School Improvement Offer - Great Heights Academy Trust

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Why Great Heights?

Great Heights Academy Trust believes that all of our schools should have a continuous focus on school improvement and that all leaders should have high aspirations and expectations for all pupils. We believe we are all on a continuous journey to know more and remember more.

Our academy teams, SCITT, Research School, English Hub and Medical Needs Partner Provisions give us unique strengths to ensure all those in our care can be supported on their improvement journeys.

Our AA Teamworks West Yorkshire SCITT plays a key role in our recruitment and retention strategy, working closely with our Great Heights West Yorkshire Research School and Great Heights English Hub. Weekly bulletins are sent to all academies, providing updates and webinars on teaching strategies designed to upskill all teaching staff.
Our Great Heights Research School offers a planned series of high-quality research informed CPD across all our Trust academies, in addition to a bespoke offer dependent on need. We currently have six trained Evidence Champions based in our academies to support the work of the Research School.
The Great Heights English Hub promotes a love of reading and supports schools to provide excellent phonics and early language teaching. We have 16 Literacy Specialists based across our academies.

We can offer support from specialists within the Trust in all areas (school improvement planning, financial and business management, pupil premium reviews, behaviour programmes and the development of the curriculum) to other schools. To find out more please contact Dani Worthington by email: mat@greatheightstrust.org.uk

The support regarding school improvement has been critical to ensure my vision for the school has been implemented and is continuously being reviewed and adapted to drive improvements. It has been excellent to be able to work collaboratively with our Trust’s Research School, English Hub and School Improvement teams to develop a school improvement plan that is research driven but also supports the individual needs of our school.

Alexandra Fuller, Principal

How we tailor support

The level of support is categorised to: Good/Outstanding School Offer; RI Offer; Inadequate Offer or New to Trust Offer.

A forensic analysis of need is carried out through systematic and rigorous monitoring and evaluation of all major aspects to enable any issues to be found and appropriate support/intervention to be planned and implemented across:

Safeguarding
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Quality and appropriateness of curriculum offers
Standards of behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Effective use of data to inform improvements which are securely evidence-informed

The support I have received and continue to receive both professionally and personally from our Trust is second to none… the level and depth of expertise and rapid support available from Great Heights has been everything I was told it would be and more.

Diane Mahon, Principal

What does the offer include?

The Great Heights Academy Trust School Improvement Offer ensures that all Great Heights academies are working together to improve outcomes for children. The offer includes appropriate levels of challenge and support through a calendar of audits, reviews, quality assurance and school improvement visits.

The calendar:

Minimum two SIP visits
Peer validated typicality
Data review
Phonics review
SEND review
Subject specific review
Staff and wellbeing review
Post OFSTED planning support
Attendance review
Bespoke support offer dependent on need

Quality Assurance:

Site monitoring visits, collection and discussion on emerging data, holding academies to account for pupil outcomes conducted by the Director of School Improvement/CEO with external school improvement partner
Following the same basic pattern for each academy in order to ensure a consistent and clear overview of performance

School Improvement visits:

Working with academy staff to develop and improve practice
Strategic planning
Coaching and mentoring
Team teaching and demonstration lessons
Planning CPD

School Improvement Team

The School Improvement Senior Leadership Team are supported by and deploy expert practitioners from across all our schools to provide expert support in English, Maths, Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Development, Assessment, SEND, Early Years, Phonics, Vision, Ethos & Values, Behaviour and Attitudes and Personal Development, in addition to drawing upon the expertise of individual subject leaders.

If you would like to learn more about how Great Heights can support your school to flourish, please contact Dani Worthington by email: mat@greatheightstrust.org.uk

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Why Great Heights?

How we tailor support

What does the offer include?

School Improvement Team

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