“School improvement is not a mystery. Incremental, even dramatic improvement is not only possible but probable under the right conditions.” Michael (Mike) J Schmoker, USA educationalist (2023)
In this series of case studies of improvement at scale in academy trusts, we use the long-standing 7 Pillars of Improvement at Scale (Pain, 2019) model to reflect on how academy trusts are effectively delivering their core business – that of secure, sustained school improvement at scale. This model challenges trust leaders to think beyond the standardised accountability and regulatory measures – never ignoring them, but ensuring they go further than those often rather narrow, short-term metrics when assessing school improvement impact. The 7 pillars of improvement at scale are:
- Vision for quality improvement
- Capacity
- Collective Commitment
- Robust and real-time data
- Robust processes and project management
- Disciplined innovation and cutting-edge practice
- Quality assurance
In this series we are case studying several trusts using the pillars as a guiding structure. In this case study, we consider how the pillars are used at ‘Forward as One’ CE Multi-Academy Trust https://www.forwardasone.uk Forward as One is a Primary-phase trust of 15 schools based in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Forward as One’s work is rooted in the Christian values of service, justice, faith, grace and love. It is their belief that these values add value in any school – including schools without a Christian heritage – so there is a mixture of schools with a Church of England designation and those with no specific faith affiliation. Whatever the designation, the trust’s mission is to improve educational outcomes for all.
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