centralised detention processes. This means teachers don’t have to spend valuable time managing discipline or worrying about inconsistency in behavioural expectations across classrooms. These streamlined systems reduce the emotional burden on staff, allowing them to focus more on teaching and fostering positive relationships with students.

Similarly, marking policies have been simplified and clarified, ensuring that teachers are not overburdened with excessive workload expectations. A clear marking strategy helps reduce the hours spent on administrative tasks, giving teachers more time to focus on lesson planning, student engagement and –importantly – their personal lives.

PRIORITISING WORK-LIFE BALANCE

TPET's commitment to work-life balance has been one of its most significant achievements. It actively models and supports a work-life balance for staff. This means putting in place procedures that make it not just acceptable, but encouraged, for staff to maintain

boundaries between their work and personal lives.

For example, the Trust has a strict policy on work-related emails and other forms of electronic communication. Emails can only be sent during designated working hours, with no expectation of responses outside of these times. This simple but impactful measure prevents staff from feeling the constant pressure of being ‘on call’, allowing them to fully disconnect and recharge during evenings, weekends and holidays. Clear, concise communication is another hallmark of TPET's approach to staff well-being. Whole-staff communications are kept brief and to the point, allowing staff to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.

Additionally, the Trust offers flexible working arrangements where possible, understanding that staff have personal commitments and responsibilities outside of school. By allowing staff to work flexibly, they feel a greater sense of control over their professional and personal lives, which has been key to improving overall well-being and retention. TPET's leave of absence policy supports all staff with appointments or other commitments that can’t be easily moved out of term time.

MANAGING WORKLOAD WITH PRECISION

One of the primary reasons teachers cite for leaving the profession is the overwhelming workload. TPET has taken this issue head-on by ensuring that staff have enough time, expertise and resources to fulfil their responsibilities without burning out. Leaders constantly review bottlenecks or excessive demands on time. The adoption of the Google IT platform and significant training in its use, have yielded many short-cuts and timesaving tricks too.

The Trust has gone further by establishing clear expectations around planning and preparation time. Teachers are given adequate non-teaching time to plan lessons, assess students and meet their responsibilities without feeling rushed.

POSITIVE IMPACT ON STAFF, STUDENTS AND REPUTATION

The results of TPET’s approach to staff well-being and kindness are evident. Staff turnover is typically low, especially in an industry where high attrition rates have become the norm. Teachers who join the Trust tend to stay, often progressing into leadership roles themselves, confident that they will continue to be supported at every stage of their career.

For students, the benefits of having happy, well-supported teachers are clear. TPET's schools have seen steady improvements in student behaviour, engagement and academic outcomes. Teachers who feel valued and have the time to focus on high-quality instruction naturally create more enriching learning environments, which has a direct impact on student success.

Moreover, TPET's reputation has grown significantly in recent years. Prospective staff are drawn to the schools within the Trust not just for the job security or professional opportunities, but because of its positive work culture, citing TPET’s commitment to well-being as their primary reason for applying.

STRUCTURED SCHOOL YEAR PLANNING: PRIORITISING REST AND RECOVERY

TPET has restructured the school annual calendar with well-being in mind, recognising that regular breaks are essential for maintaining energy and enthusiasm throughout the year. The Trust has moved to an earlier summer break, allowing staff to rest before the traditional holiday period begins. In addition, the October half-term has been extended, giving staff and students a longer mid-

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CPD

TPET takes professional development seriously, offering high-quality CPD (continuing professional development) that is relevant to staff at all stages of their careers. In particular, the Trust offers leadership development programmes that explicitly teach leadership theory and practice, equipping aspiring leaders with the skills they need to succeed in senior roles. This focus on leadership development ensures that the Trust not only retains its talented staff but also prepares them to take on greater responsibility as the Trust grows.

In addition to growing their own leaders, the MAT builds relationships with trusted external providers for professional development, ensuring that staff receive diverse and high-quality training. Personal recommendations from staff are taken seriously, and the Trust frequently collaborates with external experts who have been vetted and recommended by its own staff.

autumn break to recover from the first stretch of the school year.

Another innovative step is the introduction of early Friday finishes, giving staff extra time to prepare for the following week or simply relax and recharge before the weekend. Teachers use this time to manage their workload and avoid the build-up of stress over the course of the week. After-school meetings are no longer scheduled for teachers.

Students have also benefited from the remodelling of the school week with prep sessions, commonly only found in independent schools, being a constant feature on every student’s timetable across the Trust, supporting private and independent learning.

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT: GROWING TALENT FROM WITHIN

One of TPET's key strategies for retaining staff and attracting new talent is its commitment to people development. By focusing on developing its own staff and promoting from within, the MAT fosters a sense of loyalty and provides clear career progression pathways. Teachers who show leadership potential are given opportunities to step into leadership roles through mentorship programmes and targeted professional development. While much of TPET's focus is on developing internal talent, it also places a high value on cultivating relationships with trusted teacher trainer providers. This ensures that staff have access to specialised training and professional development opportunities that might not be available in-house.

LONG-TERM SUCCESS

At a time when many schools and trusts are struggling to retain staff and manage increasing workloads, this small MAT has demonstrated that a focus on kindness, well-being and simplicity can lead to long-term success. ■

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

THE HOME OF INDEPENDENT AND

STANDARD LISTING

45,000+ independent & international professionals

15,000 social media reach accross six channels

Included in weekly jobs newsletter

Recruit the best teaching talent with us

FEATURED

Standard listing PLUS

Featured listing at the top of the Careers Section

Advertising alongside relevant content throughout the site

ATTRACT THE BEST STAFF WITH THE LEADING DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR INDEPENDENT AND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PROFESSIONALS WORLDWIDE

School Management Plus is the leading print, digital and social content platform, for leaders, educators and professionals within the independent and international education sector worldwide.

Our readership spans every stakeholder within fee paying education worldwide from Heads, Governors, Bursars, Admissions, Marketing, Development, Fundraising and Educators – to catering, facilities and sports. Our jobs & careers center is the natural meeting point for those already in the sector, aspiring to join it, or hiring from within it.

PREMIUM

Featured listing PLUS

Free listing if the vacancy is not filled

Included on magazine digital distribution to 150,000 readers

Included in school directory

Listing experience hosted on Kampus24

ONLINE INDEPENDENT AND INTERNATIONAL JOB BOARD

UNLIMITED

Premium listing PLUS

Unlimited job listings throughout the year to our audience

Newsletter presence every month for your school

Exposure and features on your school in main careers section

Print adverts for your listings each term

Listing experience hosted on Kampus24

The rst 100 schools to sign up will receive 20% o a year’s unlimited package

•Social following of 15k across 6channels

• 60% annual growth in web tra c

• Core readership of Heads, Senior Leaders, Heads of Department, Bursars and Finance managers, Marketing and Admissions, and Development across the sector

SCHOOL REPORT CARDS TOWARDS BROADER AND BETTER MEASURES OF SCHOOL SUCCESS

Rosie Clayton examines the case for the development of 'balanced scorecards' which present a more comprehensive and balanced view of school success.

The new academic year is now in full swing, as is the new Government's education policy agenda with pacey announcements about curriculum, assessment and accountability reform.

OFSTED REFORM

At the beginning of September it was announced that the Ofsted overarching single-word judgement for schools and colleges would be scrapped, alongside a commitment to bringing in more contextual school report cards from September 2025. Ofsted also published the findings from its Big Listen Survey, and detailed the establishment of seven external reference groups to work with Ofsted on more systematic reform.

These announcements have been broadly welcomed by the sector and professional bodies, given the mounting evidence of the need for change. Symptoms of which can be seen in the current crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, and poor mental health and wellbeing amongst teachers, school and trust leaders. The education system has reached a tipping point.

The general public is also supportive of reform. Polling last year by the Laidlaw Foundation and Public First found that 'Parents and teachers want Ofsted inspections and the school accountability system to be more transparent, wellrounded, and less high-stakes', and that 'parental desire for more balanced

accountability is likely to be a reflection of an appetite for a broader curriculum offer. While parents want schools to maintain a focus on academic outcomes, they are also very keen to see expanded extra-curricular activities and the teaching of “life skills”, such as healthy eating and digital and financial literacy.'

The Government has pledged an evolution not revolution of the education system, so any proposed changes should be understood in this context.

BALANCED SCORECARDS

At Rethinking Assessment, we have been particularly interested in the idea of school report cards, or balanced scorecards, as the concept connects closely to the work we have been doing over the last two years on digital learner profiles which present a more expansive and comprehensive view of learner strengths and achievements. A system of broader national success metrics for schools, and for students, could unlock breadth in curriculum and assessment practices and changes to young people’s educational experience – in line with what parents and teachers most value, beyond academic attainment alone.

Over the last year, in partnership with the Edge Foundation, we’ve undertaken an action research project and sectorwide consultation on balanced scorecards, speaking to schools, colleges and multi-academy trusts (MATs), many of whom have been developing their own approaches to more holistic evaluation. We looked at the kinds of metrics that matter – to students, teachers, parents and the community – and how trusts are developing and communicating a more

comprehensive and richer view of success, and demonstrating the full impact that they make in their communities and to the populations that they serve.

You can read our discussion paper, Balanced Scorecards: Towards Broader and Better Measures of School Success, online. The paper includes six case studies from different education providers

which show how – in addition to metrics such as pupil progress and attainment – broader measures such as student and teacher wellbeing, student engagement, essential skills progression, careers provision (Gatsby Benchmarks), enrichment provision, inclusion and parent engagement are being used to drive organisational development,

CASE STUDY: BOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST

Bohunt Education Trust (BET) is a multi-academy trust with nine schools, providing a holistic, high-quality education for children aged 4 to 18. BET’s approach to teaching and learning is innovative and immersive – a rich blend of the latest education thinking, technology and practice, both in and outside the classroom. Across all our schools, we have introduced a range of gamechanging teaching methods, including language immersion in Mandarin, cross-cultural projects with Sweden, China and Germany, and an extensive outdoor provision.

Our vision/values: An ethos of ‘enjoy, respect, achieve’, unparalleled opportunity and highly effective teaching combine to develop students who are ‘game-changers’.

