Prospectus

Introduction

Severn Academies Educational Trust (SAET) works

for over 3000 students and their families from

nursery provision all the way through to post 16

study.

As ‘stand out’ schools in their own right each school

maintains its own identity whilst making the most

of the opportunities created by learning from each

other. Being part of SAET provides a strong base

from which all schools work closely together to

enable the very best practices to be shared and gives

all students in the Trust the very best opportunities.

Whilst high quality teaching and learning is at the

heart of everything that we do, all SAET schools

recognise the importance of a broad and enriching

curriculum experience that goes beyond strong

academic achievement. A wide range of additional

and extra-curricular experiences within our schools

support the growth and development of our students

into well- rounded individuals.

Improving outcomes and life chances for all of

our students is of paramount importance and the

SAET Board of Directors, Core Team and school

leaders are driven to ensure an effective School

Improvement Strategy unlocks the potential in its

students, staff and leaders.

Chris King

Chief Executive Officer

C O L L E G EB A X T E R

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To deliver excellence in every phase of provision and be considered an

education provider, community partner and employer of choice.

Our Vision

Through quality first teaching, a culture of continued improvement and strong

community partnerships, our core values of excellence, aspiration and respect

provide the foundation to develop character, high expectations and improved

life chances for all our young people.

Our Values

• To ensure the welfare and character development of our young people, as

highlighted in our Trust Pledge, enabling all students to fulfil their potential

through a coordinated programme of opportunities and experiences that

ensure they gain the transferable skills, values and qualities to live a happy

and fulfilling life.

• To provide high quality inspirational teaching that instils a love of learning

and equips our students for a bright future through high levels of challenge

and the highest expectations.

• To support independent, strongly-led and self-improving schools that are

recognised as centres of excellence and which provide safe, nurturing and

dynamic environments for all students and staff.

• To promote mutual respect and a sense of belonging amongst our students

and staff so they can grow with confidence as part of a culture of continued

improvement and learning.

• To facilitate effective engagement with our parents/carers and local

community to maximise and support learners’ progress, well-being and

the widest possible range of opportunities.

• To create and nurture effective partnerships and collaboration with local

businesses and organisations which enable our young people to become

confident, independent citizens who are able to prosper socially and

economically in an ever-changing world.

Our Aims

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Our Pledge

• To provide a safe, respectful learning environment

where all students feel safe, secure and valued,

and able to seek support and guidance at any

stage of their schooling.

• To provide high quality teaching and learning

alongside the most appropriate provision, which

ensures all young people leave school with the

qualifications, skills and attributes to thrive

socially, emotionally and economically throughout

their lives.

• To provide an array of personal development

opportunities to nurture a wide range of individual

and social skills which enhance self-esteem,

confidence, open-mindedness, resilience and self-

motivation whilst growing leadership potential.

• To provide the challenge, support and education

to ensure all children and young people fulfil their

potential, maintain their individuality through

having a voice that is heard and have respect for

themselves, others and our community.

• To promote an active and healthy lifestyle to help

students achieve physical, social, intellectual and

emotional well-being.

• To prepare students for the future including

providing independent, expert careers education,

information, advice, guidance and work related

activities to develop employability skills, aspiration

and positive attitudes to lifelong learning.

All children and young people within our Trust will experience an extensive range of enhanced curricular and extra-

curricular activities designed to prepare them as confident, independent individuals. Each young person will be

equipped to make a significant contribution to their school and local community and empowered to become the

best that they can be, maintaining a sense of ambition, aspiration and well-being to live a happy and fulfilling life.

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Opportunities For All

All children and young people within our Trust will experience a wide range of

opportunities to inspire, challenge and instil a love of learning whilst developing

lifelong transferable skills, values and qualities.

• Attend a cultural, academic or national sporting event.

• Attend a variety of after-school activities on a regular basis.

• Develop enterprise and entrepreneurial skills.

• Represent the school in a sporting, cultural or academic event.

• Take part in at least two outward bound residential programmes.

• Take part in a school production or event either on stage,

behind the scenes, or in an administrative capacity.

• Be actively involved in an international experience.

• Be actively involved in a community experience as a volunteer.

• Participate in a fundraising event.

• Take responsibility for something or someone as a leader.

• Undertake at least one work experience placement.

• Visit a university.

• Visit the nation’s capital and explore its rich history.

• Spend time in other SAET schools.

• Visit a variety of local amenities within the communities in which we live.

• Visit a variety of local attractions to explore our history, heritage and environment.

• Take part in outdoor learning experiences in the natural environment and woodland.

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Accountability and Vision

The Trust continues to engage with local stakeholders in

shaping our vision, always identifying the opportunities and

challenges that lie ahead for our children and their futures,

and developing a vision that sets out how - together with

our communities, local businesses, charities, parents and

others - we are going to prepare children as best we can

for the future.

Aspects of core business carried out by SAET include:

• Trust vision, ethos and strategic planning.

• Trust accountability and budgeting.

• NLA links and school to school / MAT to MAT links.

• Accounting officer to ESFA.

• School Principal / HT appointment and

performance management.

• Implementation of school Project Boards where

appropriate / additional leadership capacity.

• Extensive training and support to provide the

knowledge, skills and expertise for effective

strategic leadership and accountability.

• NGA membership, Learning Link online modules

and induction.

• Strategic planning with senior leaders.

• Clerking support.

• Primary school phase / Managed Move Protocol.

• Support with exclusions - process / training.

• Brand improvement and marketing including

communication and engagement.

