Recruitment and Retention

As an employer we value professional development and provide real opportunity for personal growth. As a result, the schools in our Trust benefit from stable staffing structures and deliver career progression. Nearly all senior leaders (including both headteachers) started their careers with us as class teachers and have grown professionally from the opportunities and effective training provided from within the Trust. Key to our professional development is the belief that continuing professional coaching develops effective reflective practitioners and leaders at all levels. We support and where possible fully fund our teachers to further their training and accredited learning, regularly to MA level or beyond.

Teacher development statement

There are 3 elements to our teacher development system.

A bespoke continuous coaching model that highlights and encourages high expectations through monitoring teaching and pupil outcomes. Monitoring if defined as looking for what could be improved and taking steps to improve on a constant basis. During learning walks lessons are not individually graded, instead a system of continuous, incremental coaching is used to provide advice and practical support on improving practise. Observations, book review, analysis of pupil achievement and progress are part of the process. The Headteachers, senior leadership and TLR monitor regularly on a timetabled basis.

All teachers take part in Teacher Communities that are social learning systems. In relation to school professional development social learning is a process that:

• Demonstrates a change in understanding has taken place in the individuals involved. This may be accomplished through individual study and reflection but is better served by interaction with others views and experience on and of learning.
• Demonstrates that the change goes beyond the individual and becomes situated within the school communities practice. This is the prime role of leadership - to facilitate teachers to learn and improve their practice and the teachers to improve the learning of pupils. Practice is shared within the trust and across schools.
• Occurs through social interactions and processes between practitioner within a social network. Teacher Communities are timetabled, with non-contact time provided. They are the prime means by which new ideas, initiatives and practice are introduced and developed.

There is a moral and contractual obligation for teachers and leaders to be actively in engaged in their own and others continuous professional development. It is then right that the trust encourages and funds individuals to take part in external training leading to post graduate qualifications. These types of study challenge existing norms leading to further development of individuals, school and trust.

The quality of our teaching is constantly improving. This, coupled with a broad and balanced curriculum ensures our pupil outcomes are significantly better than national averages and pupils leave us socially confident having experienced a wide range of problem solving,  creative and physical activity.