The MAT collects a range of data to understand progress against its demanding vision, including:

• Staff and student understanding of the Trust vision (from the Trust-wide culture survey)

• Artefacts of the respect and collaboration culture observable in schools

• Staff retention rate

• Student ‘Enjoyment’, ‘Engagement’, ‘Wellbeing’, ‘Reading’ and ‘Metacognition’ (student self-reported surveys)

• Weekly co-curricular attendance

• School-level peer reviews of key areas of the Trust Development Plan, for example: Project ERA (our digital transformation project), literacy and metacognition

• Trust-wide common assessments of our common curriculum

• Annual BET Awards highlighting exceptional staff and school achievements

• Skills Builder metrics where appropriate for our units of work (e.g. oracy within citizenship and collaboration within our outdoor curriculum).

Creating and collecting evidence takes time and effort, and so must be impactful. We use this information to inform everything that we do, including:

• In-the-moment checks of students’ well-being and levels of support with learning at home (well-being survey)

• Pastoral support and targeted support

• Designing teaching and learning, and conducting curriculum reviews

• Strategic planning and culture development

• Teacher development and support

• Reporting to parents

• Evaluation of multi-year change initiatives such as digital learning.

school improvement, professional learning and strong cultures of collaboration.

The idea of a balanced scorecard stems from this desire to capture and demonstrate greater breadth, and also bring a more contextual and nuanced understanding to the merits of individual schools and/or networks and trusts.

Schools and trusts are increasingly data-rich organisations and the measures included in trust-level balanced scorecards are reflective of areas where there are now sophisticated data collection and analytics tools available. This data is enabling deeper quality conversations about organisational development, school/trust improvement and what constitutes success, with shifts in practices and resource focus as a result.

NATIONAL EVALUATION TOOL

Our discussion paper builds on this localised trust-level work to propose the development of a comprehensive national evaluation tool, drawing together key metrics and datasets. The visual below presents a fictional front page ‘dashboard’ of measures, across a range of components that we know schools/ colleges/MATs are already gathering data on. In the paper, we share in more detail our ideas about how this expanded dataset could be used for different purposes; for example, as a parent report card, or for inspection purposes.

We propose that the scorecard/report card should include a small number of national performance standards against which schools/colleges are held accountable by regulatory bodies. This aligns with the approach being proposed by the Association of School and College Leaders. A broader range of indicators would then be available for schools/ colleges to draw upon to populate different areas of the scorecard which demonstrate their unique strengths, impact and contextualise the information conveyed through national performance standards. Measures could ‘flex’ between years to reflect changing priorities.

Of course, the devil with an idea like this lies in the implementation detail!

Through our consultation sessions, the most powerful message from participants regarding the value proposition of a balanced scorecard/school report card oriented around its role in supporting schools, colleges and MATs to become learning organisations in their own right, to build strong cultures and professional learning practices, and be engaged in cycles of continuous improvement. The Government has released some early indications about what might be included in the new school report card, with criteria around inclusion, wellbeing/happiness, and local area insights, all under consideration (at the time of writing).

GOVERNMENT’S MANIFESTO PROPOSALS

There are also three specific proposals in the new Government’s manifesto which could support the effective implementation of school report cards:

1. The creation of a new Excellence in Leadership Programme, a mentoring framework that expands the capacity of headteachers and leaders to improve their schools.

2. The introduction of new regional improvement teams, to enhance school-to-school support, and spread best practice.

3. The introduction of a new teacher training entitlement to ensure teachers

THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLEDGED AN EVOLUTION NOT REVOLUTION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

stay up to date on best practice with continuing professional development.

The Beyond Ofsted Inquiry Report provides an overview of how evaluation and accountability systems operate in other countries around the world, notably those that perform top of the PISA tests. Selfevaluation and peer review, with an expert partner, is a key feature of high-performing international systems, which have a strong focus on supporting an organisation’s capacity to improve. It is accepted that all schools should be working in active partnerships, and that this is an important feature of school improvement.

PROFESSIONAL AUTONOMY

Those schools, colleges and MATs in England that are already implementing balanced scorecard-style systems are showing how professional autonomy can be realised, providing strong models for organisational development, professional development and improvement. Our discussion paper highlights the feasibility

and benefits of a more comprehensive performance evaluation system for schools and colleges, with education leaders highlighting improved decision-making and quality assurance, curriculum planning and personalisation, higher-quality community engagement, and more engaged and involved stakeholders, that has resulted. Such a system could grow organically out of existing school self-evaluation and school improvement processes, and there is significant systemic practice upon which to build. Ultimately, any move to introduce a school report card would need to be rationalised in the context of the numerous performance indicators, frameworks and existing measures used to hold schools to account, and be part of a much wider remodelling of the accountability system. With the necessary resources and supports to do this effectively, over time.

Beyond systems and structures, a deep culture change is needed to overcome rooted systemic distrust between organisations and institutions, and, thereby, to move towards a more collegiate approach across the whole system. ■

ROSIE CLAYTON is an education specialist and social entrepreneur. She is currently the Head of Rethinking Assessment, a UK and global movement to transform the way we assess young people to recognise the full breadth of their strengths and achievements.

LEADER PROFILE JULIAN DRINKALL

Zoe MacDougall talks to Julian Drinkall about his role as CEO of a large MAT and explores his approach to leadership within a complex organisation.

ON LEADERSHIP: JUDGEMENT AND DISCERNMENT

In multi-academy trusts (MATs), leadership encompasses much more than running a single school. As MATs continue to grow, Julian offers leadership advice to CEOs, some of whom are responsible for 50+ schools, spanning primary, secondary and sixth form provision.

Julian’s fundamental thoughts about leadership point to the need for balance. He explains, “I think leadership is in part about experience and in part about judgement. One of the big pieces of judgement is knowing when to be committed, utterly intransient, inflexible and insist on

JULIAN DRINKALL

Educated at Oxford University, J F Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School, Julian’s early career focused on business development, corporate finance and business strategy. In 2007, he became CEO of Macmillan Education, which inspired his interest in education.

He says, “What really mattered to me was the enormous impact that one can have through education. Education is a vast endeavour. It’s often seen to be the third largest human activity, after health care and military service. There’s a huge amount of money spent on it, and 80% of that goes on salaries, on people. A relatively small portion of finance supports content and technology. I figured I could have a bigger impact on children’s lives by running schools. And, in fact, by running big school groups.”

In 2014, Julian took on the CEO role at Alpha Plus Group which, with 18 schools and colleges, was the largest independent school group in London. From 2016-2021, he was CEO at Academies Enterprise Trust and, since December 2023, he has been CEO of GLF Schools, a multi-academy trust supporting 43 schools in South East England.

maintaining a legacy, but also knowing when it makes sense to be adaptable and flexible. How much disruption is right? You need to balance keeping the best of what you’ve already established versus the best of the future. That’s a judgement call. You have to embrace some disruption, but you can’t go overboard.

“Different people respond to change in different ways, over different periods of time. You have to decide when it’s right to turn up the heat, or to slow things down. So, the pace of change and the quantum of change and the type of change is really important. You have to work through the trade-off between commitment and flexibility, and also analyse the trade-off between technical and theoretical skills versus relational skills. People talk about ‘culture eating strategy for lunch’; I personally think that you can have great technical strategies which you’ve thought through, quantified and analysed. But that’s utterly useless if you can’t bring people along with you, if you can’t communicate what you’re implementing and why.

“That whole notion of technical skills versus adaptive skills, commitment versus flexibility, is utterly crucial. Knowing when to rely on theory, technology, science and data is very important, but if you can’t communicate it’s useless. Another trade-off is top-down versus bottom-up. You’ve got to listen to people, you’ve got to understand what the zeitgeist is around you; you’ve got to discern what the objections and resistance you encounter are all about. Some of it will be irrational and illogical; some of it will be well thought out and resourced. Good leadership constitutes when to choose between old versus new, stick or twist, innovate versus reassure. Sometimes one finds a caped crusader, but even that caped crusader needs a jolly good team around them. In a successful school, or a successful school group, whilst there may be a figurehead, that person is nurturing and giving responsibility to other critical people.”

ON BUSINESS AND EDUCATION: A CROSS-SECTOR CONUNDRUM IN MAT LEADERSHIP TODAY

Multi-academy trusts are providers of education. But they’re also businesses. This dual identity poses some questions about who should be running them, and what we should be looking for in our cross-sector leadership teams. Julian explains, “MAT leadership needs to be stronger and more capable. There are some good leaders, but there are quite a lot of holes. You look around, there are a few people like myself who have come from outside the sector, and who maybe have more general management and leadership skills; and then there are a lot of people who’ve grown up from within the sector, through the headteacher role, the executive headteacher role. Both

models can work; but both are imperfect. I just don’t think a lot of school leaders know enough about running a big portfolio organisation. They’re used to running a single entity then maybe two, three, four, five schools. But go beyond that, and it becomes a different task.

“Then again, people who have come from outside education need to understand the language and the priorities of the sector. Everyone always says that their sector is different, but in education that’s probably true. People come from other sectors, and there’s an assumption about economies of scale, that there are obvious and easy efficiencies. Actually, a genuine, deep understanding of individual schools is really important. To make the judgement that schools are the same, or are on the same pathway, is flawed. I think we’re failing to get the best of both worlds. What’s the sweet spot? I’m not sure we’re training educationalists who’ve had great leadership experience to become leaders of big MATs; but equally, we’re not attracting enough leaders from outside of education to help mature the sector.”

SOMETIMES ONE FINDS A CAPED CRUSADER, BUT EVEN THAT CAPED CRUSADER NEEDS A JOLLY GOOD TEAM AROUND THEM.

ON THE ROLE OF THE CEO: WORKING WITH HEADTEACHERS

As a previous CEO of AET, one of the largest MATs in the country, and now leading headteachers in 42 schools as CEO of GLF, Julian can offer a considered distillation of what the CEO role entails, and how to maximise efficiency in the CEO/headteacher relationship.

“Personally, I never have an ego contest with headteachers. When I bring headteachers together to look at school improvement, I always insist that we do so through a holistic, 360-degree point of view. If you split the world up into education versus finance versus marketing and development we’d be in trouble. The headteacher will always be the more knowledgeable person in terms of pedagogy and curriculum, but I like to think that I can suggest ways of improving marketing, or communications. I think all of us know our core strengths and weaknesses, and that’s the key thing with leadership in general. Where you identify weak spots, you need to compensate, to build a team to cover the issues, or to bring in talent to make improvements.

