Summary review framework
The MAT composition is diverse and does not assume that there is one best way to support or drive school improvement as a MAT.
It is vital that the Board and MAT executive team understand school and organisational self-evaluation to ensure additional resources and support are directed in an evidence-based way. In addition to brokered support, the Board will understand the current capacity to support and drive school improvement. In doing so, the executive team can build and strengthen its ability and potential to grow capacity to support more schools.
Developing the framework
Three essential system tools influence the construction of this framework for improvement:
- 2021 Ofsted Inspection Handbook
- DfE MAT Assurance Framework
- Assurance Framework Trust Governance
MAT Assurance – Methodology
School level: each academy is on a journey
As each school continues to evolve, we must evaluate school improvement activities and investments to assist trustees in determining the impact of the MAT’s work.
This development must include strengthened arrangements for monitoring, challenging, intervening and supporting MAT academies.
Review themes
Governance level
The organisation has been hugely successful in its aim to broaden and strengthen governance arrangements across the organisation.
These improvements will be underpinned by a deeper annual review of all forms of governance to ensure our interpretation remains flexible, purposeful, and progressive. To achieve this, the Trust proposes an annual self-evaluation exercise of all governance layers based on the DfE competency framework and wider Board compliance work undertaken by the Confederation of School Trusts (CST).
The annual review will take place during the spring term.
Governance level: the MAT is on a journey
Executive level
The MAT assurance framework is a development self-assessment tool to help the trust executive team to understand our capacity to support and drive school improvement.
The framework is designed to help build and strengthen current school improvement capacity and grow capacity to support more schools. The framework is designed to be used to help us to look both backwards and forwards. It can help to evaluate the impact of our current work on school improvement and to identify future priorities. We can apply the framework to look at their capacity in their current state; but they can also use the framework to consider proactively what future school improvement capacity they might need if and when the trust was to grow.
The annual review will take place during the summer term.
