From 'being the best you can be,' to improving outcomes and transforming lives.

Three years ago, just before the start of the pandemic, we were working our way through a list of actions to lift our financial notice to improve. Our story was perhaps a familiar one. A group of schools that had come together behind the veil of multi academy trust. Growth at the expense of quality, or purpose. There was neither the desire, nor the appetite for real collaboration. As the reality took hold, progress suffered and the outcomes of pupils in many of our schools fell.

When I first arrived at the schools, there had been a procession of visitors from the outside who had proffered advice and guidance to the schools. Progress was stuck at half a grade lower than the national at secondary. Well intentioned leaders were torn, evidence based practiced was talked about, but rarely embedded and fear had taken hold. In some cases, schools 'flip flopped' from one strategy to the next, but rarely did any change happen with rigour.

I'd seen great examples of clarity and rigour in the past. At Heartlands High School we had built our own values and vision around the SEARCH ethos. We wanted the values to shout from the rooftop and the did just that. The artefacts one could see all around. Consistency and quality.

In sharp contrast our collective mission at Education for the 21st Century of, 'to be the best you can be', accompanied by a set of values that included 'right first time' seemed to set entirely the wrong tone. We'd lost sight of our reason to exist. The moral compass had lost it true north and we needed to reset.

In need of some inspiration, I had been put in touch with Shirley Watson by Mandy Coalter , as someone who knew a thing or two about culture. Shirley pointed to me towards Patrick Lencioni , 'The Advantage' and 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.' The rest wasn't really history. We are still wading through the work that we need to do to create real clarity, but collectively we've made a good go of it so far.

Firstly, our reason to exist, 'to improve outcomes and transform lives'. I'd heard Simon Sinek frame the importance of 'why' and I needed no convincing. Our reason to exist helps to 'set the table'. It's the thing that gets us up in the morning that 'sets true north' and frames our work. It is the lense through which we consider the rest of our decisions. It's the reason why we drive quality and focus on consolidation before we think about growth.

Secondly, our values. Right first time is a terrible message to give to children, let alone adults. Our values of trust, kindness and endeavour provide a mirror to reflect back on our decisions. I would love to say these are our core values, as Lencioni would want me to declare. However, the reality is that in a turnaround situation, these needed to be our aspirational values. We're not far off. I love the way that Luke Sparkes captured the importance of hard work when I heard him talk about Dixons. It spoke to adults and to children. For us endeavour represents the same. Success supposes endeavour.

This is just the start of our story. I'm proud of the fact that we've been outward looking. That we have borrowed the best bits from others. It doesn't mean we lose any of our own identity. In fact, it has allowed our schools to flourish. to find space within a framework to grow, to innovate, but with discipline.

Thank you to those helping along the way

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