School improvement model

Systems and policies

Our systems and policies, both centralised and school-based, ensure that we are operationally effective and efficient in providing the best education for our children. We prioritise systems for staff support as part of our People Strategy. We also ensure that systems and policies around subject CPD, curriculum construction, quality assurance, timetabling, marking, assessment and behaviour management positively affect the quality of education.

Outstanding outcomes for children

We focus relentlessly on outcomes for all children, including the most vulnerable, both academically and in their personal development. All staff are sharply focused on outcomes because we recognise that these give our children life chances and life choices.

United and inspirational leadership

Our leadership at all levels is about clear vision, direction, removing barriers and ensuring that our schools are better places for being part of the trust. This includes ensuring high quality training and development for all staff as part of our people strategy. Leaders across the trust create a culture where staff and children have a genuine sense of belonging and have freedom to excel as individuals.

Teaching and learning of the highest quality

Our constant and consistent approach to improving teaching and learning is centred on the fundamentals of effective teaching and learning. Our staff develop their own style and become masters of their craft. Importantly, it enables children to know more and remember more.

High expectations and raising standards

We create a safe, positive and respectful school culture in which staff know and care about children. We have clear and effective behaviour and attendance policies, applied consistently and fairly by all staff.  We know that insisting on high standards and expectations improves attitudes and has a long-term impact on how children approach their education and later life.

Broad, balanced and financially viable curriculum

Alongside our robust personal development curriculum, including character education, we have an ambitious, knowledge based curriculum in our schools for all children, including disadvantaged and those with SEND. We carefully identify what we want the children to know and sequence this knowledge so that highly effective learning takes place. We use curriculum led financial planning to ensure that our curriculum is fit for purpose financially as well as educationally.

Assessment and intervention

We assess formatively and summatively; we track learning carefully and intervene with pace and precision to ensure that children catch up, keep up and excel educationally. The South Bank ‘GATEway to excellence’ model for effective, focussed and purposeful intervention ensures the very best outcomes for children – academically and in their personal development. Our GATEway model focusses on the following key areas:

Gather information  |  Analyse information  |  Take swift and focused action  |  Evaluate impact

Numeracy and literacy – the foundations for all learning

We place mathematics, reading and writing at the core of education. Reading is of utmost importance. We know that unless children can read, they can’t learn to the full. We therefore strive to ensure that every child will learn to read accurately and speedily, regardless of their background, needs or abilities. We ensure that all pupils, including the weakest readers, make sufficient progress to meet or exceed age-related expectations.

Kindness – even when it’s difficult, especially when it’s difficult

Schools are about people – children and adults. We expect and insist on kindness – always.