A REFLECTION OF YEAR TWO FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING A Reflection of Year Two - From surviving to thriving 1 CONTENTS 4. LEEDS CITY COLLEGE: OUR LOCAL SPONSOR 6. LEEDS CITY COLLEGE: OUR SPONSOR LEADING THE WAY 8. LEADING ON A JOURNEY TO OUTSTANDING: FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING 12. MULTI-ACADEMY TRUSTS: WHAT ARE THEY? 14. GOVERNANCE: STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AT ITS BEST 16. GOVERNANCE: OUR LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY BOARDS 17. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR 18. HIGH QUALITY EXTERNAL SCRUTINY: MARK FELDMAN - ACADEMY IMPROVEMENT PARTNER 20. HIGH QUALITY EXTERNAL SCRUTINY: REVIEWS 21. TRUST CENTRAL TEAM: ORGANISATION STRATEGY 26. WRAT CENTRAL TEAM AND ACADEMY: STRUCTURES 30. WHITE ROSE ACADEMIES TRUST CASE STUDY: MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS 34. A PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE: LCA, LEA, LWA 40. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: OUTSTANDING ASSESSMENT 42. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: ACADEMY CULTURE - OUTSTANDING CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOUR 43. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 44. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION 45. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: LEEDS WEST ACADEMY’S APPROACH TO STUDENT LEADERSHIP 48. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: TRUST STUDENT LEADERSHIP GROUP 50. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: AN INDUSTRY LEADING PARTNERSHIP 52. A NEW GENERATION OF TEACHER: TRAINING WITH GORSE SCITT 53. AN INTRODUCTION TO: SOME OF OUR SCITT NQTs 55. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: OUTSTANDING CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 56. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: WORKING AND LEARNING WITH THE BEST 58. SHOWCASING BEST PRACTICE: STAFF BENEFITS 59. IN THE NEWS: PEARSONS 60. IN THE NEWS: CHURCHILL FELLOWS 61. IN THE NEWS: PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW 62. IN THE NEWS: LEA NEW PRINCIPAL PRESS RELEASE (YEP 14-06-18) 63. STUDENT VOICE: WHAT’S CHANGED THIS YEAR? 2 The White Rose Academies Trust LEEDS CITY COLLEGE: OUR LOCAL SPONSOR - JULY 2018 I have been increasingly schools, I know that we have recruiting new teachers and help the White Rose schools. impressed with the progress the made great progress in giving developing a strategy for White Rose Academies Trust students the confidence to supporting outstanding 21st There has been wind of change and all of the three academies reach for the stars and that far century teaching and learning. moving through the whole of have made over the last year. more of our young people are Into the future, we will be looking the school system, which has enjoying their time in school. at more things that the Trust and resulted in more and more The title of this document the college can and should do young people who don’t fit in last year was, A Reflection of Of course, we also need to together to support each other. being excluded, isolated or just Year One: First Steps Towards ensure that our students pass unwelcome in many schools Outstanding. If the Trust took their exams at the end of Year During this academic year, across the country. Working first steps towards ‘outstanding’ 11. As with the World Cup, the the Trust’s Executive Principal, together, I am determined that in 2016/17, then it took a results aren’t in yet — but the Andrew Whitaker, became a we resist this change and ensure further giant leap towards predictions are all positive and fellow of the Winston Churchill that we are able to include all ‘outstanding’ this year. we are rightly optimistic and Memorial Trust, which is a great young people in the White Rose confident. achievement. Andrew has Academies Trust and support The most important thing for all chosen to use the grant that them to aspire and reach their Colin Booth our schools is that we inspire I am particularly impressed with came with the fellowship to visit goals. students to ‘dare to dream’ and some of the work that the Trust the USA to research Charter to enjoy their learning. Within has started doing in partnership Schools. I am looking forward to Winston Churchill said: “Kites rise Chief Executive and Principal five minutes of walking into any with Leeds City College over discussing his findings and seeing highest against the wind — not of Leeds City College of the three White Rose Trust the year — particularly around what we can learn from them to with it.” Sponsor of White Rose Academies Trust 4 The White Rose Academies Trust A Reflection of Year Two - From surviving to thriving 5 LEEDS CITY COLLEGE: OUR SPONSOR LEADING THE WAY It was only February 2016 (even though sometimes very relentless and provided all As the Deputy CEO, my view when we received the Lead small) were seized upon and staff, previously powerless and tends to be rose-tinted but the Inspector’s feedback: Requires repeated until everyone knew confused about how to make an improved performance and Improvement. the direction of travel and that impact, with clear targets and greater consistency across all there was to be no turning