- Build the talent capacity of our staff to tackle inequality and ensure consistent high standards.
- Establish partnerships with other Trusts and stakeholders to implement local policy more effectively.
- Establish an all through curriculum model (Birth-post 16) that becomes nationally recognised and is digitally enabled.
- Establish the Trust as a capacity giver that can support 10,000 children.
Delivering a
FIRST CLASS
education that overcomes
INEQUALITY
Strategic Aims
High Performing Academies
To use Trust resources, ensuring we deliver a first class education for every child.
Collaborative
To grow more effective partnerships within and beyond the Trust, that impact on children and are mutually supportive.
Investors in People
To attract, develop and retain excellent people who are valued, supported and encouraged to innovate.
Effective Finance & Infrastructure
To have strong and sustainable finances with a highly effective infrastructure.
Expert Leadership & Governance
To develop expert leaders and governors with a range of skills, that make a difference to children’s life chances.
Alpha Academies Trust
2 to 5 year plan
To use Trust resources, ensuring we deliver first-class education for every child.
- The school improvement strategy ensures at least two academies within the Trust are judged outstanding, with all academies that have been part of the Trust for at least three years judged good
- An all-through curriculum ensures children meet high attainment standards
- Children develop the key employability skills and are motivated to keep success on track so they are ready for their next stage
To grow more effective partnerships within and beyond the Trust, that impact on children and are mutually supportive.
- Networks within and beyond the Trust add value to:
- Curriculum development
- Teaching and innovation
- Inclusion and Safeguarding
- Character Development
- Careers and cultural capital
- The Trust is an active civic leader and works with local stakeholders to lead the strategic direction for the area
To attract, develop and retain excellent people who are valued, supported and encouraged to innovate.
- The workforce feels valued with feedback that is acted upon
- Talent development is delivered through a comprehensive staff development entitlement that retains/attracts the best practitioners and encourages all staff to research and innovate
- Stakeholders and the community are active partners in education development
To have strong and sustainable finances with a highly effective infrastructure.
- Budgets always operate above 5% reserves
- Outstanding back-office support
- Digital technologies are invested in with a comprehensive strategy that impacts on teaching and working practices
- Clear policies are proven to be effective that can be used in school-to-school support
To develop expert leaders and governors with a range of skills, that make a difference to children’s life chances.
- Strong leadership meets clearly accountable targets and is supported by a comprehensive leadership programme
- There is effective governance with a range of skill sets
- Leaders collaborate across the Trust and city to inform the future strategic direction
Statement of Success 2023 – 2024
High Performing
- Attendance is above national with a trajectory to pre-pandemic levels
- Secondary achievement improves to meet academy card targets
- Maple Court is evaluated as good by Ofsted
- Discovery stabilises and is evaluated positively by Ofsted
- Effective inclusion of vulnerable groups and SEND ensures reduced exclusions and positive learning outcomes
- All children receive an effective careers and character entitlement with impact measures met (Alpha Futures Programme)
Collaborative
- Holden Lane Primary successfully joins the Trust
- Federated partnerships are established with local schools
- Partnership with independent school sector meets set success aims
- Family hub established in Bentilee and meets first-year success criteria
- Partnership with Teaching hub supports improved standards in MFL
- Partnership with a national charity and virtual school improves outcomes for disadvantaged children
- AAT supports and drives a wider city collaboration of school improvement in Stoke on Trent
People
- Marketing plan improves the profile of the Trust and celebrates the value of education within the community
- Revised recruitment/marketing strategy ensures all external posts attract a strong field
- Staff training and opportunities reduce staff mobility and ensure all posts have an internal succession option
- Tier 1 + 2 academies implement coaching for all teaching staff
- Effective well-being strategies in place at all academies
Finance & Infrastructure
- The digital pilot (year 3) meets set success criteria
- A closed-based MIS solution is identified for Sept 2024 implementation
- Trust board has considered evidenced based proposals to prioritise future investment in either: Vocational learning / SEMH or digital devices
- All senior leaders across the trust demonstrate effective resource and financial planning
- A lease agreement is in place with a 3rd party provider (Excel 3G pitches) to ensure sustainability
- Successful move to a cloud-based hr system and new phone network
- A plan is in place that mitigates against all risks when PFI ends in 2025
Leadership & Governance
- Trust standard leads strengthen curriculum and pastoral continuity at all transition points
- Recommendations on risk management are fully implemented
- NGA recommendations to support stronger governance are fully implemented
- Trust dashboards provide Trust board effective evaluation against the recent DFE framework that defines a strong Trust
- Trustees have assurance that all policies have external checks to ensure compliance
- Sustainability pilot expanded to all academies across the Trust
- Trust board is informed by national best practice to review its growth strategy
- Trust board grows to 11 Trustees with a succession plan for the next Chair of the Board