“I think a CEO of a MAT is a very, very difficult role. None of us have the monopoly on wisdom, none of us will get everything right, all of the time. The critical thing is getting the right people to help out. I enjoy that! Headteachers will say thank you, for the support I’ve given; for example, their communications strategy with regards to the community is enormously improved, because I’ve introduced them to someone who writes fabulous copy; or I’ve introduced them to someone who really understands their parents in a more analytical and thoughtful way.”

ON GOVERNANCE: THE NEED FOR EXPERIENCE

Julian goes on to describe how to maximise the impact of school governance. Again judgement on relevant context is important. GLF is in a stronger governance position requiring gentle evolution whereas AET required more urgent and thorough change. At AET, he was committed to raising the quality of governing bodies, in line with raising overall standards within the trust. He explains: “When I took over at AET, 90% of the schools were in deficit and the vast majority of them had some very poor educational results. So, in a short period of time, I removed all chairs of the boards of governors – although I made it clear that all were welcome to remain on the governing board. And then I brought in really experienced educationalists to be the chairs, such as CEOs of other multi-academy trusts, and HMIs from Ofsted. So, I raised the quality of the chairs, and therefore of the governing bodies. I did this because I wanted the headteachers to feel that they had the right amount of support and challenge around them. I insisted that every headteacher at AET sat on one other governing board. This was very good for their professional development; they would learn the context of another school. It would also be good for the school, to have a current practitioner on the board of trustees.”

ON THE FUTURE: PLANS AND OPPORTUNITIES AT GLF

they are today. The first goal I’ve set myself is that, 18-24 months from today, all those schools will look back and say, we’re in a better, healthier position than we were in before. So, my first focus is the individual schools.

MULTI-ACADEMY

TRUSTS

ARE PROVIDERS OF EDUCATION. BUT THEY’RE ALSO BUSINESSES.

“Then, assuming that confidence, trust, engagement, as well as overt external success has occurred in our schools, I’ll be looking to build the trust and the trust brand, and the trust processes. I’m always going through the process of decentralisation and autonomy, trying to make sure that we’re looking towards each individual school. And then my sense is that, as a trust, we can say, here’s the group, here’s what works. But it’s very nuanced; it’s a case of identifying what succeeds in particular circumstances. I think a lot of trusts quite often try to stamp, prematurely, their policies and standards on schools. I think it’s important to have a longterm view.

“My five-year plan for GLF is that it will be one of the greatest school groups, not just in the UK but in the world. I want our children to have extraordinary experiences. I don’t think the UK has a monopoly on wisdom of what constitutes a great education. I want the trust to be distinctive and bold, I want it to be holistic. But the small steps, the pathways to get there, are really important. And that starts with proving that you can make life better for the schools you’ve already got in the group, in a very practical, tangible way. And then I think that you earn respect and trust, you build confidence and you build momentum, and then you can universalise some of the systems.”

GLF serves over 19,000 people aged 2 to 19 in a diverse array of settings, with around 2,500 employees. The trust’s schools are located in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and the London Boroughs of Wandsworth and Croydon. Since joining the trust as CEO in December 2023, Julian has been developing his near-term and five-year planning.

He says, “In the near term, I want to really focus on the schools, to help them to be even more successful than

As Julian’s work at GLF gets underway, there will be lots to learn from the strategies he implements and the successes he will surely demonstrate. We look forward to following his story in the months to come! ■

ZOE MACDOUGALL is an educational commentator with extensive teaching experience in the independent and maintained sectors.

REFORMING OFSTED MORE IS NEEDED

Alex Russell believes that the scraping of single-word judgements isn’t enough, arguing that Ofsted needs a brand-new approach that reflects the reality of the school landscape.

Will the Government’s headline reform of the scrapping of single-headline judgements, with schools now given more detailed reports, really signal significant change in the school system? It is true that the move to an, as yet unspecified, report card will inevitably provide more detailed information about a school. Will this change the fundamentals and who – if anyone – might benefit?

If we consider the common complaints about Ofsted amongst the teaching profession, it is difficult to answer that question in the affirmative.

It is important to state from the start that the debate is not around shying away from accountability. All of our schools want to get better and are open to feedback and learning from one another. Poor performance is challenged, and we use probation periods and PMR effectively. However …

DATA

Ofsted’s relationship with data has changed in recent years. For a long time outcomes were all, with the focus on attainment and progress appearing to out-muscle everything else in the school. Then it seemed to be almost ignored. Recently, it has made a comeback with inspectors increasingly asking for data on all sorts of aspects of school life.

SURELY, IT IS THE PURPOSE AND APPROACH OF OFSTED THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?

We are told that the Ofsted reforms are to focus on inclusion, behaviour and attendance. It is unclear whether this will include a focus on data too. If it is, then aren’t we just going to revert to the ‘outcome’s debate’. Across my trust, we all adopt the same approach to attendance, for example, and rigorously police this, but the outcomes do, inevitably, vary. Is that a reason to downgrade one school over another?

CONTEXT

The lack of contextual understanding is both very real and potentially damaging. Schools which understand ‘the system’ and prepare for it are inevitably rewarded. The proportionately low number of headteachers, particularly those from alternative provision, specialist and secondary schools, employed as HMIs can undermine a school leader’s confidence in the inspection. Can someone who has never led your type of school really understand the nuances of running one, particularly at the margins? Last year, I had one lead inspector tell me, “I understand the context of this school and the challenges it faces…”; another said, “I’m not interested in your circumstances; I am comparing you to national data…”; another said, “I can only go on what I’ve seen today…”; whilst another announced, “I’ve never inspected a specialist school” before embarking on a two-day inspection.

This can be critical where there is a debate amongst the inspection team about whether to grade an element of a school below ‘good’. No one is asking for schools to be given a ‘free ride’ and no one is suggesting that inspectors cannot apply the

framework in theory, but the consequences of an adverse grading can be so devastating we must be sure that it is right and fair.

RELATIONSHIPS

There will be a new ‘Ofsted’ academy to spread ‘professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect’. Something has gone badly wrong with the power dynamic between school leaders and the inspectors if this is required and has to be taught. Surely, it is the purpose and approach of Ofsted that needs to change? Once that is in place then the individuals operating within it will reflect its culture and values. Recent training around mental health and wellbeing has been built into the new inspection process but feels token; a colleague who experienced a ‘no notice’ inspection with 10 minutes’ notice was asked in the first meeting how their mental health was. It is not clear how the supposed new focus has changed relationships in a positive way.

WORKLOAD

Staff in our schools work extremely hard; the annual exam cycle and our professional integrity prevent significant changes in effort from year to year. The time between inspections and the devastating consequences of an adverse judgement mean that schools expecting an inspection are on a ‘war footing’ for prolonged periods. Surely, if reviews or inspections become part of the annual cycle in schools then their intensity will reduce as they become an everyday part of our workload?

INSPECTION CYCLES

The announcement that schools will be informed on Mondays with inspections taking place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is welcome. This will reduce stress and anxiety amongst school leaders. However, despite there being a nominal cycle, we still don’t know when inspections will be. Is the integrity of the profession so low that we cannot be trusted to be given an actual date at the start of the academic year?

TRANSPARENCY

“What’s the point of complaining?” is a common cry amongst school leaders. Anecdotal evidence suggests that few schools successfully challenge their judgement. Furthermore, the meeting with inspectors when they discuss the gradings, to which school leaders are invited but cannot participate, is nothing more than a charade and an insult to those very leaders. Keeping in touch meetings are useful but indicative gradings are not shared in these 1:1 sessions with headteachers, so it is hard to know what leaders

should be pushing back on. The reforms say nothing of a new spirit of collaboration during inspections. Surely, a discussion about standards between like-minded professionals is the way forward?

SAFEGUARDING

Ofsted also announced that from this month it will pause the publication of inspection reports where safeguarding concerns are identified in an otherwise high-performing school until inspectors re-visit the school within three months. Parents will still be told about the safeguarding issues, but delayed publication will give schools the opportunity to correct issues without intervention from the Department for Education. This is both welcomed and sensible.

IS THERE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE?

The answer is ‘yes’ and it is staring us in the face: annual audits of academy and MAT finances. Why can’t the same model be used to assess the quality of education being provided by schools?

THE REFORMS SAY NOTHING OF A NEW SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION

DURING INSPECTIONS.

WHAT IS A FINANCIAL AUDIT?

An audit is a formal review of a company's financial records by professional accountants. Audits can be conducted internally, by employees of the organisation, or externally, by an outside firm. All single and multi-academy trusts must have an external audit (similar to an inspection or in-depth review) annually to verify their financial statements, which are published on their websites and submitted to both the ESFA and Companies House. The auditors can give one of four opinions (does this sound familiar?) on the organisation’s financial statements: unqualified (or clean), qualified, adverse, disclaimer of opinion. Single academies and trusts must comply with a published framework (again, this will strike a cord with school leaders) called The Academies Trust Handbook.

CAN AN AUDIT PROCESS INFORM A BETTER MODEL FOR SCHOOL INSPECTIONS?

Yes, and it would answer all the common complaints made about Ofsted: 1. Academies and trusts enter into a professional relationship with their auditors for up to five years, which ensures that the auditors get to know the

organisation well. Couldn’t schools have the same with an external education ‘auditor’?

2. Audits are undertaken annually. This would end the calendar lottery of the current school inspection system and ensure standards are maintained consistently.

3. Auditors approach their work in a spirit of partnership. It is not adversarial. They rely on internal reviews, data and explanations from key postholders, but I don’t hear the same references to stress and mental health from business and finance teams as I do from teachers experiencing an inspection.

4. Auditors use data analytics to identify patterns and key areas for further investigation. Much of this is done remotely, allowing them to maximise the time they spend on the ground and minimise disruption.

5. Auditors assess a wide array of information, including documents, records and first-hand observations, all of which provide insight into an organisation’s financial health. They also evaluate risk assessments and key controls to ensure consistency across an organisation.

6. Whilst the annual audit is time-consuming for school business managers and finance teams, auditors maximise their efficiency by ‘dip sampling’ certain schools or areas rather than visiting every one, relying on their analytics to identify where they should focus. This is the perfect model for trusts and would reduce workload.

