Isolation or Innovation?

Kate Brunt

Rivers MAT

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and

he’s not the same man” Heraclitus

A river cuts through rock,

not because of its power

but its persistence.

Our journey begins…

First primary MAT in

Worcestershire

External networking -

making national Links

Understanding staffs’ strengths

Growing our own

Sharing a vision

Challenges

Appetite for change

‘one man band’

Business skills

On our own

Staff time for improvements

Financial costs

Breaking those barriers …

A ‘family’ focus

Small enough to manage

Staff sharing emerging

Outward-looking

Embryonic stage for school improvement

More barriers as we grow

Staff time still stretched

Change curve

A cottage industry

Vulnerability of succession

planning

Brand awareness

Still barriers to ‘one family’

Growing to survive

Doubling our size

Joint pupil and staff events

Sharing of staff possible

Central team emerges

Standardisation vs. autonomy

Clarity in teaching and

learning

Sharing best practice

Larger river…different

barriers

• Staff vulnerability through process

• Allow time for adjustment

• Defining excellence in teaching and learning

• Vulnerability to challenge

Larger schools -

experienced leaders

Changing landscape

of education

Time vs. change

One vision – one family

Moving forward together

Experienced central team increases (finance, school improvement)

Appetite for sharing best

practice – build from within

Building a brand

Different schools with different

strengths

All staff having shared targets

Senior staff taking on strategic

projects

Encourage staff to develop (SLEs, Improvement Champions)

As we grow….

Innovation from within…

Keeping an external focus

Secure more funding through

research

Grow and recruit our own

School improvement from within

Appetite for change

Staff movement making impact

Working with other MATs

Keeping the river calm

Supporting growth at all levels

Clear shared goals

Cloud-based sharing platforms

External focus – internal improvements

Innovation through

collaboration

“I can do things you cannot; you can do things I

cannot; together we can do great things” Mother Theresa