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System leadership
and unlock real potential while saving money. Sharing finance
and HR functions is allowing us to pool budgets and resources.
We have already achieved savings of £20,000 on just a few SLAs
with anticipated savings to come of another £40,000. This can
make a real difference as we re-focus this money on teaching and
learning priorities.”
Mr Ward also talks of a completely different approach to
teaching from the age of nine, with a curriculum due to start in a
further primary school, Mill Hill, currently in special measures.
The core subjects of English and maths will be shared with the
secondary academy, an age nine to 13 approach to English and
maths that will be taught before GCSE study begins.
“Our soon-to-be-sponsored primary school is in a very
different situation, and we have decided to be quite radical in
tackling significant underachievement. Haywood English and
maths staff will be teaching from Year 5 in timetabled lessons
both at the secondary academy and the primary school. This
approach has saved money, solved staffing problems and enabled
the primary school to redeploy staffing into other areas to solve
problems. Essentially, instead of classes being taught by supply
staff because the primary school couldn’t attract any substantive
staff, students will be taught by secondary specialists in English
and maths. As a parent I know which option I would choose for
my child and it made sense as the academy’s job applicant field in
these two subjects is strong and we believe teaching these subjects
at Year 5 and 6 is pretty much the same as in Year 7.”
Mr Crook agrees that the MAT provides an exciting
opportunity to formalise an already close partnership.
“Maximising the learning opportunities and life chances for
our pupils though a model of continued provision from three
to 19 years can unlock potential and help raise aspiration. By
formalising our schools’ relationship, we will be promoting
increased collaboration and sharing of good practice. The move
to a MAT will provide a clear and consistent strategy and vision
across a group of schools working together and will open up
opportunities to build a new primary/secondary curriculum. Our
MAT will foster improved transition from Key Stage 2 to Key
Stage 3, and create opportunities for innovation and learning
across both Key Stages.”
Mr Crook adds: “Operationally, this model will offer the
ability to choose key services from a range of providers and
target those more specifically to our needs. As an averagesized
primary school, we are able to obtain value for money
for services and resources when purchasing as a larger group
of schools. Increased flexibility in the deployment of staff
across all schools within the MAT, as a result of having a single
trust governing all schools (one employer), not only means
that expertise can be shared to produce the best outcomes for
all pupils, but it also helps build better staff and leadership
development across the group by providing opportunities for
individual academies to develop their staff, at all levels, with
exchange schemes, provide more career opportunities, and
share professional development.”
Dave Johnson, who is now chair of governors at three schools
in the Haywood partnership, agrees that the close approach
to partnership work is the only way forward. “Sometimes it’s
hard being chair in three schools, but I very much see this as
a transition arrangement as we put together our governance
arrangements for the MAT. Although Haywood, Smallthorne
and Mill Hill will have one local devolved governance
arrangement in the MAT, other schools that plan to join us will
keep their own governance arrangements as they fit into the
MAT structures. This will mean that they can keep the majority
Summer 2014 | 9