7. Finally, auditors pronounce on the financial integrity of the organisation per se, rather than the constituent parts. Individuals do not feel their whole career relies on the outcome. Surely, with the prevalence of multiacademy trusts, this is the way forward for a similar styled education inspection process?

SO, WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE?

Academies and trusts pay for their audit and it takes place annually. Would they be prepared to have an annual education audit and pay for it? Every school, academy or trust publish an annual indicator of themselves in the guise of exam results. Wouldn’t they welcome the chance to add some context to those often stark numbers? Equally, in my experience, the vast majority of schools undertake internal assessments of standards either by themselves or in collaboration with external partners. Paying for an assessment of standards is not a new idea. Finally, would an annual assessment increase workload and stress? Finance and business teams accept the annual audit as part of the work cycle. It is built into their work schedules and with the familiarity of the processes giving confidence, fear and anxiety are significantly reduced.

The biggest downside to this approach is that only around half of schools are academies. The financial audit model for inspections would work best in multiacademy trusts. What about maintained schools? Given that their organisational blanket remains the local authority, it only makes sense that they take on the role of the MAT and they are inspected as one with their schools dip sampled accordingly.

The recent Ofsted changes have been broadly welcomed but much uncertainty remains, particularly around schools’ relationship with Ofsted. The founding Ofsted principle around the judgement of schools remains and will continue to do so if the ideas of partnership, support and improvement are ignored. They could be resolved if an entirely different model was adopted. ■

ALEX RUSSELL is CEO of the Bourne Education Trust.

UTILINK CONSULTING

CASE STUDIES

Mayflower Primary School

Customer Saving: £145,000

The team at Utilink sourced a new deal for Mayflower Primary School which saved the customer £145,000. The agreement was made more complicated as the school had begun operating across multiple sites. Our agent was able to coordinate with the school's team to arrange their energy whilst keeping everyone up-to-date.

Canvey Island Infant School & Nursery

Customer Saving: Immeasurable

When the team at Utilink initially spoke with the school, they were in a new contract via another broker but were facing difficulties and overpaying. Our team worked with the school to review the contract with the other broker, and agree better rates directly with our suppliers to help the school to generate vast savings.

Following on from Sam’s description of what we offer as a consultancy to schools I’d like to touch on the personal aspect of having an account manager. I generally find when speaking with Business Managers/CFO’s there is a real shortage in customer service when it comes to how current contracts are managed. It seems that contracts are agreed and then there is

Utilink Consulting saves customer’s time, effort and mainly money. Over the last few years, we’ve helped close to 100 customers within the education sector as we’ve found generally a lot of schools all the way from infants and juniors to some college’s don’t have the capacity or market knowledge to be able to effectively manoeuvre their way through a minefield like we’ve had across the last 4 or 5 years in the energy industry. Some contracts we’ve seen have been out of contract on deemed rates for quite some

time, some had rolled contracts year on year that ultimately weren’t beneficial or tailored to the individual trust or school and some had a lot of energy saving measures that they weren’t aware could be put in place to help reduce costs. We help by identifying these issues as well as others and creating an action plan tailored individually to provide the best possible results. Most of our customers have found savings in the 5-figure region by working with us and if we can save schools a FTE or 2 then we’re delighted knowing that the saving can be used elsewhere to benefit the school/customer.

Sam Riches, Managing Director

UTILINK CONSULTING SPONSOR EWOOD EXPRESS

Rovers introduced the Ewood Express,travel service in February 2020, providing a number of young people and their families the opportunity to experience the atmosphere and bring communities together to watch Blackburn Rovers. Utilink Consulting Managing Director, Sam Riches, said: "Utilink have sponsored the Ewood Express initiative three times now, and each time we absolutely love to see a new younger generation of Rovers fans creating memories that we hope will last a lifetime."

no support after this point, or changes in the current account management which often leaves schools struggling when trying to find advice. I have a real passion for working closely with Schools and Education Establishments to ensure they are supported throughout the whole process, quite often before we even agree contracts as I identify where I can help from the first conversation. I think it’s extremely important to be in touch with my clients on a regular basis to check in and ensure all is running smoothly, as well as giving updates as to where the market sits and advising on the correct time to start looking into the renewal process based on which way the market is heading.

Having an expert on all thing’s energy related from billing, metering, carbon emissions, and any changes to legislation or benefits at your disposal is a huge benefit and will not only save money,

it will also free up a lot of time and futureproof you from any changes in the market. My customers have always said how they appreciate having my direct contact details and not having to wait on hold for hours to speak with their supplier and I love offering customers who I genuinely care about a consistent and dependable level of service.

Melissa Rookes, Senior Energy Consultant

Contact us today: melissa.rookes@utilinkconsulting.co.uk

sam.riches@utilinkconsulting.co.uk 0330 054 0471 www.utilinkconsulting.co.uk

PROUD TO SUPPORT

Corporate partner 2024/25

Rosehill can be your one-stop shop for all the furniture needs throughout your school or academy. They have a huge selection of classroom tables and chairs, ICT and lab furniture, soft seating for breakout areas and common rooms or staff rooms, as well as specialist lines for libraries, cafeteria, receptions and outdoor areas.

ASK THE RECRUITER

FINDING A CHAIR WHO ADDS VALUE AND DRIVE

In this issue of Trust Leadership Today, we introduce a new regular feature, where we pose questions to Hayley Mintern of Anderson Quigley (AQ), executive talent partners, who shares her insights and expertise around the world of recruitment. To kick off the series, the first topic we asked Hayley to address is how do you recruit a successful chair who will add value and help drive forward a multi-academy trust (MAT)?

The role of a chair for a MAT is a pivotal leadership position, influencing governance, strategy and ensuring educational excellence across multiple schools. Given the complexity of overseeing multiple academies, recruiting the right chair is essential. As we have seen in our recent research, Good Governance, the impact on getting this hire wrong can have a huge impact on the MAT.

Below are some key considerations, AQ tips and best practice advice for recruiting a chair of a MAT, including attracting a diverse talent pool, crafting clear terms of reference, addressing time commitments and, what is always a hurdle to overcome, the unremunerated nature of this role.

KNOW WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU GO TO MARKET

The chair holds responsibility for ensuring robust governance, setting strategic direction, holding the CEO and leadership accountable and ensuring the trust’s values align with its vision. Given the multi-

school nature of a MAT, this role is even more complex, requiring a deep understanding of education, strategic planning, risk management and stakeholder engagement.

Before beginning the recruitment process, it is crucial to clearly define the role of the chair and what your MAT’s objectives are for the next four years; this could be growth, school improvement, sustainability or a mixture of different objectives.

A well-drafted terms of reference (or job description) is fundamental to establishing expectations for the chair’s role. This outlines the responsibilities, reporting lines and scope of the role, providing clarity for both the MAT board and prospective candidates.

DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT

A diverse governing board and executive team leads to richer discussions, better decision-making and more innovative approaches to challenges. For a chair, diversity of thought, background and experience are particularly crucial. We would recommend the below to attract a wider talent pool.

• Widen recruitment channels: Instead of relying solely on traditional channels like board member referrals, leverage broader platforms such as diversity-specific recruitment job boards and community networks, social media and specialist publications. Groups like Women on Boards, the Association of Chairs, the National Governance Association (NGA) and the NED Exchange can be instrumental in reaching underrepresented groups.

• Highlight inclusivity in job descriptions: Clearly express the trust’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity in the recruitment materials. Emphasise that candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, focusing on skills, experience and leadership qualities over specific previous roles or titles.

• Focus on skills and experience over sector-specific expertise: While educational experience is valuable, leadership,

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• Define governance responsibilities: Ensure that the schemes of delegation clearly outlines the governance responsibilities of the chair, the executive and local governance structures. This includes leading board meetings, setting the board agenda, providing leadership to trustees and ensuring that the MAT complies with statutory regulations and best practice.

• Specify key relationships: It is important to define the working relationship between the chair and the CEO, trustees and other key stakeholders. It should emphasise the importance of a collaborative relationship with the CEO while maintaining the objectivity required to hold leadership accountable.

• Outline decision-making powers: The chair’s authority in making decisions outside of board meetings should be explicitly stated. This ensures transparency and avoids any misunderstandings regarding the chair’s power to act independently on urgent matters.

strategic planning and governance skills all make for a strong chair. Many successful chairs come from different sectors like business, health, or non-profits. These individuals may bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to educational challenges.

TIME COMMITMENT: TRANSPARENCY AND REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Given the scope and demands of leading a MAT, time commitment is a key factor in recruiting the right chair. It’s important to be upfront about the time investment required, including board meetings, committee work, strategy sessions and external engagements.

• Be clear about the time involvement: In the job description and recruitment conversations, provide a realistic estimate of the time commitment. This should include regular board meetings (typically eight per year), committee meetings, preparation time and ad hoc requirements like attending school visits, meeting stakeholders, or engaging with local authorities. We are also seeing Ofsted more regularly asking for the MAT chair to be part of the school inspections, so candidates should be prepared for this.

• Accommodate flexibility: While being clear about expectations, also offer flexibility. For instance, while some meetings may require in-person attendance, others can be conducted virtually. This flexibility may attract candidates with busy professional lives who may otherwise be deterred by rigid scheduling.

• Consider remuneration or reimbursement: For the majority of MATs, the chair role is a voluntary position, but consideration should be given to reimbursing expenses or even providing modest remuneration, subject to DFE approval, particularly if you want to attract individuals who may not have the financial

freedom to volunteer full-time. This can also support diversity efforts, ensuring the position is accessible to all candidates, regardless of their socio-economic background.

INTERVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

The interview process should be rigorous yet supportive, aiming to assess both the candidate’s skills and cultural fit with the trust. Key points to consider:

• Focus on leadership qualities: Interviews should assess the candidate’s ability to lead strategically, build trust and support executive leadership. Behavioural interview questions can explore how the candidate handles complex governance challenges, facilitates discussion and navigates difficult decisions.

•Engage the board: It is vital that trustees are involved in the selection process. Having a panel interview with key trustees, including those representing different academies in the trust, ensures the chair will work effectively with the entire board and local governance structures.

• Simulate real-world scenarios: Providing candidates with real-world governance scenarios to address during the interview can give insight into their problem-solving approach, decisionmaking skills and how they handle complex issues.

