Issue 6 2021

10 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 6 2021 , Mar21537 Developing Character and Raising Aspirations Raising aspirations and developing character is at the heart of everything that the Nene Education Trust does, to enable each young person to achieve highly and be successful in life, contributing back to the world we live in. The Trust comprises seven great schools located in East Northamptonshire and it is rightly proud of its schools, students and staff and the communities they serve. Each school is unique, but they are all united in believing passionately that all young people should have the opportunity to develop character, be aspirational and achieve their goals. The Trust believes strongly in collaboration: sharing educational and operational expertise and the local community focus of the Trust makes this possible. As partners in this Trust, the aim is for all Trust schools to strive for excellence and they benefit from strong leadership, innovative pedagogy and by sharing good practice and resources. Its people are the most important part of the organisation. The Trust recognises that its staff are the key to its success which is why it aims to recruit, develop and retain talented and highly skilled people that share the organisation’s ethos and believe in its vision to develop character, raise aspirations and celebrate The Nene Education Trust was established in 2013 with the aimof growing andmaintaining amulti academy trust of highly effective and sustainable schools. It aims to develop all its pupils, raising aspirations and developing character through their educational journey within a positive environment for learning through their uniqueWork. World. Wellness. curriculumapproach. CEOMonthly has recognised the Trust’s leader, Chris Hill as Most Influential CEO 2021 – UK, so we are taking a closer look at the Trust’s work and achievements. achievement. The Trust makes a difference to the local community and the staff are 100% behind this. They are excited about the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of pupils in Northamptonshire. The health and wellbeing of staff is crucial to the Trust. It firmly believes that healthy, happy staff make for a positive and productive workforce, a thriving and dynamic environment, and engaged and achieving young people. Its approach continues to evolve as it looks for ways to further enhance the working environment and wellbeing of its teams. With this, the Trust offers: 24/7 access to a free Employee Assistance Programme to provide confidential advice and guidance on any personal and/or work- related matter; free mindfulness training with a qualified and experienced professional; discounted gym membership; commitment to exploring ways to reduce email traffic and confine email replies to office hours, while recognising employees’ preferences for when they work; and commitment to continuously reviewing workload issues and exploring options for simpler, less onerous methods and processes. Professional development is also a high priority for staff – the Trust has a long track record of “growing its own” and is committed to providing professional development opportunities for all staff, including: support (both financial and with study time) for other professional development programmes including MBAs and role specific qualifications such as AAT; access to nationally recognised professional qualifications and other external programmes including the Chartered Teacher Programme; an inhouse Excellence Pathways programme which offers bespoke training for middle and senior leaders; and there are also opportunities for staff to experience secondments at other schools in the Trust, collaborate with colleagues and work on exciting projects across the organisation. These opportunities will become more abundant as the Trust grows. Working in schools and making a career in education is all about people; giving pupils the best start in life to enable them to become the adults, parents and employees of the future. Alongside its pupils, the Trust ensures that that learning opportunities continue for teachers, associate staff and volunteers associated with its schools. This happens best of all within an environment where people feel safe and valued, and maintaining this environment during the pandemic was a challenge to which everyone rose. Since March 2020, the Trust has faced the challenge of responding to the ever-changing COVID situation, and since September, to the constant threat of positive cases impacting its ability to keep its schools open. This has of course been an extremely anxious time for many people, so the Trust has tried to put all its people first and as demonstrated by the feedback received from parents and staff at the end of September, it managed to overcome these concerns through its clear communication and well planned adjustments in schools. This builds upon the positive feedback received prior to the summer break when schools reopened in June and July. The Trust is rightly proud of this achievement. During the autumn term, the pressure and demands on Principals to be on call 24/7 to respond to any outbreak and to take the subsequent actions to manage this, has been relentless. To that end, the Trust has been minded to “reduce the burden” on Principals through keeping the three key aspects of high-quality teaching, safeguarding and health and safety as the main focus since October. This in turn has allowed Principals to focus their staff on these key elements. Whilst there was a a relatively low number of Covid cases in most Trust schools, and in some schools none at all, each was different in impact. The Principals have gone above and beyond to ensure that no stone was left unturned, even