Horizon Academy Trust

 

 

school improvement offer 003 .pdf

 

 

School Improvement 

Our approach


At Horizon Academy Trust, improvement is seen as a collective responsibility and our strong systems and structures support all our academies and those that join us.


Our approach to school improvement is based upon a shared vision and values centered around an exceptional education for every child.


We work with academies at the different stages of their journey of continual self-improvement. Whether at leadership or classroom level, different strategies will be needed to ensure our children achieve at the highest level in all areas of school life.

 

School Improvement at Horizon Academy Trust

Our school improvement drives exceptional learning forward, involving all leaders through a culture of mutual trust and candour. The school improvement team is committed to supporting schools to maintain high standards and provide the best possible provision for all learners.

 

Building strong learning communities

Across the Trust, we develop and share effective strategies that work in the classroom through a network of outstanding teachers and leaders. Subject specific expertise and pedagogical understanding is developed through a range of collaborative approaches. We use an evidence-based approach to school improvement capitalising on relevant research to sustain and improve a high-quality education.

Our improvement offer includes:

  • Rigorous, internal quality assurance systems, which includes at least 3 site visits per year
  • Clear career pathways from ITT to Executive Leadership
  • Headteacher Performance Management Process
  • Enhancing expertise of headteachers through the leadership of Trust projects
  • System leadership and school to school support through identified trust experts
  • Development of coaching culture, through trust-wide coaching projects including external expertise
  • Expert external moderation to verify standards, including one full day school review
  • Headteacher partnership board meetings to involve and engage headteachers as partners. This includes up to 6 meetings per year
  • Responsive expertise to support wellbeing and reflective practices, including a trust well-being charter
  • High quality, evidence-based CPLD linked with Vantage Teaching School.
  • Horizon SEND support with specialist and targeted SENCO support for all academies

 

Our Trust Leads

Trust Experts (ID 1207)

  • Andy Rhodes
    School Improvement Lead

    Andy Rhodes

    Andy Rhodes is the School Improvement Lead and Deputy CEO of Horizon Academy Trust. Andy has extensive experience working alongside schools and school leaders to offer advice and support regarding school improvement models and pedagogy. Since 2014 Andy has worked as a National Leader of Education supporting the wider system and has supported many local schools to improve.

  • Elena Luscombe
    English (including Phonics)

    Elena Luscombe

    As an experienced SLE, Elena has delivered specialised, school-to-school support and has embraced the opportunity to work alongside schools both within Hull and the East Riding. She has worked closely with the English Hubs and currently delivers the NQT training programme for all schools within the East Riding. Elena takes great pleasure in working with colleagues to develop coherent and consistent pedagogy within her subject.

  • Stuart Clark
    Leader of Learning

    Stuart Clark

    Stuart Clark works with Horizon Schools and Leaders on a day to day basis to secure and support progress in all schools. He has previous experience as Head of School at Biggin Hill Primary School, helping it to secure "outstanding" during the inspection in 2015.

  • Hannah Chamberlain
    SEND

    Hannah Chamberlain

    Hannah Chamberlain is the Special Educational Needs leader across the Trust. She is a trained SEND reviewer and has worked alongside SEND coordinators in this capacity since 2018. Hannah has also worked closely with Autistic children setting up a specialist resource base at Spring Cottage Primary School at the start of 2019/20

    As well as leading the Trust in SEND, Hannah is also the Head of School at Spring Cottage Primary School, a role she began in 2020/21 after being the Deputy Headteacher at the school for the previous ten years.

  • Emma Newlove
    EYFS

    Emma Newlove

    Emma has over 13 years' experience working within primary education and has been leading EY units across the city for the last 10 years.

    Emma's data literacy and drive for improving outcomes has resulted in upward trends in the MAT schools she has worked in. Emma ensures no pupil is left behind and implements successful interventions where necessary; whilst ensuring more able pupils are challenged further.

    Emma has experience of working with a range of outside agencies and supporting children with additional needs alongside school SENDCos and has close links with the Local Authority Early Years Team.

  • Teresa Knight
    Safeguarding & GDPR

    Teresa Knight

    As well as being an experienced school practitioner, Teresa has previously chaired the online safety workstream for the Hull Safeguarding Board and was a lead trainer for the organisation. Teresa now leads Safeguarding audits across the Trust, and works alongside DSLs in each school to provide support and guidance.

    Teresa is passionate about ensuring children are safe online and disseminates key messages to children, parents, teaching staff and other professionals through her effective training sessions. Teresa is CEOP ambassador trained and has gained the 360 degree online safety award for 6 years as well as the 3rd millennium award for use of technology in the 21st century. Recently, Teresa has successfully taken on the role of data protection officer for the trust.

  • Julie Shortman
    English and Writing

    Julie Shortman

    Julie has been an English lead for over 15 years and has taught in every primary year group giving her a strong knowledge of the primary curriculum.

    She has also been a lead moderator for the local authority for over 10 years, so moderating writing in Years 2 and 6 is a particular area of interest and expertise.

    Julie enjoys working alongside and coaching colleagues to develop teaching and learning.

  • Mike Rankin
    Behaviour

    Mike Rankin

    Mike has been a teacher for over 18 years, with the majority of his career being spent in schools on North Bransholme. He has taught across Key Stage 2 and has led a number of curriculum subjects.

    Developing positive relationships and behaviour in the classroom is something Mike has always been passionate about. He loves nothing more than supporting colleagues with developing and implementing strategies that can be used to enable children to succeed within their classroom environment, in order to reach their full potential.

  • Jill Brookes
    Wellbeing

    Jill Brookes

    Jill has many years experience working at Headstart in Hull and with Barnados as the Whole School Approach and Development Lead. Jill works with all of the schools to support pupil and staff wellbeing and resilience.

  • Gareth Troake
    Assessment

    Gareth Troake

    After moving into a mainstream primary setting, Gareth has worked across the city and is currently the Assistant Headteacher at Spring Cottage Primary School.

    With a background in Sports Science, Gareth has a vast amount of experience in data processing and analysis which he has used to create bespoke summative assessment systems across several schools. At present, Gareth is completing assessment work for Horizon Academy Trust, two East Riding schools and is the assessment lead on an eighteen school DfE funded project.

  • Jo Davis
    Maths

    Jo Davis

    Jo is an experienced primary practitioner, having taught across all year groups in the primary phase for twenty-six years, twelve of which have been as Maths Lead at Cavendish Primary School.

    During this time, she has worked closely with the Yorkshire Maths Hub to develop maths and raise the profile of maths in her own school and schools across Hull. As a lead mentor for a range of ITT providers, Jo has supported trainees in their understanding of maths pedagogy using coaching as a key tool to facilitate their development. She is currently working in partnership with the Yorkshire Wolds SCITT. During her years as maths lead, Jo has developed a passion for the teaching of maths, in particular, maths mastery and she is a firm believer in its pedagogies and the benefits of following such a curriculum to improve the learning opportunities for all children.

  • Sara Cooper- Bulless
    Curriculum IT

    Sara Cooper- Bulless

    Sara is an experienced IT lead and enjoys sharing her skills across the trust.

 

 

 

 

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