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School Improvement

Training and Support Across the Trust and Beyond

Our Trust is driven by the core purpose of improving outcomes and life chances

for all students. Our strategy is to develop a clear rationale of school improvement

that can be easily understood and applied at scale. This includes use of data, peer

reviews, the capacity and deployment of school improvement leaders and specialist

teachers, CPD, the curriculum, systems of assessment and governance. All aspects

interlink to provide a clear methodology for school improvement and are systemised

and distributed sufficiently through clear roles in our Trust. Collaboration is key to

realising this aim.

A coherent programme of continuing professional development, school to school

support and school-centred initial teacher training is embedded alongside clear self-

evaluation and quality assurance structures which provide supportive identification

of need within schools with standardised collection points, analysis and scrutiny of

performance.

All schools offer capacity to support other schools and to access help when needed.

This includes Specialist Leaders in Education (SLEs) and Trust Improvement Leaders

(TILs) who provide effective subject leadership to oversee aspects of specialist work

across schools.

As a partnership of schools, our Trust provides and shares our skills, experience,

talent and capacity to help and improve learning and achievement throughout the

Trust and across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. Our School Centred

Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme is the longest established school-based

training provider in Worcestershire.

Offering training and support to all partner schools, we believe that being part of a

group makes us ‘stronger together’. We provide nationally accredited and bespoke

leadership, training, support, research and development opportunities to school staff

across the region and have a bank of nationally and regionally recognised experts

that can act as a task force to help schools and individuals in need of support.

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Employer of Choice

Recruiting and retaining the most talented staff to work in our schools is of paramount importance and underpins

our school improvement strategy. Recruitment is not something to outsource to agencies, it is the core business

of our Trust.

Successful recruitment, retention and leadership succession planning is fundamentally about organisational

strategy and it is essential to nurture and maximise potential; investing time, energy and resources to get this right.

We want all employees to wholeheartedly support our collective vision and value their role in society alongside

the ability it gives them as employees to be ‘change makers’. This is achieved through career development

pathways and opportunities complemented with high quality mentoring and support networks.

Effective HR support ensures best and consistent practices across our Trust whilst excellent professional

development opportunities for staff enables further development of skills, experiences and effectiveness at

every level. Our Staff Council has representatives from all our schools and shapes our staff vision; by working

collaboratively, the group aims to ensure our schools are a good place to work and where everyone is valued.

• Personnel / HR support including

payroll and recruitment.

• Strategic leadership of staff

training and development.

• SCITT KPIs development and training.

• CPD for specific staff including

NPQML and NPQSL.

• Student and staff enrichment activities

e.g. outdoor education provision.

• Global opportunities e.g. French Exchange,

Peru expedition, Connecting Classrooms.

• Supporting restructuring processes

and school efficiency.

• Supporting school events and study visits.

• Enhanced learning opportunities -

trips, resources and competitions.

• Gifted and talented / hard to reach

support and provision.

• Student leadership and

ambassador opportunities.

• Monthly newsletters for staff,

governors and community.

• Supporting curriculum development.

• Joint learning opportunities for all staff.

• Critical incident awareness and planning

including emergency management

procedures in school and whilst on visits.

• SLE deployment / Training School.

• PGCE support and development

of NQT and RQT staff.

• Operational management of key

support structures e.g. data protection

and facilities / site management.

• New staff induction programmes.

• Leadership of professional

mentors / mentor training.

• Masters / Diploma provision.

• UCAS / NCTL - QTS award.

Aspects of core business carried out by SAET include:

Financial Sustainability and Economies of Scale

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Prioritising strategic thought and planning is a necessity in light of tight financial parameters to protect spending

on students’ learning in the years to come. Whilst we continue to work on procurement for major contracts and

harmonising back-office systems and processes (which saves money and time) we continually need to consider

the potential in collaborations with other organisations regarding efficiency, such as with other MATs.

Talent-auditing across our schools and avoiding the duplication of back-office or support skills continue to be

imperative components to help us ensure financial sustainability and benefit from economies of scale.

Standardised monitoring and delivery of finance systems ensure clear targets for savings and use of surplus.

Curriculum-led financial strategic planning ensures high quality and broad and balanced provision.

• Budget planning / setting and

reforecasting where appropriate.

• Monthly reports and analysis.

• BACS payments and maintenance of

bank account and credit card.

• Supporting income generation through

fund-raising and grant applications.

• Developing and applying for capital

bids /maintenance programmes.

• Estate management planning and provision.

• Building surveys and national

condition data collection surveys.

• Health and safety compliance support

using the ‘EVERY’ software programme.

• Compliance support with regard to GDPR /

data protection requirements - audits / policies.

• Website compliance support.

• Central policies and support with

school-specific policies.

• Development of critical incident support

including oversight of school closure.

• ESFA land and building ownership reports.

• DfE and RPA health and safety audits.

• Support of legal work associated

with historical land issues.

• Fast track and full business case support for

significant change e.g. PAN increase, PAN

decrease, Section 106 funding and Capital bids.

• Primary Alternative Provision and SEMH

provision and application process.

• Transport strategy and minibus

purchasing as appropriate.

• Operational updates for Business Managers,

Site Managers and Headteachers/Principals.

• Training courses for staff e.g. Educational

Visits, NPQ courses, data protection,

asbestos awareness.

• Risk Protection Arrangements (RPA)

and minibus insurance for schools.

• Support with project management

services and tendering processes.

• Trust-wide Service Level Agreements.

• IT strategy and on-going IT

support and auditing.

• Liaison with providers of play equipment

and training support where appropriate.

• Project management of new buildings.

• Freedom of information requests.

• Legal support.

Aspects of core business carried out by SAET include:

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Sharing

Aspiring

Enriching

Together

Severn Academies Educational TrustMinster Road, Stourport-on-SevernWorcestershire DY13 8AX

Tel: 01299 872950Email: office@saet.co.uk

www.saet.co.uk

@SevernAcademies

Contact Information