We are at an exciting point in the history of education in England where, with care and attention, we could become the best system at getting better. If this is to become a reality, we must ask difficult questions, interrogate the evidence, commission more research and put the mission to advance education for public benefit at the heart of all that we do. We offer this narrative discussion paper, summarised in this policy card, for discussion and debate.
We offer this narrative discussion paper, summarised in this policy card, for discussion and debate.
1. Expert Governance: Strategic governance is one of the defining characteristics of school trusts. By operating under a single governance structure, a strong board of trustees can effectively oversee the strategic direction of the groups of schools in the trust and hold executive leaders to account for the outcomes of all pupils. This structure goes much further in promoting shared practice than other collaborative structures, such as federations or alliances. Strong governance of the legal entity of the Trust hardwires collaboration and shared accountability in a way that no other school structure does. Trust boards carry both the accountability, along with the powers of intervention where necessary at a governance level of its schools. This is one of the reasons why the trust is the most appropriate vehicle to drive school improvement.
2. Quality of education: The charitable purpose of advancing education is cemented in the school trust’s Articles of Association, and the activity to advance education for the public good is contracted through funding agreements. The best trusts are focused on the quality of education – they have strongly theorised; coherent models of improvement and they can scale improvement by knowledge-building through evidence-informed professional development and creating communities of improvement.
3. Workforce resilience and wellbeing: People matter, if trusts are to build sustainable infrastructures to lead change, improve schools and respond to the legacies of the pandemic. The strongest trusts understand their responsibilities and duties as employers – they are good employers. They recruit, develop, deploy and retain great teachers, support staff and leaders throughout their careers, supporting their development by using evidence-informed professional development and ensuring a manageable work-life balance, paying close attention to wellbeing. Trusts as employers have a vital role in wellbeing and building sustainable people strategies to deliver education for public benefit.
4. Efficiency and effectiveness of operational structures: Trusts can make the most effective use of centralised processes and back-office functions to empower schools to focus on teaching and knowledge building. Strong trusts ensure all staff and functions are focused on improvement, so that central functions empower teachers and leaders to focus on advancing education. Because school trusts are public organisations, funded by government with a funding agreement that requires trusts to spend their money in the way that parliament intends, it is essential that the efficient use of public money is part of our narrative about strong trusts.
5. Public benefit and civic duty: The primary focus on education quality as the quality of teaching is absolutely necessary but not sufficient. Education has wider purposes in intellectual, social, and cultural development; the formation of character; and helping pupils to understand and play a role in society and contribute to the wider common good. Many of the strongest trusts are explicit in their commitment to creating the conditions for human flourishing. CST proposes that the school trust is a new form of civic structure. As a legal entity which is independent from local government, school trusts (like universities and NHS trusts), have a wider civic responsibility to advance education for the public good in the communities they serve. Our strongest trusts support the weakest schools in the system in fulfilling their civic duty to advance education for all. They also mentor and support other trusts. In this sense, the trust itself acts as a national leader of education.
