The recent White Paper ‘Opportunity for all: Strong schools with great teachers for your child’ provides a clear definition for a strong Trust:

High Quality and Inclusive Education – delivers high quality education across their academies, including for disadvantaged children and children with SEND, and operates fair access. Has effective central leadership teams, strong school leadership and teaching, and uses evidence-based curriculum design and implementation.

School Improvement – works quickly to improve standards within all their schools, particularly transforming previously under performing schools, and maintaining appropriately performing schools.

Strategic Governance – operates an effective and robust governance structure that involves schools and exemplifies ethical standards. Utilises the expertise and skills on its boards to oversee the strategic direction of the trusts effectively and hold leaders to account. Has a strong local identity, engaging effectively with parents and the wider community.

Financial Management – is underpinned by strong and effective financial management, prioritising the use of resources, including the estate, to deliver the best educational experience for children.

Workforce – trains, recruits, develops, deploys and retains great teachers and leaders throughout their careers, proactively engaging in Initial Teacher Training and the Early Career Framework, supporting staff development by using National Professional Qualifications and other evidence-based professional development and providing them with opportunities to progress. Deploys the best staff in the schools where they are needed most and prioritises staff wellbeing.

1. High Quality and Inclusive Education:

Our schools provide high quality inclusive education and we are proud of the strength and depth of our teaching staff and leadership teams at each school.

2. School Improvement: 

As a Trust, we have a strong track record of school improvement both within our Trust and in the support provided to other schools over the past ten years.

3. Strategic Governance: 

Our strategic governance is robust and strong, recognised in a recent External Governance Audit (January 2022)

Inspiring Learners Trust is well governed and well led. The Board are all committed and capable and proud to be part of the Trust.

The CEO leads the Executive team exceptionally well and is a highly regarded professional in their field.

The processes around Governance in the Trust are all thoroughly planned and executed and in some cases represent outstanding practice.

The current Leadership of the Trust is strong and committed both at Board level and in the Executive team

Trustees are highly knowledgeable about their specialism and about the Trust as a whole.

Trustees are clearly focused on the whole child and providing children with life experiences as well as education.

Trustees are highly knowledgeable about their specialism and about the Trust as a whole.

Expectations for performance and outcomes are high and continue to rise.

The Trust has an excellent 5 year Strategic Plan with clear objectives and responsibilities.

4. Financial Management: 

We are proud of our exemplary financial controls and systems, proven by two years’ external audit reports with no audit weaknesses, identified by our independent auditors.

We focus on constant improvement to ensure every penny is spent wisely and carefully and proactively focus on needs on the needs of the children to ensure we invest in environment and resources to enhance their learning experience.

5. Workforce:

Staff well-being and development is prioritised at both school and Trust level and we have a strong track record of staff professional development and opportunity both within and beyond our Trust.