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS DOESN’T STOP AT THE OFFER

Once the recruitment process is complete, it is crucial to have a robust onboarding process to set the chair up for success. This involves:

• Comprehensive induction: Provide a thorough introduction to the MAT’s vision, ethos and strategic priorities. Get them visiting your schools. To be a good chair, you have to understand the whole organisation.

• Support and training: Offer ongoing support through regular mentoring or coaching, particularly if the chair is new to the education sector.

• Set clear expectations for the first year: Establish clear goals for the chair’s first year, focusing on key areas like governance reviews, leadership development and stakeholder engagement. ■

HAYLEY MINTERN is Partner and Schools Lead at AQ. If you’d like to discuss any of the points made above, pose a question or require support in recruiting members of your board or executive team, you can contact Hayley by emailing hayley.mintern@andersonquigley.com.

MINIMISING THE GRIEF DEALING WITH STAFF GRIEVANCES

As the number of grievances raised by staff continues to increase, Louise Brenlund advises on the optimum approach school employers should take.

In 2023, a HR survey confirmed that 37% of employers reported an increase in grievances in the past 12 months. The top three reasons for grievances being bullying or harassment, relationships with managers and relationships with colleagues.

Some have referred to this as the unprecedented ‘rise of the grievance’. This is borne out by our own experience as we are seeing an upward trend in grievances being raised in the workplace and the issues being raised becoming more complicated or used as a distraction or delaying tactic during disciplinary or poor performance management processes. This poses yet another challenge that schools and the MAT community face.

NEW STRESSES

It has been suggested that this trend is linked with various catalysts including the COVID pandemic and the cost-ofliving crisis. The resulting stresses often erupt in the workplace, causing conflict and disputes. The recent teachers’ strikes

provide evidence of this within the education sector.

Most schools and trust boards will at some stage need to deal with a grievance lodged by a staff member. This can be any complaint, concern or problem about any aspect of work or in relation to a colleague.

DEALING INFORMALLY

Always encourage your staff to attempt to settle their grievances informally through discussion with their direct line manager or, if the grievance is about them, the line manager above that or another appropriate person as set out in your Grievance Policy.

Managers should:

• encourage direct resolution with any other individual(s) concerned, if possible

• be clear that if the matter is not resolved informally, the complainant may submit a formal grievance (and consequently any information may be shared with the subject of the grievance as part of the investigation).

FOLLOWING A FORMAL PROCESS

RISE OF THE GRIEVANCE

If informal discussion is unsuccessful, the member of staff may set out their formal grievance, ideally in writing. If in doubt, it is safer for the school to treat any such matter as a formal grievance unless the staff member makes it clear that this is not their intention.

Managers should approach the formal grievance with an open mind and in a non-discriminatory way.

• treat all concerns, problems or complaints seriously

• meet the staff member promptly and privately

• discuss the issues and ask their opinion on how they wish the situation to be resolved

Be cautious of resignation letters, the contents of which can often form part of a formal grievance and should be handled accordingly.

Don’t rule out that senior leaders and even the CEO or CFO may raise a grievance. Ensure that your policies cover for this, as many do not. If, for example,

the CEO raised a grievance, it would usually be appropriate to be dealt with by the Chair of the trust.

You should check your Grievance Policy and ensure this is followed and that any process is fair and reasonable. It is important that the staff member feels heard and is encouraged to speak freely.

Managers should:

• consider if an investigation is necessary and, if so, who is appropriate to conduct that investigation; ideally, this should be someone unconnected with the complaint

• ensure, where possible, the investigating officer and grievance chair are two separate people, with another more senior person being available to chair any appeal

• arrange a formal grievance meeting, once all evidence is obtained, and invite the member of staff who has raised the grievance to attend

• be clear that the staff member has a right to be accompanied at the meeting by a trade union representative or workplace colleague

• ensure that the member of staff is given the opportunity to fully explain their grievance

• ask the member of staff’s view on the outcome of the process and any expectations they may have and then attempt to find an appropriate resolution for all parties

• ensure that accurate notes are made and kept of the meeting

• make allowances for the stresses

GRIEVANCE POLICIES AND ACAS

It is important that every school has a clear Grievance Policy/set of policies in place. Senior staff must be fully trained to recognise grievances and know how to deal with them swiftly and reasonably and in accordance with both your procedures/policy and the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinaries and Grievances.

An unreasonable failure to follow the ‘ACAS Code’ can lead to an employment tribunal awarding an uplift of up to 25% to any compensation awarded to the staff member.

associated with such a situation as staff may feel the need to ‘let off some steam’.

THE OUTCOME

Following the formal process, the chair should consider all the evidence available and decide on an outcome. Sometimes it may be necessary to undertake further investigations and/or request other documents before a decision can be reached. Most school policies provide for an outcome to be provided within five working days of the hearing. If this is the case but further investigations are required, you will need to be clear on what this may involve and on proposed timelines; any decisions should be made without unreasonable delay.

The outcome should confirm:

• the chair’s conclusions based on the evidence available

• whether the grievance is upheld in part, in full or not at all

• any resulting recommendations and/ or actions

• the right to appeal the decision. If there are recommendations and/or actions, it is vital to ensure that these are fully considered and appropriate actions taken.

APPEALS

If the decision is appealed, it will then be necessary to appoint an appeal chair, invite the staff member making the grievance to an appeal hearing and follow the above process in relation to any points of appeal only.

An appeal is not usually an entire rehearing but this may be appropriate in some cases. Any appeal should be held in accordance with your Grievance Policy and without unreasonable delay. Once the appeal is decided, the outcome should be set out in writing and it should be confirmed that there is no further internal right of appeal.

IMPACT ON YOUR SCHOOL

Grievances can become a considerable distraction to your school, taking up valuable time of staff, governors and trustees. The process can be administratively burdensome and, if mishandled, they can become allconsuming and potentially very expensive. It is important that grievances are taken seriously and investigated fully to avoid a breakdown in the employment relationship and successful claims. ■

LOUISE BRENLUND is a Partner and Head of Employment at Warners Solicitors.

If your staff require training and/or support with grievances or grievance appeals, the employment team at Warners regularly provides group training and support to grievance chairs or panels in the education sector. Please contact Louise on 01732 375325 or l.brenlund@warners.law for an initial free-of-charge investigatory discussion.

NEXT-GEN GOVERNANCE ASSURANCE NOT REASSURANCE

Samira Sadeghi explains why CST believes that trusts should focus on putting in place effective next-gen governance models if they are to have the agility to tackle the challenges of the future.

WHY NEXT-GEN GOVERNANCE?

Trusts unlock the power of schools working together. When people unite toward a shared goal, their work must be coordinated to ensure efficiency, accountability and success. Governance is like a magnet passed over iron filings. Without it, efforts become fragmented, workloads increase and the common purpose is lost. A clear vision and shared values keep everyone aligned, transcending individual egos and creating a lasting legacy that outlives any one person’s involvement.

Organisations are living, breathing systems and governance extends far beyond the boardroom. It is present in every decision made, every moment of accountability and every voice heard. At its best, governance is holistic, dynamic and deeply interconnected. The work of school trusts touches many lives: pupils, parents, staff and wider communities. To move forward together with purpose, we need governance that is thoughtfully designed and cultures that are resilient and built to endure.

But we can no longer rely on the ways of the past. The CST/Edurio 2024 survey found governance vacancies are at an all-time high, and 40% of CEOs identified succession planning as a priority. Without a new approach, we will fail to attract

the next generation – those who can navigate the fast-paced, complex world of today and envisage tomorrow – and miss out on the diverse perspectives crucial to the future success of trusts.

WHY NOW?

In 2010, there were 203 academy schools in England. Now, over half of all state-funded schools are in trusts. At this pivotal moment, trust leaders are reflecting not only on their trust’s role in the community, but also on how the sector’s growth and evolving standards are reshaping governance and leadership across the system.

The launch of the Academy Trust Governance Code in October 2023 marked a key moment in the sector’s maturity. A year on, CST has analysed a year’s worth of our external governance reviews (ERGs) to gain insights into the next phase of trust governance. The Code’s fundamental principle contains the assumption that a trust is compliant. For next-gen governance, a solitary focus on the basics – accountability, compliance and avoiding failures – is not sufficient. Education is one of the most highly regulated sectors and the overwhelming majority of trusts are compliant on key requirements. These foundations are solid in large part due to the increasing skill of trust governance professionals who support boards.

The path forward demands a more refined board leadership style, agile and evolving governance structures and mechanics, and a shift towards relational approaches for lasting success. And trust boards themselves must lead the way in envisioning next-gen governance, viewing compliance as the starting point, not the finish line.

Stewardship Ownership

'We' / 'our' 'I' / 'me'

Greater good

Personal benefit

Supervising or managing something entrusted to youThe right or entitlement to possess something 'I've been put in charge (for a time-limited period).' 'I'm in charge.'

Thinking beyond the present

Thinking mainly about the present Accountability to others first Accountability to yourself first

Ready and prepared for someone else to take over

A SHIFT IN MINDSET

Next-gen governance starts with a mindset shift away from hierarchical, short-term ‘ownership’ to a more civic, long-term ‘stewardship’. This approach is enshrined in Principle 1 of the Code, delivering on the trust’s charitable objects. The difference in approach is stark (see above).

In Centennials, Alex Hill highlights the importance of ‘stable stewards’, citing the All Blacks, NASA, Royal College of Art and Eton as examples of organisations that have achieved long-term success through ‘overlapping stewardship’. Stewards are inherently civic and outward-facing. CST has long championed the civic role of trusts, advocating for a new kind of public leadership – one that is genuinely civicminded. Andy Wolfe eloquently describes ‘cathedral thinking’, the self-effacement and vision required for long-term projects that benefit future generations. True stewards are humble custodians, not possessive owners. They balance humility with confidence, focusing on creating enduring cultures, systems and processes that transcend any single individual and ensure long-term sustainability. Succession planning comes naturally to stewards, who embrace the joy of empowering others and passing the baton.

With a shift in mindset, everything changes. Planning becomes longer term, with clear milestones mapping out the path. Reporting is solutionsfocused and based on assurance not reassurance, reducing ‘fluffload’. Decision-making improves through openness, transparency and psychological safety. Trusts take a relational approach to their stakeholders, using communication and storytelling to share their vision, mission and strategy and pre-empting friction points that leads to resourceintensive crises. Less friction then allows freedom to sustain attention on the long-term strategic priorities. And it is all enabled by a skilled and knowledgeable governance professional who can support the board to meet these new, higher standards of governance.

