When I began teaching over twenty years ago, multi-academy trusts didn’t exist. Urban myth had it that local authority advisors were sometimes seen in schools, supporting and guiding on best practice, but otherwise, schools were pretty much left to their own devices: sink or swim, dependent on the talents and knowledge of their leadership and teachers.
Today things are very different, and many of us work in schools that are part of MATs. For those of us who work trust-wide, this is a very different challenge from the completely autonomous silo system we began our careers in.
Indeed, a different way of working is required to bring together the unique and special characteristics of each individual school with the overarching vision and values of each MAT, so that the former does not lose its identity and distinctiveness, and the latter can harness the talented people and practice from across the organisation to improve standards for all students and teachers within its reach.
So, for those of us in trust-wide roles, how is that delicate balance of support and guidance achieved, without individual schools and leaders feeling they are losing their identity and agency?
1. People first
Working across a trust can be tricky, as you don’t necessarily have the day-in-day-out interactions with the same team of people every day, which can make building relationships more difficult. But getting to know your colleagues is key: we are people first, teachers and leaders second. Take time to ask about their lives, families, likes and dislikes.
People are what make an organisation tick, and through building relationships with people, you build trust. Trust is the magic ingredient of organisational improvement: trust people, and prove you are trustworthy, and this will build discretionary effort, innovative behaviour and optimal output. And also, don’t we all want to work in an organisation where we feel cared for and valued? For leaders who want the best for us? I know I do. So, show that you care.
2. Shared goals and common values
We won’t always agree with our colleagues, and that’s OK. Keeping common ground in mind is important to overcome differences and depersonalise conflict. The reason most people work in education is to improve the lives of young people and, although we can sometimes lose sight of that, if we come back to that goal as a fundamental principle, then it’s easier to remember that we are all on the same side. We might want to do things differently or have an alternative perspective on something, but remembering that we are all trying to make things better for our students is fundamental.
Equally, by being really explicit about the goals of the organisation, we attract people aligned with those goals and who share that vision. This front-loading of shared expectations means that people are less likely to act in ways that go against those shared ambitions, therefore reducing the likelihood of unproductive conflict and differing priorities.
3. Context is key
Each school and its staff know their students, parents and communities really well, and it’s important to respect and listen to that local knowledge and contextual need. One size does not fit all in education, and local adaptations to context are important. Strategies can and should be adapted to be appropriate for different schools. Staff need to feel ownership and take part in shaping the direction, this will make them feel valued and engaged with, that changes are done with and not done to.
Ask yourself: who is the expert on the students in this school? The people who work in this school. Working across the trust, your primary role is to support and empower those people to ensure that their expertise is utilised to its best effect to improve the lives of students.
4. Repetition of key messages
Communicate, communicate and then communicate some more. In schools, people are really busy, and sometimes strategic thinking takes second place to daily logistics. When working across a trust, it is an opportunity to remind people of key messages and strategic priorities that sometimes get a little lost in the daily hustle and bustle. Returning to core principles, reiterating them with clarity and enthusiasm and reminding people of the core purpose of the work they are doing is an important part of working cross-trust.
5. Listen and be sensitive
It can sometimes be tempting to want to go straight in with your amazing ideas of what works in other places, and success stories from other schools, but try to control that impulse - there is a time and place, and your first action should be to close your mouth and open your ears. Listen to the concerns and perspectives of people in the school, hear their views on what needs improving, value their opinions on their area of expertise. Assuming you know all the answers means assuming you know all the problems. Acting with humility and respect, and showing that you need to learn from them, helps to build relationships and earns you respect. It’s also important to remember and explicitly acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers - who does? - but that you will work together to find a solution.
So back to the original question: how is the delicate balance of support and guidance achieved, without individual schools and leaders feeling they are losing their identity and agency? With trust, humility, honesty, and respect at the heart of all interactions.
Lyndsay Bawden is a trust-wide English lead at a MAT in England
