Excellence is at the heart of the vision for FGT.
Excellence is at the heart of the vision for FGT. It aims to create a strong positive culture in all our Academies in which valuable life skills will be delivered. Quality teaching, built upon a foundation of care and support will lead to high levels of attainment, achievement and confidence, self-esteem and a love of learning.
Individual Academy Identity
Future Generation Trust is not a single brand. It is an approach.
The fact that each academy retains and develops their own identity is a fundamental principle to our way of working. Individual academies within the Future Generation Trust family are afforded appropriate autonomy on the basis that they are best placed to reflect their community and have relevant insight and information to respond to local need.
There is however a crucial expectation that each academy commits to an alignment with the other core education model elements of high-quality curriculum, collaboration, and training and development. This is, and will remain, an essential non-negotiable component of trust membership as the trust grows.
Primary education is our passion! This vital factor combined with our considerable experience and expertise in this phase, facilitates the significant success we achieve.
Our educational model is transparent, structured, easy to understand and driven by committed leaders who share our common philosophy of wanting the absolute best for everyone in our academies.
Our vision is bound together by three distinct strands that permeate all elements of our work. These are:
High Quality Curriculum
Our curriculum is ambitious and aspirational. It is designed to inspire and engage, to excite and prepare. It will give all pupils, regardless of their background, heritage or ability the knowledge and life skills that will allow them to flourish and prosper. Focusing first and foremost on developing mastery of Reading, Writing and Mathematics the curriculum is built around core principles that our academies strongly identify with. These include character development, mental health well-being, physical fitness and positive relationships.
The curriculum does not exist in a vacuum. It is a living, breathing part of the academy and is delivered by exceptional teachers who are exceptional role-models. The curriculum will also reflect the community as we strive to foster a pride in the local area, a sense of belonging and a commitment to creating caring and responsible adults. The impact of this strand is clearly visible through the high standards that are produced across all our academies.
Collaboration
Partnership, partnership and partnership.
The Central Team initiates and leads collaborative working practices in all aspects of our operation. Education, Financial Management and Estates.
In education a web of collaborative networks exists at all levels. The pooling of knowledge and experience informs decision making and avoids the issue of staff feeling isolated or unsupported. The power and value of debate combines with shared workload to ensure that the best possible outcomes are reached. Headteacher meetings, subject leader meetings and specialist group meetings all operate in a collaborative context in the best interests of each individual academy.
In financial management the uniform systems that are employed support joint training. They further allow for sharing of expertise and offer the possibility of deploying staff in different settings as need may arise. The regular dialogue between academies and the frequent formal meetings aid efficient and effective practice. Each setting can be a helpline, sounding board or critical friend.
The impact of this strand is clearly visible in the shared identity that the MAT is developing at some pace. Staff recognise the value in joint working and the climate this creates allows for questions to be raised or support to be requested without fear of being regarded as inadequate.
It is against this back-drop of mutual help that:
a) Ofsted ratings and individual pupil performance in all academies are strong.
b) Sound financial systems are in place and each academy returns sustainable budgets.
c) All estates are compliant, in good repair and have suitable levels of investment.
Training and Development
We recognise that to maintain our high standards there must be a commitment to:
a) providing relevant training to support and enhance the performance of all staff in all areas of operation.
b) establishing leadership career paths for our ambitious staff that supports succession planning.
The strategic importance of investing in our staff is a priority for trustees. All staff are valued, and the aim is to fully equip them to be as effective as they possibly can. This is achieved by facilitating high quality training through internal and external providers as appropriate.
The identification of leadership potential is of fundamental importance. Staff in this category are supported by the skilful selection of mentors and coaches and receive an agreed diet of training opportunities to promote individual growth. This establishes a route forward for emerging leaders and ensures the trust has adequate capacity to achieve success at each academy.
These components communicate to staff that they all have a role to play in the success of the trust and that their careers are taken seriously. This is all delivered in a context where individual well-being is of paramount importance. Established and constructive staff well-being groups exist in all academies and are extremely productive. Trustees are committed to supporting the work force wherever possible to make Future Generation Trust an employer of choice.
The impact of this strand is clearly visible in high levels of staff satisfaction, their levels of motivation and the extraordinary amount of non-discretionary effort that is evident each and every day. The rapid development of individuals and the consistently increasing reservoir of leadership capacity also present undeniable evidence.
FUTURE GROWTH
The trust has a careful and considered approach towards growth. An agreed model of primary only academies directs the decision making process. Trustees are prudent and most mindful to ensure that any potential additional academy can be supported to the customary high standards that they demand. There is a history of diligence in the selection of suitable schools and a reluctance to accept converter or sponsor opportunities that do not fully align with our key values. This strategy will be maintained as we move forward and decisions about growth will ultimately be determined by the quality of the education Future Generation Trust believes it can provide.