A core component of our Education Leaders network is the sharing of practice and insights across trusts up and down the country. In March 2025, we are offering the opportunity for our Education Leaders network to join a study visit to one of two trusts, both in very different areas of the country and working in very different settings. Our study visits will take a deep dive into trust-wide school improvement through the lens of Forum Strategy’s 7 Pillars of Improvement at Scale, offering the opportunity to explore this with the host trust in detail. The day will be carefully facilitated to ensure the exchange of practice and ideas.

Our two host trusts will be as follows and network members can select which trust they would prefer to visit, based on which might offer more relevant learning to their context:
– Focus Trust is led by CEO Helen Rowland and is a 15 school primary multi-academy trust based in the North West of England (visit likely to take place in Oldham)
– Kings Group Academies is led by CEO Nick Cross and is a 14 school mixed phase multi-academy trust (including primary, secondary, special and all-through) based in the South East of England (visit can take place in Reading or Portsmouth)

Study Visit Agenda

9.15- 9.30am: Arrival
9.35am: Welcome – The 7 pillars of improvement at scale and the areas we are considering as part of that; led by Forum Chair/Representative
10.05am: Participants share their reflections on the 7 pillars
10.30am: Generating the vision, culture and capacity for improvement at scale (with questions) – CEO of host trust
11.00am; Break
11.15am: Leading improvement at scale; The roles, processes and data that drives improvement at scale across the trust;  School Improvement Directors of the host trust
12.00pm: Lunch – including a 20 minute tour of the host school if possible
12.50pm: Delivering improvement at scale; the role of expert leaders and practitioners in driving improvement across the trust; Those leading improvement practice, CPD, such as NLEs/LLEs/SLEs etc.
1.30pm: Being a headteacher at the trust and schools’ experience of the improvement model; reflections from two headteachers
2pm; Reflective sessions; attendees reflect on the the trust visit with reference to the seven pillar reflective questions. The hosts leave the room and return for the last 40 minutes to hear feedback for the host trust
3.30pm: Close

To join this study visit, you must be a member of our national Education Leaders network. Please use the short form below to register your place (including selecting which trust you would like to visit)

Booking Form