Inability to 'let go' when time is up

ASSURANCE NOT REASSURANCE AND A SOLUTIONS FOCUS

Lasting, sustainable change can take a decade, yet our ERGs and the sector survey both confirm that few trust strategies reach that far. There's a vital distinction between a 10-year vision, a 3- to 5- year strategy and an operational roadmap for implementation. Many boards lack clarity on the milestones needed to achieve longer-term goals. Where interim ‘big moves’ do exist, they must be agile and responsive to the ‘now’. Long-term success also requires proactive planning for key inflection points, such as growth. And at CST, we have called for a more stable funding system that will allow for longer-term planning in the education sector.

Next-gen governance is about assurance not reassurance. Assurance offers evidence-based confidence that systems are working and progress is on track. It is built on trust in the professional judgement of executive leaders. Reassurance, by contrast, stems from a lack of trust, requires too much operational detail and distracts from the board's strategic role.

Our reviews found the mechanics of governance – reporting, meetings, policies and other documentation – are still driven by reassurance, causing many boards to lose their focus on strategic priorities. Unfocused governance drains time and

GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES

Growth in the trust sector has brought with it governance challenges. While executive structures get attention, governance is often overlooked. How must structures and processes evolve as a trust scales? How will headteachers' roles and support change? How will local committee roles and delegations change? How can link trustees maintain strategic oversight as schools multiply? Where does the trust need to build capacity in order to scale effectively? Addressing these questions pre-emptively is crucial to sustaining strong leadership and relationships over the longer term.

energy and creates ‘fluffload’. Executives are trapped in an endless cycle of writing detailed reports, attending lengthy unfocused meetings and constantly reviewing scores of over-long policies that are read and understood by few. This type of governance also drives away all but the most timerich governance volunteers, such as the retired, creating a lack of diversity of thought on boards.

Next-gen governance requires minimalist, forwardlooking and solutions-focused reporting. These shorter reports encourage more analysis and force greater insights (the crucial ‘so what?’). Laser sharp meetings must have a specific goal in mind. Policies must be minimised, consolidated or even eliminated when unnecessary. Technology and AI can help here, but only if used carefully and always with data protection in mind.

OPENNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

SAMIRASADEGHI

is Director of Trust Governance at CST. She previously worked at AET (now Lift Schools) and Ark Schools. Before 2010, she was a criminal defence attorney in California representing death row inmates for almost 12 years.

In a quest to understand and replicate highperforming teams, Google’s Project Aristotle reviewed scores of academic studies and examined the behaviours of 180 teams. It found the most important feature was a strong sense of psychological safety that fostered an environment where members felt comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas openly, leading to more productive discussions and innovative solutions.

As espoused in Principle 7 of the Code, an effective long-term strategy must be rooted in openness and transparency. This is facilitated by the type of leadership set out in Principle 2: ‘creating the conditions in which academy trust staff are confident and enabled to provide the information, advice and feedback the Board requires’. Without this, we create a ‘thermocline of truth’, where people fear speaking up and critical issues never reach decisionmakers. This silence breeds crises, forcing leaders into constant firefighting, derailing the long-term vision and leaving strategy adrift. True progress requires an environment where honesty flows freely, and

challenges are acknowledged and met before they become emergencies.

Next-gen governance removes high-stakes accountability. It allows for mistakes and establishes norms for how failure is handled. It facilitates speaking up, embraces constructive conflict and promotes sincere dialogue. It also celebrates successes.

A RELATIONAL APPROACH UNDERPINNED BY COMMUNICATION AND STORYTELLING

Next-gen governance requires a cultural shift towards stakeholder engagement, servant leadership, transparency and proper delegation – all enshrined in the Code. Training in communication, mediation and restorative justice is essential, reserving escalation for only the most severe cases. Storytelling and overcommunicating with our stakeholders can garner their trust and respect, and prevent friction points, such as the rising number of parental complaints that currently consume vast amounts of governance time and divert scarce resource.

GOVERNANCE AS A PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVOUR

Our reviews found a direct correlation between the quality of governance and the existence of a skilled governance professional. Governance is too often seen as an ‘add on’ to other responsibilities and the role has not garnered the respect it deserves. Even more alarmingly, our survey revealed that in many trusts the CEO leads on governance, directly in contravention of the Academy Trust Handbook.

Next-gen governance is not possible without the support of a skilled governance professional. Governance professionals are not ‘clerks’. Operating a charitable company requires trustees and executive leaders to navigate an ever-increasing number of legal, regulatory and financial requirements. It is crucial, therefore, that they are well supported in this by a professional able to provide accurate and timely advice and facilitate a seamless governance practice.

ON THE CUSP

We are on the cusp of the next phase of the trust sector. With the right shift in mindset, we can create a version of trust governance that will ensure longlasting and sustainable success. CST and its professional community of trustees and governance professionals will continue to be at the vanguard of embedding the principles in the Code and defining next-gen governance that exists in the pace, information and context of today and envisages tomorrow. ■

USING GENERATIVE AI TO TRANSFORM PASTORAL CARE IN SCHOOLS

Luke Ramsden explores how AI can help schools analyse the data they hold on their students in order to understand more about behaviour patterns and improve pastoral care.

In writing this article I am seeking to give fellow teachers and school leaders who, like me, are not experts in computing, an understanding of what generative AI can do to enrich their understanding of their own schools and inform their strategic leadership. I am usually suspicious of articles which make large claims that this or that innovation is transformational or revolutionary, but I really think that this is an area where the claim seems to be matched by the reality.

THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF PASTORAL CARE AND DATA

Traditionally, the pastoral side of school life has not been intensive in its use of data. This has been in stark contrast to the academic side of things where, for many decades now, schools have carried out detailed and forensic analyses of their academic data and outcomes. This may be partly explained by the fact that many people have an uncomfortable feeling about quantifying and analysing data about safeguarding, etc in a way

that might seem to be turning students into ‘numbers’ rather than individuals.

Yet even before the advent of ChatGPT and its growing number of rivals, the world of data has been slowly having more of an impact on pastoral care within a school.

For a start, the proliferation of online platforms for quick and easy notification and the sharing of pastoral and safeguarding data has meant that, almost accidentally, schools are now capturing huge amounts of information about their students.

SCHOOL LEADERS CAN INTERROGATE THEIR SCHOOL DATA IN PLAIN ENGLISH.

For instance, my own school recorded around 180,000 behaviour marks last year alone (mainly merits!), each with a time recorded, what sort of behaviour mark it was and which teacher awarded it.

In addition, as schools have faced a

rapidly rising number of pastoral issues during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become ever more important that they find some way of managing this rising tide of concerns, even as budgets come under greater pressure. This has been a real driver for schools to find ways of evaluating and categorising their pastoral data so that resources can be targeted effectively.

THE OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGE OF AI AND DATA IN SCHOOLS

I have been writing, and talking, about the importance of using data to inform pastoral leadership in schools for years now. The major block to this happening in a number of schools was, in many cases, the fact that senior and pastoral

leaders have not often got much training in either spreadsheet manipulation or data analysis. This has meant that the arrival of generative AI has represented an amazing opportunity because the actual analysis of the data can now be delegated to an AI platform, and school leaders can interrogate their school data in plain English rather than the language of spreadsheet equations.

The first ‘party trick’ I did to give a glimpse of the potential of AI and our school data was to take an anonymised spreadsheet of all the postcodes of our parents over the last 20 years, plug it into the AI and then ask it what patterns it could see in where our parents live. In a matter of seconds, it had set out the changing pattern of recruitment in West London and made suggestions about particular areas where we could focus our communication efforts in coming years.

Of course, for all the apparent ‘magic’ that AI can bring to bear with data, there are some challenges that need to be overcome for it to be used effectively in schools (and indeed any organisation).

Anonymising the data. This is essential to protect student privacy and comply with legal standards such as GDPR.

Categorising the data. Effectively categorising and maintaining uniformity in school data is crucial as it allows for consistent comparisons across the whole school.

Understanding the limitations of AI. When AI is discussed in the press, it is often seen as an almost omnipotent authority, but it does have limitations. For instance, large language models like ChatGPT can only handle a certain amount of information at once, which is called the ‘context window’.

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH AI IN PRACTICE

With these various thoughts in my mind, I was at an educational conference

when I bumped into Kieron White, the head of Engine AI, who said that he could create a specialised school ChatGPT with all the school’s data on it that anyone on the senior team could investigate or analyse. To give this a try, I anonymised all 180,000 behaviour marks from last term (I was able to do this by the simple expedient of asking ChatGPT ‘How do I anonymise data on an Excel spreadsheet?’ and followed its instructions!) and Kieron’s team created a platform for us from which I have learned a huge amount already!

DRAWING OUT CORRELATIONS

One of the key things that AI can do is to look for correlations between different parts of a dataset. In doing this, AI proved much more effective when I directed it in what I was looking for rather than just asking it ‘Can you tell me what patterns you can spot in this data?’. This emphasises how much the process remains human driven even when you are using an incredibly powerful AI capability. So, for instance, the analysis I curated revealed that the single behaviour that most strongly correlated with student

poor behaviour was asking to leave lessons to go to the loo. To quote the AI directly, ‘The quantified analysis shows a near-perfect positive correlation (0.998) between the number of times students left class to use the loo and the total number of poor behaviour marks they received’.

My task, of course, was therefore to understand why there is this link. Given the very large amount of data supporting the correlation though, I had a very powerful message to give to the school community in managing loo breaks during lessons!

COMPARING THE IMPORTANCE OF DIFFERENT BEHAVIOURS/FACTORS

Another very useful area of analysis that the AI was able to complete much more quickly and effectively than most humans was in comparing the importance of different factors. So, to give just one case, I uploaded the end of year marks from one year group and asked whether behaviour or attendance had a greater correlation with those marks. Much to my surprise the findings were pretty

conclusive. Again, to quote directly from the AI:

‘Attendance had a more significant impact on exam results, with students who had poor attendance (below 90%) experiencing a 13% decrease in their exam scores on average. Poor behaviour also negatively affected exam results but to a lesser extent, with a maximum drop of 7% for students with high levels of poor behaviour.’