back. tasks that although not always measures is undeniable. Things “weren’t as bad as they easy, were obvious in their could have been’, there were We stuck to our course and impact. Staff were trained in the February 2018 and a different ‘tentative signs of recovery,” worked hard on the things we principles of restorative practice, Lead Inspector: ‘good’ across inspectors recognised that we knew would make the most which changed attitudes and the board, consistently ‘good’ were “a new leadership team difference: conversations about fixed mindsets. High challenge TLA, happy, confident students, and there hadn’t been time to what works with teaching, and high support became the staff with high expectations make an impact.” All of which learning and assessment (TLA), order of the day and, although driving positive progression, was true of course, but it was clear targets, and complete things still went wrong and we close to ‘outstanding’ in many still a difficult task to sell that accountability, a focus on all had the occasional bad day, key areas. “A few more months as a positive to the staff who’d student progress and rigorous progress became undeniable and it might have been there,” worked so hard in the months tracking and monitoring. We and belief followed to drive it on actually meant a lot. We were Bill Jones leading up to that challenging focused on measuring the even further. judged ‘outstanding’ in Personal week. important things and we Development, Behaviour and encouraged a bit of healthy The performance review Welfare (PDBW) as well as High Deputy CEO Curriculum and We knew that what we’d started competition. We celebrated system recognised and Needs and 14-16. Quality, Leeds City College was working and the initial every victory, minor or major. celebrated achievements, Group pain and anger was replaced All of these things, some tiny, identified and helped tackle That’s not the end of the story, far by a determination to be contribute to improving and barriers and obstacles and from it. We keep going, driving, recognised as an outstanding, enriching the thing that by far ensured the complete refining, pushing and cajoling, large further education makes the biggest difference: accountability of the heads improving and perfecting and college. We swiftly flipped the organisational culture. for their departments’ quality all because our students only get colleagues’ understandable and financial performance. one shot at this. They deserve disappointment into a belief Cultural change was actively This was underpinned by a and expect us to have removed that we’d started the upward promoted and discussed, with a matrix management system all random variables and factors swing. huge focus on positive learning of directors with cross-college outside of their control, so that behaviours for students that responsibilities and helped ensure whatever they achieve in their Any evidence of improvement, sought to involve everyone in engagement. Compliance with lives is based solely on their ability whether student views, staff praising the good and calling essential processes rocketed, and effort rather than the luck of surveys, complaints, retention, out and challenging the bad. driving out inconsistency and the draw. achievement or progress scores It only worked because it was complacency. 6 The White Rose Academies Trust A Reflection of Year Two - From surviving to thriving 7 LEADING ON A JOURNEY TO OUTSTANDING: FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING I am privileged to share with you family of academies, which are High-quality plans and our Reflection of Year Two review wholly committed to playing a approaches to ensure our — a record which vibrantly key part in the transformation academies reflect and demonstrates our achievements of the communities that we are empower the communities we and progress throughout this year, privileged to serve. serve. The foundation of these whilst giving you some insight for plans must lead to all of our our bold and life-changing plans How are we achieving our students making ‘outstanding’ for the future of education across goals? Primarily, by placing progress in their studies to the region. the aspirations of our students secure vibrant futures — be at the core of all we do. We’re that in education, employment By reflecting on another fast- working together and supporting or further training. paced, challenging and exciting one another as parents, carers, academic year, we hope that this education professionals, Our world-class vision, glimpse into our transformational teachers, leaders, specialists, which is also rooted in our journey clearly outlines the support staff and technical lifelong commitment of Andrew Whitaker values, ambitions and strategies experts. encouragement, counsel that continue to drive forward and support to our growing truly world-class schools harness Encouraging and facilitating Executive Principal of The our learning community’s vision We’re all White Rose Academy community of alumni — a bright the brilliance, commitment, external expertise to critique White Rose Academies Trust to create three ‘outstanding’ people and we share an unerring new generation of ambitious innovative spirit and philosophy our plans and progress.