System Leader Guidance & CPD

System Leader Guidance

Click here or on the image below for the latest guidance for matched system leaders.

System Leader Grant Offer Letters and Claim Forms

Matched system leaders will receive Grant Offer Letters and claim forms by email from the DfE’s Grant Finance and Assurance Team – the email will come from school.improvement@education.gov.uk with the subject line ‘Trust and School Improvement Offer 2021/22’.
The GOL format is generic to cover deployments of 3 or 5 days at £600 (inclusive of expenses) per day, hence the wording of “up to £3,000.” The claim form (section 5) states that a maximum of 3 days can claimed for a SAT or maintained school.

Once the support is completed, the Excel claim form should be completed (including being signed by the supported school or trust) and sent to your Regional Delivery Partner (RDP) which for LWY will be Amanda Bennett, a.bennett@greatheightstrust.org.uk.

System Leader CPD

System leaders deployed in the TSIO should have received an update regarding their support from the DfE on Wednesday, 3^rd November. Part of this was information on the CPD materials to strengthen the delivery of support:

The CPD Reading Materials provide three think pieces and a list of additional reading to support continuing professional development as a system leader. These should be read alongside the system leader guidance for the TSI Offer and form the training offer for this year.

The reading materials are based on key evidence and research on five topics: implementation, curriculum and assessment, behaviour, teaching and school/trust culture. They have been chosen specifically to compliment the system leader role.

Trust Partnerships and NLG Deployments

Trust partnerships (TP) are a great way for schools and trusts to connect, find common ground and test whether a formal partnership will benefit both parties. There are a variety of reasons why a trust and school might choose to enter a TP including accessing a trust’s network and services, specifically for school improvement and collaborative working. TPs are a time-limited arrangement, both providing the school with continued school improvement support and giving both the school and trust time to consider the benefits of the school formally joining the trust.
A formal service level agreement should be used to set expectations and guidelines for how all parties will work together. More information on TPs can be found here.
NLG deployments are available for trusts supported by the TSI offer. NLGs offer a free, independent, and objective review of a trusts governance, quality assured by the National Governance Association (NGA). The review is supportive and developmental, providing the equivalent of 5 days support and produces a report of recommendations for the trust to implement. The review can support the growth of a trust or further strengthen governance where needed. Please notify your RDP if you think that the trust you are supporting would benefit from an NLG.
Please click on the following links for further information on Trust Partnerships and NLGs. Please ensure the schools and trusts you are supporting are aware of these offers and are encouraged to access where appropriate.

Secretary of State sets out his renewed vision for schools

Extract from the June 2021 System Leaders Newsletter:

On 28 April, the Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson set out his renewed vision for all schools to be part of a multi-academy trust, alongside a number of other measures to support school improvement.

In addition, the Secretary of State confirmed the launch of the new Trust and School Improvement Offer for 2021/22, and the publication of new guidance on Trust Partnerships, on which more details are set out below.

Launch of the new Trust and School Improvement Offer for 2021/22

The new Trust and School Improvement Offer for the 2021/22 academic year will be available to all schools, and trusts with schools within them, that receive an Ofsted ‘requires improvement’ (RI) judgement during the 2021/22 academic year, or enter the year with a current RI judgement and their previous judgement was also RI, or worse.

The Teaching Schools Council and DfE Regional Delivery Directorate (RDD) colleagues have contacted eligible schools/trusts and begun matching NLEs or equivalent to those accepting support for this to commence in September.

We are also pleased to confirm that, following a competitive procurement exercise, we have appointed Inspiring Leaders – an experienced training provider consisting of a partnership of strong Academy Trust leaders – to develop an online CPD programme for NLEs delivering support under the offer. This training will cover the latest research and evidence in relation to school improvement, and, in view of COVID restrictions and the pressures on your time, we are replacing the previous briefing events with a flexible online approach, so that you can fit it in around your school leadership role. The first tranche of the programme (approximately 2 hours) will need to be completed at the beginning of the next academic year, prior to support commencing; the remainder will need to be completed by 31^st March 2022.

Supporting schools to catch up on lost learning from the pandemic will be a core part of your role, and alongside these online materials, we will be sending further detailed guidance on the delivery of the offer next academic year.

In the meantime, we would also like to draw your attention to recently published guidance on education recovery support, which outlines the programmes and activities the Department for Education is funding to support education recovery and children and young people’s wellbeing.