Leading Others

Leadership Networks - Whilst maintaining an unwavering focus on improving their own schools, our experienced and highly skilled Headteachers contribute to designing and developing the Trust as a collective. 

In our half-termly leadership network days, Headteachers  come together on core aspects of the Trust’s work, as well as receive updates about local and national teaching developments.
These networking events are important in shaping priorities, strategy and CPD across the Trust and therefore Trust Headteachers are expected to attend these six days in full and be able to remain until the end of the day. This year time is being built into netowrks to further our hub working in addition to the hub meetings outlined elsewhere.

Headteacher Hubs are a strategic group where the headteachers within each geographical hub work together to deepen colloboration and contribtue to Trust strategy and development.

These events are for Trust Headteachers, there is no need to book, you will be emailed an invitation

Contact: Sean Millar

Audience: Headteachers in Trust

Career Pathway: 7,8,9

Cost: Free toTrust Staff 

A school’s plans (both strategic and operational) are key documents during inspection and give inspectors a lot of information about the quality of leadership (often before they pass through the school gates).

Ensuring that plans are of the highest quality and are driving school improvement, will be a key theme for the day.  

Action plans, if well-constructed, can: 

• ensure that time is focused correctly and effectively drives improvement (potentially reducing monitoring activities) 
• ensure rigorous self-evaluation processes 
• cut time and effort in constructing the SEF 
• make it more likely to achieve the outcomes you want 
• make it easier to hold leaders/teachers to account (supporting PM processes) 
• reduce time and effort in reporting to governors 
• help governors to fulfil their monitoring role effectively 
• be a vehicle for deeper communication with parents 

In this session we will be covering how to do all of the above with reference to the Ofsted handbook. We will also look at how rigorous analysis of information leads to effective prioritisation (including cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment etc). Training materials will be provided, but have available copies of your school’s Quality of Teaching / Responsive Teaching plan and your own action plans, as we will have time to review your own plans. 

Contact: Sean Millar

Audience: All School Leaders

Career Pathway: 6,7

Cost: Free toTrust Staff 

These popular days enable school leaders, alongside their senior leadership teams to have some dedicated space away from school to identify and celebrate success, evaluate their current action plans and draft their new ones. School Improvement Leaders are available and alongside during the day to support colleagues as needed. 

Contact: Sean Millar

Audience: All School Leaders

Career Pathway: 6,7

Cost: Free toTrust Staff and Maintained Schools, other Academies £50 per person 

Regular briefings for Headteachers and senior leaders help to keep abreast of latest Trust and National developments. Sessions provide opportunities for heads and senior leaders to connect, interact, learn from and with each other as well as receive regular updates from the busines support team. 

There is no need to book these sessions, you will be emailed an invitation

Contact: Sean Millar

Audience: Headteachers in Trust

Cost: Free toTrust Staff 

Career Pathway: 7,8

Regular briefings for headteachers and senior leaders to keep abreast of latest Trust and National developments.

Sessions provide opportunities for heads and senior leaders to connect, interact, learn from and with each other, and find solutions to the challenges they face. These sessions take place online. 

Contact: Sean Millar

Audience: Headteachers

Career Pathway: 7

Cost: Free toTrust Staff 

Deputy Headteachers and Assistant Headteacher play a key role in the development of a school.

This leadership programme will provide opportunities for those undertaking the role to network, share practice and discuss challenges as well as further develop their leadership thinking. The sessions content will be directed by those taking part and include input from Trust leaders and current headteachers as well as reading, reflection and discussion.

Contact: Sean Millar

Audience: Deputy Headteachers/Assistant, Headteachers/Senior Teachers

Career Pathway: 6

Cost: Free toTrust Staff and Maintained Schools, other Academies £50 per person

Headship is exciting and rewarding; yet, it can also be daunting and overwhelming.  

Our ‘Early and New to Trust Headship Group’ is a regular time for heads to come together for mutual support and shared learning; to solve problems collaboratively and build a strong network of peers. The group will help shape the sessions, focusing on the challenges and selecting aspects of leadership they want to develop. 

Contact: Sian Lane

Audience: Headteachers, New and Early to Post

Career Pathway: 7

Cost: Free toTrust Staff 

The Aspiring Leaders Programme at St Christopher’s Trust is a course designed for Main Scale and Upper pay scale school leaders within the trust who aspire to advance their careers and take on the most senior of leadership roles in our schools.

This dynamic programme focuses on developing essential leadership skills, fostering effective teamwork, understanding school governance, driving curriculum innovation, leading change, and promoting school improvement. The programme is developed through a combination of Face to face delivery and Teams Mentoring and Coaching. 

 Some key features include: 

Leadership Skills Development: The programme offers workshops and training sessions to enhance leadership skills, including strategic planning, team management, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making. 
Curriculum Development: The programme explores strategies for curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation, fostering innovation, creativity, and engagement among students. 
Team Building and School Culture: Participants learn principles of team-building, creating a positive school culture, and fostering professional growth among staff. 
Leading Change and School Improvement: Aspiring leaders develop skills in leading change, change management theories, effective implementation, and evaluating impact for sustainable school improvement. 
Mentoring and Networking: Participants have access to experienced mentors and networking opportunities to foster ongoing professional growth and collaboration. 

The Aspiring Leaders Programme at St Christopher’s Trust aims to empower and equip school leaders with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a positive impact on their schools within the Trust. By developing effective leaders committed to driving innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement, the programme contributes to the success and well-being of pupils within the St Christopher’s Trust community. 

Contact: Chris Briggs

Audience: Aspiring Leaders

Career Pathway: 4,5,6,7

Cost: Free toTrust Staff and Maintained Schools, other Academies £50 per person

Step Lab is a systematic approach to providing tailored, specific advice to teachers wherever they are in their career. 

It supports the coach to provide precise feedback and granular level steps to improve, which can have immediate impact on the quality of teaching.

As a Trust we are working with a number of schools to implement instructional coaching through the use of Steplab in order to give teachers the ongoing professional development that they deserve.  Through this, it will enable teachers to the best that they can be and our children will benefit from excellent teaching all day, every day.

Contact: Chris Connors

Audience: Open to invited Trust schools

Career Pathway: 7,8,9

Cost: Free toTrust Staff