School Improvement
Inclusive Schools Trust has developed a school improvement strategy that has a detailed schedule of activity to measure the effectiveness of schools and to hold leaders to account. The CEO uses a range of data and indicators, for example, capacity to improve, proximity to inspection, standards, experience of leaders to rag-rate schools and the level of support they require. The Trust utilises the strengths and skills-set of its leaders and also buys in a range of external providers and consultants that support the school improvement strategy and ties in with the annual schedule of activity. This balance of internal scrutiny and external validation allows leaders at all levels to develop at the same time as raising the eye-line of the organisation and ensures it remains inward looking and outward facing in equal measure.
Integrated Curriculum 
Financial Planning is embedded within the planning and development of curriculum and schools as well as the leadership structures. The School Improvement Strategy Group continuously measure the impact of CPD and use joint practice development to share best practice and raise standards in schools other than their own.
The Trust uses termly or half termly Progress Boards to evaluate the performance of schools.
The CEO uses the rag-rating to determine the number of Progress Boards a school has within a year. The CEO uses evidence from learning walks, records of visit by external providers and school documentation to ascertain the bespoke Progress Board agendas. These are externally validated and minuted and attended by the CEO and the schools’ Link Trustee.
Progress Boards last for one hour and school leaders decide which leader in their school will respond to which item. The external Chair writes an annual report for the Trust that informs the Board.
Schools have autonomy over the training they require for their staff, but this is raised at the School Improvement Strategy Group to ensure that it is value for money and likely to have maximum impact.
