Autumn 2018 | Issue three Leigh Academies Trust Review of the Academic Year 2017-18 Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities A message from the Chief Executive This September we formally celebrate the tenth Meanwhile, leadership across LAT today is delivered anniversary of Leigh Academies Trust (LAT). Throughout by a consistent team of high-quality individuals, whose its history, the Trust has never taken the easy path, has considerable talents are seldom found anywhere in overcome considerable obstacles and has turned brave such high concentration. Of the 75 staff who hold new ideas into reality, encouraging others to follow. senior positions at Trust central and as principals and Through a period of great change in the English education vice-principals of our academies, our retention rate was system, one of the most remarkable features of LAT is its 97% in 2017-18. This builds on a similarly impressive continuity and stability, embodied most powerfully in the figure of 95% the year before. The continuity and contribution of three particular individuals deserving of commitment to seeing things through provided by our collective tribute. our senior leaders, year after year, is a key feature of LAT’s success. In its whole history, LAT has had just one Chairman. Bob Findlay fulfils this vital role with remarkable fortitude. In contrast, today’s world is beset by the fragility and Most people who know him recognise his considerable uncertainty of competing and polarising extremes; intellect, eye for detail and strength of character. As dogmatism and partisanship are commonplace. In the someone who has worked closely with him for many UK we are split down the middle by the issue of Brexit. years, I have observed his deep passion for our In the US, President Trump radically divides opinion. organisation, unending willingness to give his time In education the often bigoted extremes of progressive freely and his commitment to achieving the best for our and traditional philosophies have raised their heads again young people in an ever-changing world. LAT would be and seek to drum up narrow division everywhere. LAT has much the weaker without the indelible mark he never and will never jump on bandwagons; the world is continues to leave on our progress forward. never simple: it is always complex and sophisticated. Our Trust understands that the best education normally exists The Trust has had just two CEOs since it started. I was in the centre ground, drawing upon the most compelling fortunate enough to take the torch from Frank Green, research from all sides of the debate. We will certainly CBE, who led the Trust at its inception and remains our never be blown off course, nor swing with the pendulum Vice-Chairman to this day. Between us we have shared of political prejudice or ideological idiosyncrasy. the first decade of Trust leadership in roughly equal measure. His early decisions about how the Trust should LAT is built on strong foundations. It inherits a legacy of be led, structured and governed were made at a time effective governance and leadership from Bob, Frank and when no blueprint was available. Frank always possessed Sir Geoffrey, whose combined contribution is as strong as the Midas touch and LAT benefited at a very early stage ever. We continue to perform well today, even at a time from his sure-footed instincts, wise counsel and openness when the academy sector is not spoken about highly in to new ways of organising education. all quarters. Our ten-year history provides us with a level of experience and wisdom in running schools that few And then there is our enduring Founder, Sir Geoffrey Leigh: possess. Looking back on this year bears witness to our he started our whole enterprise with his original generous deep and ongoing impact on shaping the lives of young endowment. Since then, he has been ever-present, wishing people through high-quality education and, in doing so, us well and remaining steadfast in his commitment to helping to transform the communities in which they live helping young people on the right path in life. None of and will grow up to be the adults of the future. what we have achieved would have been possible without him; 13,000 pupils across the region are better off today because of Sir Geoffrey’s plenteous altruism. Simon Beamish Chief Executive Sir Geoffery Leigh Frank Green Bob Findlay 2 www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk WHAT’S INSIDE Results 2018 ..........................4 - 7 Ofsted Results .......................8 - 9 KMT Review of the Year .........10 7th Annual Conference .........11 Annual Staff Awards 2018 ....12 Academy Improvement Strategy .......................................13 International Baccalaureate Development ...................14 - 16 New Academies ..............17 - 19 New Logos ................................19 Trust Performance Agreement 2018 ......................20 The LAT 10 Point Excellence Charter ..................21 Our Values .........................22 - 23 Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities 3 Results 2018 Primary Academies Three primary academies in Leigh Academies Trust have been inspected this year by Ofsted. In the spring, Dartford and Molehill Primaries were judged good overall, having been in special measures when they joined the Trust. Most recently, another very positive inspection took place at Eastcote Primary. Building on recent Ofsted successes, in July we finalised the main primary academy outcomes for the year. There is much to celebrate. Results this year are the best in the history of the Trust, which now runs to eight primary academies across the region, with Cherry Orchard Primary being the latest to join as a brand new academy in the Ebbsfleet Garden City, which opened in September 2017. We are immensely grateful for the dedication of our talented staff and hard work of our pupils which has made these results possible. Early Years Across the Trust, 76% of pupils achieved a good level of development this year, compared to a national average of 69%. All academies achieved at least in line with the national average with some such as Hartley, Oaks and Langley Park exceeding this level by some margin. Phonics In year 1, the proportion of pupils passing the phonics screening check rose to 83% across the Trust this year, compared to a national average of 81%. In three LAT primary academies, Hartley, Oaks and Langley Park, over 90% of pupils achieved this important benchmark. By the end of year 2, 93% of pupils passed the phonics screening check in 2018, compared to a national average of 91%. Over 95% of pupils achieved this goal at our Dartford, Eastcote, Hartley, Oaks and Tree Tops Primaries. 4 www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk Key Stage 1 Results relating to the achievement Key Stage 1 National Average LAT 2018 of the expected standard or above Reading in reading, writing and maths across 74 75 % Expected standard or better LAT primary academies at the end of key stage 1 in 2018 are set out here. Writing 65 70 In each case, results this year improve % Expected standard or better upon last year’s and exceed national Maths 73 77 averages, often by some distance. % Expected standard or better Key Stage 2 The main key stage 2 headlines for Key Stage 2 National Average LAT 2018 primary academy performance were Combined published on Tuesday 10th July and 64 67 % Expected standard or better show some pleasing trends across LAT. Results for each subject are given in Reading 0.0 -0.2 the table to the right. Progress score Writing National averages for the “combined 0.0 2.2 Progress score score” increased in 2018 by three percentage points. Improvements Maths 0.0 1.1 across LAT were slightly higher than Progress score those seen nationally. Attainment was highest at Eastcote Primary, where progress scores for each of the three significant breakthrough in its 88% of pupils achieved the combined main subjects was around +5. Tree performance this year, with the national standard. Pupils made most Tops Primary, which joined LAT in main combined score improving progress at Oaks Primary, where special measures, enjoyed a by 41 percentage points. Shaping Lives, Transforming Communities 5 Results 2018 GCSE This is another year of change at GCSE as all subjects other than English and maths complete the new 9-1 grade GCSEs for the first time, with terminal examinations and no coursework. In this environment of constant reform, we are delighted that most of our established academies are provisionally reporting improvements to their main Progress 8 headline measure of performance. Special mention is warranted of Wilmington and Mascalls Academies, whose outcomes are consistently strong for another year, and of Longfield and Strood Academies, which have leapt forward in their achievement in 2018. Across LAT roughly 6 in 10 pupils have achieved grades 9-4 in maths and English combined, with 3 in 10 doing the same at grades 9-5. A range of successes have been enjoyed across other subjects too, including in the new, tougher EBacc suite of courses. Attainment in all of the following EBacc subjects improved in 2018 : English Literature, science, history, French and Spanish. It is impossible to overstate the enormous effort of pupils and staff in achieving these results. We are tremendously grateful for everything they have done. Never has a group of year 11 pupils faced more examinations and a tougher set of assessments to finalise their GCSEs. We are very proud of them all and look forward to welcoming many of them back onto courses at post-16, including A Levels, applied and technical routes, plus the International Baccalaureate Careers-related Programme. 6 www.leighacademiestrust.org.uk A Level We are delighted with our A Level results this year. Students enjoyed similar success in applied and technical Qualifications at post-16 have become much more programmes despite the introduction of demanding demanding, but our students were more than a match examinations into these vocational courses for the first time.