school improvement team

The GLA School Improvement Team (SIT):

The GLA School Improvement Team (SIT) was created to enable incisive challenge, accountability and timely support for schools to ensure that all children within the trust achieve the best possible outcomes and that Trust Priorities are met. The core GLA School Improvement team incorporates a wide variety of skills, expertise and experience from across the Trust:

The GLA Associate Team:

The GLA Trust has identified talented practitioners, known as Associates, to share best practice across the Trust. All Associates have a proven track record of success in a specific area and are provided with 9-12 days per academic year, (2 days x per term) to support school improvement in their specialist area. Leadership and support provided by the Associates may include delivering CPD, supporting a Targeted Resource Plan or leading an element of a peer review.

Our Operating Model

The EEF Toolkit ‘Putting Evidence to work’ is the chosen strategy providing precise and targeted plans for implementation, improvement and monitoring of impact. Our operating model is as follows:

Other SIT Functions

Teacher development is another key area managed by the SIT, through aligning school improvement work and staff training, messages are communicated with clarity across the trust and training content meets the needs of the GLA priorities with fidelity.

The SIT works with trustees, leaders, teams and individuals to ensure that areas for improvement are swiftly identified and targeted with precision using strategies, principles and practices that are effective and guarantee positive impact.

Peer Reviews take place in all GLA schools every year. They challenge leaders in their evaluations and reflections of their school and also provide perspective on improvement strategies that have been successful or that are at risk of not having the desired impact.

Academy Improvement Board Meetings are new for 2020/21. These meetings serve to challenge school leaders and to satisfy the Trust Board that the Trust processes are working effectively.

Our Team

Danny Barthorpe

13 years teaching and leadership experience across Primary, Secondary, Further Education, University and Alternative Provision education sectors.

Strategic and Operational oversight of Behaviour across the Trust, implementing systems and structures that break down barriers to the curriculum, develop independence and enable lifelong learning for our pupils,

Monitor, Evaluate and Maintain the high expectations for behaviour we hold within our schools.

Comprehensive oversight and continuity of all GLA Safeguarding and Behaviour recording systems including CPOMS

GLA Lead for Pastoral Support across the trust with teams of professionals across a variety of GLA schools. Offering support, guidance and interventions to our most vulnerable pupils.

School Improvement:

GLA lead for Behaviour and Inclusion

Seconded to several external Education Trusts to improve Behaviour, Inclusion and Pastoral Provision.

Training and Development

Design and delivery of bespoke Behaviour, Safeguarding and SEN training for GLA staff

Designed and delivered the GLA approach to Restorative Practices to all GLA staff

Supporting teaching staff with behaviour management and SEMH strategies

Teachers Educational Supplement (TES) author for Behaviour Management on their online community and forums

Qualified Designated Safeguarding Lead

Qualified SENDCO

Sue Gifkins

Present

Strategic leadership of MAT SEND

Past

SENco and member of Senior Leadership Team in all MAT schools

SEN Casework Officer for Local Authority

Senior Leader/Assistant Head Teacher

School Improvement:

SLE support; SEND in primary and secondary schools

School Improvement Team member supporting MAT

Training and Development - SEND

Induction and training new SENCos

CT, TA and HLTA training on SEND

Schools Direct and NQT training

Helen Pearce

Leadership:

10 years teaching experience across KS1 and KS2, including Year 6.

Roles have included Year Group Leader, Head of Teaching & Learning and Assistant Head Teacher at Bishop's Cleeve Primary Academy

Experienced Deputy Head Teacher

School Improvement Team - delivering the GLA strategy and supporting School readiness for OFSTED

School Improvement:

GLA school improvement projects including work within sponsor schools across Gloucestershire and Worcestershire

GLA Associate for the 3D Curriculum

GLA KS2 moderation and assessment support

Teaching and learning coaching and mentoring (KS2 focus)

Training and Development

Experience with the delivery of NQT and Schools Direct Training

Training across the GLA including Twilights/Staff Meetings/Leadership Meetings/INSET and bespoke 1:1/Year Group work

Claire Savory

Leadership:

14 years Headship experience including co-headship and executive headship across a number of schools

During this time achieved 3 consecutive 'outstanding' OFSTED judgements at Rowanfield Juniors and 3 'Good' OFSTED judgements at Springbank (which had previously been in Special Measures).

Became a single convertor academy in 2011 and then co-founded the Gloucestershire Learning Alliance with Bishops Cleeve, Springbank and Rowanfield schools in 2013.

GLA Lead for New Free-Schools (bid writing, Project lead pre-opening)

School Improvement:

Designated NLE 2010 - supporting schools in transforming from Special Measures to Good over 10 years

GLA lead for school improvement projects including sponsorship

Training and Development

Experienced NPQH/ NPQSL facilitator

Design and delivery of bespoke leadership training for GLA staff

Speaker at several regional conferences on school improvement

Local authority training for new head teachers

Laura Spence

Leadership:

15 years in education, predominately teaching in an EYFS and KS1 setting

During this time I have supported 3 OFSTED inspections, achieving both 'outstanding' and 'good'.

Early leadership included leading CPD packages such as TA training across the school, then the trust, implementing new teaching and learning pedagogies using the EEF framework and leading the school's pupil premium strategy with a focus on 'pupil premium champions'.

As an Assistant Head Teacher in one of the trust schools I worked with senior leaders to create and lead on the school development plan- with impact, I also took a lead on managing CPD and teaching and learning.

School Improvement

Worked within the school improvement team (SIT) since June 2019 and as the school improvement team lead since September 2020

Created, implemented and led on the new GLA Spelling Strategy across the trust

Supported teams with a targeted approach to establish collective efficacy and improve the quality of planning and teaching

Re-designed the GLA SIT strategy and school improvement cycle

Supported with establishing SIT strategies and approaches such as the advisory board meetings and SIT support table and packages

Manage SIT capacity trust wide

Designed and introduced the new Associate programme to add additional school improvement capacity to the trust.

Worked with and delivered training with the NLE trust lead in other schools

Coaching and mentoring new and potential leaders in the trust

Training and Development

Delivered training for the national Bluesky platform

Created and implemented a new CPD strategy for the trust that includes remote and digital training such as masterclasses and Synchronous training.

Worked with the TA training leads to align training trust wide to ensure an equal offer of trust priorities are met.

Supported the creation of a new NQT CPD package that provides a mixture of digital CPD, one to one coaching lessons and face to face training.

Emily Watton

13 years experience working within the primary sector;

3 years experience as DHT for BCPA; following a period of 5 years in middle leadership: leading curriculum and assessment throughout BCPA;

3 years experience as the GLA Head of Performance working closely with all schools within the Trust to establish and embed effective assessment techniques;

6 years experience as a Local Authority Moderator for Gloucestershire County Council, specialising in KS2 writing;

NPQML Mentor for Odyssey Teaching School Alliance