SEBMAT Primary Schools – Pedagogical Approach

SEBMAT, through their ‘core offer’ aims to provide:

· An unrelenting emphasis on driving school improvement and extending educational achievement. This involves a collegiate approach to competencies, understanding and sharing knowledge

· Links to local, national and international groups which promote excellence

· Facilitated school-to-school networks, co-ordinating and brokering expertise

The SEBMAT core offer is delivered through:

· External reviews and audits as part of the Trust monitoring cycle. Schools welcome the external validation and suggestions for improvement.

· Each school is unique within the Trust, having their own identity and empowered to develop their own vision and values. Their strengths, expertise and challenges are recognised and valued by senior leaders and Trust members. The close proximity of the schools makes collaborative working and sharing good practice easy to facilitate.

· The Director of Primary works with headteachers to accurately self evaluate the primary schools and identify priorities. She has high expectations and is driven to ensure all the children within the Trust have the best possible opportunities to thrive. In leading by example, the head teachers show mutual respect and value her support and challenge.

· There are effective head teachers leading schools who are supported by a plethora of talented middle leaders alongside a group of future leaders who are being developed, building capacity within and across the Trust.

· School leaders have access to a range of high quality external professionals that support the Trust strategic vison for school improvement.

· There is a shared understanding of school improvement and willingness to engage in the process. Schools are collaborating and not competing. The Trust has the best interests of the children in the decisions they make.

· All staff can access a range of training opportunities including Governance. These are part of the Trust strategic plans to upskill adults so they can perform effectively in their roles.

School Improvement

The emphasis for school improvement is around individual schools developing their school improvement independently and through school-to-school support across the partnership. The Trust has a role to play in facilitating the headteachers working together to address areas for improvement and to consider creatively those issues, which will be dealt with jointly, and those elements specific to particular schools. Approaches, structures, staff deployment, funding and training are then addressed to facilitate these school improvements. The Director of Primary oversees this function through challenge, support, coaching and mentoring.

This includes:

· Offering strategic advice through support, challenge, coaching and mentoring.

· Supporting the head teachers in undertaking high quality self-evaluation, developing and revising the school development plan, professional development programmes, alignment of performance management to school priorities and setting school targets.

· Establishing and strengthening Ofsted-ready practices, including securing a robust evidence base for pupil achievement and school improvement.

· Undertaking pre-OFSTED assessments to help identify areas for improvement.

· Brokering support from the national network of expertise.