Trust Networks

Beckfoot Teaching School: Trust wide subject/phase network meetings for all subjects and phases

Why are networks so important to our Trust?

School Improvement is a team sport. We are equal partners and work collaboratively to establish the ‘best idea’. We network. We sow seeds by grouping people together, establishing multiple pockets of collaborative practice across our schools and sharing what we learn. We experiment and take risks. Collaboration must not become ‘coblabberation’. It must have purpose and improves practice.

Equally, for collaboration to work there has to be lateral accountability - everyone involved in a network has to contribute.

The Beckfoot Teaching School needs to build capacity by mobilising a group of subject experts who can further support the development of Middle Leadership within our schools.

We will identify our most talented, most experienced, most successful Middle Leaders and train them to: (1) lead subject network meetings and (2) develop the leadership skills of those Middle leaders in underperforming departments/phases across the Trust.

The benefit to the Trust is that by training our own experts, rather than buying in capacity from external sources, we can focus specifically on the key Trust Development Priorities.

Subject experts who lead the groups will:

• receive high quality Professional Development to support them in their role
• have the opportunity to widen their leadership experience within the Trust
• be responsible and accountable for a specific work stream beyond their current role
• work towards Specialist Leader in Education status. What kind of work will the Subject Experts lead on?

Through subject network meetings the Subject Experts would deliver the following agenda:

1. Challenge conversations from another HoD prior to ‘Data Conversations’ that will be held in home school. Purpose: analysis of data, identification of priorities (reflected in action plan) and collaboration towards key
2. Lead on Trust wide standardisation and moderation meetings
3. Lead on the dissemination of effective pedagogy to create remarkable learning environments.

‘Sowing seeds’ projects for talented and committed practitioners may also include developmental work around:

4. What a good Scheme of Work looks like in their subject area and delivery against the common Trust non negotiables for
5. All types of assessment from formative assessments. (embedded in the SoW) to summative assessments for Key Assessment points (Trust Assessment Calendar) to include formal exams in line with Trust

What is the capacity required to embed a successful Subject Network work stream? Subject experts will develop the necessary skills by:

• receiving Professional Development from the Teaching School with regards to the planning and facilitation of the subject network meetings
• taking an active lead on establishing and embedding the core purpose of the subject network meetings (SNM)
• having the opportunity to visit other outstanding departments external to the

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Next steps?

If you would like to put yourself forward as a Subject Network Leader then you should:

1. Refer to your self reflection document and your Performance Management targets to be sure that you have the depth of experience required for the
2. Discuss your request with the Senior Leader in your school with responsibility for Teaching Quality to gain
3. Contact Nicki Flynn to express your intention to become a Network leader. I look forward to working with

Nicki Flynn
Associate Director for Professional Development becnjf@beckfoot.org