We were delighted to welcome 50 colleagues from across all 17 of our schools, including both primary and special settings, as well as members of our central Trust team. Every attendee generously gave their time to come together in a spirit of collaboration, reflection, and celebration - united by our shared mission to transform the lives of the children and young people we serve.

The day began with a powerful reminder of our guiding principle: One Trust, One Vision – Where Everybody Counts, Every Moment Matters.

Celebrating Our Shared Success

The morning was dedicated to reflecting on our values, our purpose and continued drive for success. We explored what we do and say, how we do and say it and what we stand for, all centred around preparing our children for lifelong learning and nurturing the whole child.

We took pride in reviewing the achievements that demonstrate the impact of our collective efforts. Key highlights included:

• 663 Year 6, Year 11 or Year 14 pupils successfully transitioning to the next phase of their education.
• Key Stage 2 outcomes placing us amongst the top Trusts nationally for the third consecutive year.
• Expansion of specialist provision at two of our special schools.
• The disadvantaged attainment gap eradicated at the end of KS2 for the second consecutive year.

We also reaffirmed our commitment to our civic duty; playing an active role in shaping a stronger, more inclusive education system for all. Highlights of this work included:

• 54 Early Career Teachers completing their induction and becoming valued members of our community.
• 265 colleagues trained across 10 Local Authority regions in supporting pupils with complex SEND in mainstream settings.
• Support provided to 7 Multi-Academy Trusts nationally in developing their operational and educational provision.

Ambition, Inclusion and Excellence

In the second half of the day, we turned our focus to the future; inclusion remains at the heart of everything we do, underpinning our culture, practice and vision. We took time to reflect on our core belief that all children are capable of great things.

Key priorities for the year ahead include:

• Further developing a curriculum that is inclusive and accessible for all, through our HET Continuum.
• Championing achievement through our 13 thriving Communities of Practice, led by staff across the Trust.
• Expanding our high-quality CPD offer and responsive coaching model.
• Further developing SEND Hubs in our mainstream schools to drive true inclusion and ensure that all pupils are given the best opportunities to shine.

We’re proud that 81 Teaching Assistants are currently undertaking apprenticeships and 224 staff have completed National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

Attendance and Wellbeing

Improving attendance remains a key priority across all education settings. We explored how a strong sense of belonging is fundamental to engagement and attendance and considered the emerging implications of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

We’re particularly proud that:

• The attendance gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils in our primary schools is less than half the national average.
• Disadvantaged pupils in our special schools have a 13.8% lower absence rate than the national average.
• Overall primary attendance across the Trust is 0.6% above the national average.

Early Development and Parental Partnership

To close the day, we turned our attention to the importance of early development and parental engagement, recognising the critical role of early intervention and the power of strong partnerships with families.

We considered how colleagues, across every phase and setting, can play a role in delivering high-quality universal, targeted and specialist provision and how we can further empower staff to support every child’s journey.

As ever, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, whose passion and commitment continue to transform the life chances of our children and young people helping them to Achieve – Belong – Thrive.

With thanks to Tigers Events at the MKM Stadium for looking after us wonderfully!