Again, while correlation is not the same as causation, the figures are pretty convincing and are a very useful starting point for looking at the issue in more depth.

SPOTTING BROADER PATTERNS

My most ambitious use of the AI data arose from listening to an ‘Economist’ podcast which talked about the American military’s use of AI to spot patterns in massive datasets. In the case study under discussion, military analysts in a project called Raven Sentry in Afghanistan had found that they could predict terrorist attacks extremely accurately based on the fact that light emissions in the effected party of a city changed. They did not actually know why this pattern was such a good predictor of an attack, but it was very effective!

Thinking about what sort of unpredictable and extreme event

might be a rough equivalent at school, I asked AI if there was any good way of predicting a school exclusion. Much to my surprise, AI was absolutely clear that there was a strong pattern visible in our exclusions in the previous year. To quote the AI:

‘The data typically shows a steady increase in behaviour marks starting from about five weeks before the exclusion, with a sharp spike in the final week or two. If a student shows a pattern of rapidly increasing behaviour marks – particularly if there is a significant jump in minor behaviour marks – this could be a strong indicator that the situation is escalating toward a possible exclusion. Schools could use these patterns as an early warning system to intervene before behaviour escalates to the point of necessitating an exclusion.’

This is only just touching the surface of what AI can do, but it does give me reason to think that if I put several years’ worth of data into the AI system then it might well be able to tell me if I really have got a useful and predictable pattern and a way of pre-empting really serious problems before they have a chance to happen. I will certainly be looking much more carefully at spikes of low-level behaviour this year than I probably have done in the past!

ONLY THE BEGINNING

We are only at the very beginning of what AI can do for schools, and in this article I have not even touched on the more ‘generative’ and educational aspects of AI in creating lesson plans, marking work etc. It does seem, though, that AI’s ability to process data, and to do so in a way that does not require technical specialism in those people using it, could very quickly transform the way in which senior leaders and teachers are able to understand their schools and make strategic decisions about how they are run.

The Economist podcast talked of ‘Human-Machine Teaming’ – that is using human intelligence and intuition to guide the vast processing power of AI to help us understand the world around us. That will doubtless be a powerful tool for schools just as much as any other organisations. ■

LUKE RAMSDEN is Senior Deputy Head at St Benedict’s School in Ealing. He is an expert in safeguarding and pastoral care in education and chair of trustees for The School’s Consent Project.

TIME IS VERY SHORT DEEPENING THE HUMAN DIMENSION

Sir Anthony Seldon believes the most difficult yet the most essential question we can ask today about education is 'What will it mean to be human in an age of ubiquitous AI?'

Let me begin by suggesting what it means to be human. Philosophers have been attempting to answer this question for millennia. The question of the 'human residual' has intrigued me ever since I wrote a book on the subject six years ago. What is it that only human beings can do given the frighteningly quick advances of AI capability, including performing physical activities hitherto thought to be largely beyond its reach. Let me suggest five key facets:

• curiosity – the ability to ask searching questions, including about abstract morality and the ultimate meaning

• agency – acting in a unique and wholly independent manner

• consciousness – the ability to be self-aware, and to know that one is being self-aware

• awe and wonder – the capacity to be transported by beauty, by being present at a sunset, a sports match or a concert

• love and empathy – the experience of total loving self-negation in the interests of others, and empathetically connecting with other sentient life at the deepest of levels.

I don't pretend this is a complete list, but it's sufficient to draw attention to the risks of erosion of the human, but also the opportunities. Chat GPT gave an interesting response when my students asked it what human beings can do that AI will be unable to do. It pronounced 'ethical questions, existential reflection, philosophy, intuition, and emotional experience of feelings'. Not bad. But did it understand what it had produced? Of course not.

SCOOPING OUT VALUE

The risks of dehumanising and scooping out value from education are not, of course, new. The focus of schools and colleges since the 1980s and 1990s by government has been tests and exam results as the sole or principal validator of the worth of a student, a teacher and a school. For all the good aspects, this mono transactional focus has squeezed out some of the individuality and humanity that schools used to nurture. The system rewards students who give the right answer, at the right time, in the right form. It is not interested in individual, creative or unusual responses. Nor does it have much space for individuality and creativity amongst teachers. The expectation on them is that they need to deliver the specified curriculum in the right way and time. One reason for the rise of mental health problems and insecurity about personal identity amongst the young is because the education system does not allow more space to help the process of individuation and personality formation. Adventure activities and trips can help significantly in the development of a child’s confidence: but they have been pared back because of financial restrictions and fears about safety. Human intelligence is multifaceted, yet schools focus on a narrow range of intelligence, often the logical and sequential skills on which AI will always outperform humans.

THE ED TECH COMPANIES DO NOT CARE…

HUMAN INTELLIGENCE

As Professor Rose Luckin, the leading academic on AI in education, says: ‘The problem is we only "treasure what we measure" and we have not been measuring the full range of ways in which humans are intelligent. We need to put even more energy into embracing and developing a much richer understanding of human intelligence and how it differs from AI if we are really going to make sure that the AI makes us smarter rather than dumbs us down.’

These worries are not altogether new. The arrival of social media and the internet from the 1990s increased concerns about the development of humanity in young people. From the earliest ages, young children were spending hours in front of screens and finding it difficult to distinguish between cyber and physical reality. Screen time began eroding the development of interpersonal relationships and family life. Meals together are a particular casualty.

DEGRADING THE ABILITY TO THINK

AI, even in its infancy as today, had accelerated these problems. It constantly prompts and second-guesses what a student might be wanting to say, degrading their ability to think a subject through. ‘This moulding by AI of the young is insidious and troubling,’ says Sylvie Delacroix of KCL. Developing brains need to be fed with challenge and difficult problems to be worked out so they can constantly be learning. ‘We can still shape LLMs so as not to stifle students' learning, but we are fast running out of time,’ says Delacroix.

If we are not very careful, we will find all five facets of humanity – curiosity, agency, consciousness, awe and love – begin to shrivel and even die. The Ed tech companies do not care: they are battering schools, pupils and parents daily with their new products, promising unimaginable benefits from buying them. Only the profession itself can protect learners and ensure the emerging AI deepens humanity and the quality of educational experience for all, which is why we set up ‘AI in Education’ in May 2023.

There is no more important issue than recommitting to the deepening of the human in education today. ■

WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO?

Ensure time spent online and with AI is ‘offset’ by high-quality teacher and fellow student interactions.

Severely limit in-school screen time and focus on educational activities only.

Prioritise challenging students, with AI letting the student attempt responses before it gives answers.

Use AI strategically to help them focus on what each student can best do, and to stretch and nurture those talents.

Exploit growing AI-facilitated opportunities for SEND students.

Emphasise development of character, with high-quality Jubilee Centre (University of Birmingham) methodologies placed centrally in schools. Also, provide quiet or mindful times so students become familiar with silence and centring themselves without external distractions or devices.

Involve families more in the whole process of education and help them to understand the opportunities and the risks of AI.

Ensure students have ample opportunities for the development of ‘hand’ and ‘heart’ intelligence at school, and not restrict education to just ‘head’ intelligence. Students should be encouraged to make things with their hands, and to engage in activities that expand their heart and compassion.

SIR ANTHONY SELDON is a British educator and contemporary historian. He wrote 'The Fourth Education Revolution: Will AI Infantilise or Liberate Humanity?'

A FUNDRAISING JOURNEY

BUILDING A DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION

AT COLYTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Creating a development function within a state school requires significant investment and commitment from the senior leadership team and Board, but this can have a rewarding return for the school and its future. Dr Emma Styles, Head of Development at Colyton Grammar School, explores her school’s development journey and explains how through developing their long-term vision and cultivating relationships with their alumni and wider school community, they are fostering a culture of giving back to the school.

THE ROLE OF SENIOR LEADERS

Senior leadership must actively support the development function. They should consistently convey ‘the why’ you are fundraising and be involved in engaging with your community, as well as asking for contributions and thanking donors.

BUILDING A NETWORK

When we first started, we had limited alumni contact details, which made it challenging to grow our network. We turned to professional networking platforms like LinkedIn to expand our alumni network and school community. Leveraging the school search feature within LinkedIn allowed us to gradually build our network

while ensuring compliance with data protection laws.

As our network reached 500 members, we decided to invest in a more advanced CRM platform with a built-in webpage. This platform now functions as a centralised hub for news, events, data

TOP TIPS

capture, communication and fundraising. It has streamlined the process of capturing alumni data by allowing them to ‘join’ and update their information, reconnect with friends and subscribe to newsletters for school and alumni updates.

• Colyton Grammar School used student interns to connect with individuals through LinkedIn to grow their network to 500 members.

• Use a scheduling tool like SmarterQueue or Hootsuite to plan and schedule social media posts in advance. Additionally, you can utilise free design software like Canva to create templates for your social media content.

• The use of a CRM system to manage all fundraising activities can greatly assist in communicating with and stewardship of donors.

THE POWER OF NOSTALGIA AND BELONGING

The goal of the network or community you’re creating is to foster a strong sense of belonging. It’s important for alumni to feel that their alma mater cares about their life journeys after leaving school and takes pride in their accomplishments. Sharing success stories on platforms like LinkedIn is an excellent way to demonstrate the school’s ongoing interest and celebration of its alumni. Additionally, showcasing individuals through inspiring posters displayed around the school and on the school website, alongside achievements of current students and staff, helps to cultivate a broad sense of belonging among all community members.

To engage alumni, we share archived school photos

that evoke memories of their time as students, as well as memories of school trips and activities. These nostalgic posts can draw in more individuals and build the community further. Participating in social media movements such as #ThrowbackThursday is also a popular and easy way to involve the community.

PEOPLE LOVE TO SHARE THEIR JOURNEY (THE GIFT OF TIME)

It’s amazing to see how people are eager to share their experiences. When it comes to development, the key is to foster relationships and understand what drives our alumni and how these align with the needs of our school. One great way to start creating a sense of ‘community’ is by inviting alumni to come back and talk about their careers with the students. These sessions could

be held during lunchtime, open to all students or, as the community grows, you could organise tailored events to help enrich the career choices of sixth form students or hold a day-long event where alumni share their career journeys with students who are interested in a particular field. In addition, providing alumni support with Oxbridge interview preparation is extremely valuable for students as it gives them the relevant mock interview experience they need. As a result of our work in this area we have seen a consistent increase in the number of Colyton Grammar School students being accepted into Oxbridge year after year.

FUNDRAISING

Schools have a valuable pool of potential supporters including parents, alumni, trustees and friends of the school. It is essential to approach these

stakeholders at the right time, especially those who may not have been contacted by the school for some time. Evaluating the relationships with different stakeholders is crucial and what you ask each stakeholder should be tailored and in line with your case for support, ‘the why’ underpinning your fundraising.

PARENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

State schools often face financial constraints due to aging buildings and facilities, as well as the need to cover staff wages and provide enrichment activities for students. As a result, parents are usually the first to be approached for fundraising. Many parents are willing to give back if they are able. At Colyton Grammar School, we have established a Regular Giving scheme to support the student experience and

to ensure that students have the best possible educational experiences. The funds raised through this scheme are used to support a range of different opportunities, such as outdoor educational activities, mobile art equipment for primary school outreach activities and VEX robotics for our extracurricular engineering club. These projects are determined by the Headteacher or the Development Board. Donors are thanked annually with an email containing photos or a film from students to showcase the impact of their donations. Additionally, the Headteacher hosts a thank-you cream tea for donors every other year.

The Parents’ Associations play a crucial role in supporting the school by offering social activities for parents and providing a group of invested volunteers. Aligning fundraising efforts

with the Parents’ Association can help the school achieve its campaign goals. Funds from the Parents’ Association can also serve as a valuable resource when applying for grants, providing match funding and demonstrating broader community support for the school’s initiatives. By involving the Parents’ Association in the Development Office, they can contribute to the delivery of transformative projects within the school.

ASKING ALUMNI FOR DONATIONS

At Colyton Grammar School, it took us four years to build a strong alumni network of over 1,000 members with high open rates on newsletters (over 50%) and a willingness to contribute their time for career talks. When approaching alumni for donations, we focus on presenting a compelling and emotive case for support that emphasises the urgency, relevance and impact their support could have on current students. It’s important to highlight the benefits for students rather than just the school’s needs. By showcasing how their contributions will enhance the student experience, we can motivate donors to give.

In terms of fundraising protocol, we always ensure

that we secure at least 50-60% of the funds for campaigns before seeking wider community support. This initial funding can come from trusts and foundations, major donors, corporate sponsors, or the Parents’ Association. This approach gives us the confidence that we can raise the remainder of the funds through individual donations … and the community the confidence they are giving to a project that will happen.

BRINGING IN EXTRA RESOURCE

As our journey of development continues, state schools often face resource limitations. In order to enhance our impact, we have sought external resources to bolster our efforts. Recently, we had additional support to organise a Giving Day from Buffalo. This initiative not only raised an impressive amount (nearly £43,000), but it also fostered a sense of unity across the entire school community. Moreover, it increased student and staff involvement in fundraising and resulted in the highest number of donations from parents and alumni that we have ever received. Whilst it’s important to recognise that budgets are limited, income growth requires a long-term sustained investment and increased

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS RATHER THAN JUST THE SCHOOL’S NEEDS.

EVENTS

To foster stronger connections and camaraderie within the alumni community, it’s beneficial to organise social gatherings such as drinks or dinners to commemorate significant school events like anniversaries or the establishment of the alumni network. These events help us cultivate a sense of community among alumni and parents and can also be a way to involve the Parents’ Association who often support as volunteers, helping with bar services, boosting participation and handling ticket sales.

practice from a wide range of schools, including many independent schools and the insights they have gained, which are often applicable to the state sector as well. It is also reassuring to know that the strategies and activities implemented in our school align with industry best practices.

ESTABLISHING A DEVELOPMENT BOARD

resource over time, as the development office matures and the return on investment grows.

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING AND SUPPORT

Joining a reputable professional institute like the Institute of Development Professionals in Education (IDPE) or listening to professional podcasts such as those from Juliet Corbett and Carla Miller, can provide invaluable support and networking opportunities for school fundraisers. The IDPE conference, in particular, offers a great platform to learn best

As the school’s development function evolves, you might want to consider seeking additional support from various stakeholders to aid your fundraising and development efforts. Many schools rely on development boards to contribute to fundraising appeals. The development board can further embed your messaging, plan, build strategy and effectively deliver development initiatives at the school. The development board can help open doors for fundraising, maintain regular communication with the headteacher and trustees and involve the Parents’ Association to ensure that all stakeholders are engaged. For state schools, which may only have a single or part-time staff member dedicated to fundraising, the added support and credibility provided by a development board can help build momentum.

Visit idpe.org.uk ■

DR EMMA STYLES is Head of Development at Colyton Grammar School.

THE CASE FOR MUSIC

A RIGHT NOT A PRIVILEGE

The past decade and more of austerity in education has put a lot of pressure on the arts in our schools. This pressure can be seen, in particular, in communities experiencing social and economic deprivation – exactly where music and the arts are needed most. Tamsin Rafnsson sets out the case for music in schools and sends out a call to action to education leaders.

Music forms part of some of my earliest memories; singing in assemblies at school, being part of a choir and orchestra, going on trips to see performances and fond memories of a trip abroad with my local Youth Orchestra. Being a musician has, for me, not just been about learning an instrument and being in an orchestra; it has fundamentally shaped the characteristics of who I am as a person and a wider part of society. It has

engendered a sense of determination and tenacity, made me a complete stickler for attention to detail and given me tightly honed listening and sharp communication skills. I am empathetic with others and have an understanding of what it really means to work as part of a team. All desirable, and arguably essential, skills for being successful in life.

When you look at musical education through this lens it is hard to understand

why there has been such a lack of focus on participation and funding in this area over the past decade and more, which is clearly shown by the data: entries for GCSE music fell 34% between 2010-2023 (Cultural Learning Alliance Report Card, July 2024). But this isn’t just a story of universal decline – it’s a story of stark differences in opportunity across our society.

• 89% of independent schools run a choir at lunchtime or after-school compared to only 60% of the most disadvantaged state schools.

• Only 64% of schools serving disadvantaged communities give students a chance to take part in a school musical or musical play, compared with 91% of the most affluent state schools and 96% of independent schools.

• Only 12% of the most deprived schools have an orchestra, compared to 85% of independent schools.

• One in four schools serving disadvantaged communities offer no music instrument lessons to students who want them, whereas almost all independent schools and those serving affluent communities do. BPI survey (2019)

Below: Dixons Academies Trust Collaboration Concert, July 2024 at St George’s Hall in Bradford, brought together a diverse array of students and staff from across primary, secondary and sixth form academies in Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. There were 370 students involved in total.

In a world where there is increasing social unrest and where empathy and listening can be hard to come by, I believe the connection and sense of belonging from making music with others would be a powerful tool for all our young people – as well as enhancing their academic abilities.

RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION

ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY MUSIC AND ARTS PROVISION SHOULD BE UNIVERSAL AND NOT THE PRESERVE OF THE PRIVILEGED.

ENGAGING THE BRAIN

Dr Anita Collins, award-winning educator, researcher and writer in the field of brain development and music learning, states on her website, ‘Bigger, better brains’: ‘Learning music engages the brain in a unique and comprehensive way. Playing an instrument requires coordination of fine motor skills, auditory processing, and visual cues, all while maintaining rhythm and pitch. This multifaceted engagement promotes neuroplasticity, enhancing the brain's capacity to adapt and grow. Children who receive music education often perform better in areas such as memory, attention, and problemsolving. The benefits of music learning extend beyond academic performance, contributing to overall cognitive development and emotional well-being. Music learning fosters discipline, patience, and the ability to work collaboratively –skills that are invaluable in any context.’ Professor Sarah Wilkinson in her ABC classic video explained that it has been seen on MRI scanners how different parts of the brain light up when you sing, all of which augment social bonding and empathy. The act of singing also activates our reward network, the emotions which lead to release of dopamine – the ‘feel good’ chemical for the brain; it brings neuro-protective benefits for our mental health.

We are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of young people being exposed to smartphones and social media, which seem to be increasing anxieties and a loss of the skills that face-to-face communication and empathy building can bring. Learning an instrument and being part of ensembles supports young people in building resilience and determination, understanding what it means to master a skill after many hours of trying to succeed and feeling the joy of performing with others as you all work towards the same goal.

Given the academic, social and well-being benefits from learning an instrument and singing, we need a call to action for educators at all levels to fight for the rights of every young person to gain access to music.

The opportunities highlighted within the National Plan for Music Education and the quality of music provision outlined in the Model Music Curriculum are a great place to start. I would argue that these recommendations should shift to statutory requirements so that leaders feel empowered to allocate their resources appropriately.

INDUSTRY-READY

Arts should be built into the fabric of education, as part of a balanced provision and thereby allow students to gain the skills they need to be ‘industry-ready’. The creative industries contributed £108 billion to our economy in 2023, and we need all our young people to be equipped to thrive within this industry. The new, bigger regional music hubs will play an integral role in liaising with trusts and individual schools to ensure that no child misses out on access to funding for music tuition and a high-quality music education.

Often those who need these opportunities most are those who are living in our most socially and economically disadvantaged areas. Research from the Musicians’ Union in November 2018 revealed that families with a total household income of less than £28,000 are half as likely to have a child learning an instrument as more affluent peers with a family income of £48,000 or more: what does it say about our society if only children with rich parents get to experience making music?

BUCKING THE TREND

Working at a trust which exists to challenge educational and social disadvantage in the North, I know that it is possible to buck the trend and provide these valuable opportunities. I recently staged a concert at St George’s Hall in Bradford, bringing together a diverse array of 370 young people from across our academies in Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool to collaborate and celebrate our love of music-making together.

Memories were made that night that will last a lifetime. Yet amidst the fun, laughter and joy of music-making there is a stark message here; ultimately, this is a social justice issue – access to highquality music and arts provision should be universal and not the preserve of the privileged. ■

TAMSIN RAFNSSON is Director of Music for Dixons Academies Trust. A cellist and singer herself, she has taught music in secondary schools for the past 25 years and worked at a trust-wide leadership level since 2021. Dixons is committed to making a difference for children in parts of the north of England where young lives are adversely affected by social and educational disadvantage.