School Effectiveness services

Our experienced group of specialist education professionals provide high quality support, advice and training to assist schools in raising attainment, accelerating progress and improving the provision for vulnerable pupils.

We support schools on their journey to achieving a positive Ofsted judgement and challenge good and outstanding schools to continue to develop excellent practice. We also offer bespoke services designed to address particular objectives.

Key service features:

• In-depth knowledge of local schools supporting them in reaching and sustaining excellence
• Core and bespoke services to support school improvement
• Highly-skilled and professional staff with a vast range of experience including as English specialists and KS1 and KS2 moderators
• Up to date knowledge of the Ofsted Inspection Framework

Officers provide bespoke support packages according to individual schools’ needs. Outcomes will be evidenced in terms of impact on pupils’ outcomes, including for different groups of pupils and improvements in practitioner practice.

Examples of the types of support that can be delivered include:

• Mentoring and coaching of staff and support for teams
• Bespoke professional development packages tailored to support individual staff or groups of staff
• Curriculum development guidance and support
• Support and challenge to maximise school improvement and achievement
• Analysis of pupil performance data and access to expert advice and guidance on its use
• Guidance and support to quality assure and develop teaching and learning.
• Professional development and support for leaders and governors
• Validation of school self-evaluation in line with the current Ofsted Inspection Framework
• Facilitating learning partnerships to support professional development and school improvement
• Pre and post Ofsted support including support for action planning and monitoring visits
• Specialist support across all phases for English and Mathematics
• Support and guidance for underachieving and ‘at risk’ pupils/groups of pupils
• Support for performance management

Click the link Tailored school improvement and curriculum support for further information on our service or email us at school.standards@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

Curriculum development underpins our standards, progress and assurance offer because curriculum excellence is at the centre of school improvement. BFfC provide a full training and consultancy package to enable school leaders to evaluate and develop the power of their curriculum to transform children’s lives and help their staff to hone and shape the effectiveness of their pedagogical toolkit.

Curriculum quality is particularly important for vulnerable children and those with SEND as these children have differences that impact their attentional skills and processing functions in working memory. Good mental health and staff wellbeing start with feeling clever and confident and our approach builds both knowledge and success. In the shadow of COVID and with increasing numbers of children in need, curriculum effectiveness is not just desirable but essential to support our most vulnerable learners.

Our support offer has a basis in the research underpinning the current Ofsted Inspection Framework and supports leadership focus on curriculum design, coherence, sequencing and effective instruction based on Rosenshine’s principles (in partnership with national leader Tom Sherrington).

We provide curriculum reviews, coaching and training for leaders to consider the intent, implementation and impact of their curriculum to date, and to plan and implement effective improvement actions.

We have a strong track record of success in supporting school development and can provide testimonials on request.

Click the link Tailored school improvement and curriculum support for further information on our service or email us at school.standards@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

Our English subject specialists offer a comprehensive range of support to schools. Please contact us for further details school.standards@brighterfuturesforchildren.org.

We offer:

• Central, federation/MAT, school, subject leaders or individual bespoke training and projects
• Underpinned by experience, research and cognitive science
• Leading or coaching

Examples of the types of support that can be delivered for reading, writing, phonics and oracy include:

• Planning from a great text
• Talk for writing
• Lesson study – in class support
• Identifying next steps in learning
• Audience and purpose driven writing
• Spelling
• Grammar and punctuation
• Generating/reviewing a writing or reading spine
• Poetry
• Subject Leader writing project
• Monitoring writing practice and outcomes
• Assessment/moderation
• Dialogic Book Talk
• Shared and guided reading – teaching comprehension
• Fluency in KS1 and KS2
• Decoding – the application of phonics
• Reading for Pleasure – UKLA/OU Teachers’ Reading Group (project)
• Introducing/rejuvenating a validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme
• Phonics subject knowledge for teachers/Tas/EYFS/KS1/KS2
• Monitoring phonics – data, groups, QFT
• Supporting parents
• Identifying application opportunities across the day/curriculum

Click the link Tailored school improvement and curriculum support for further information on our service or email us at school.standards@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

Each school’s governing body has a statutory duty to monitor and manage the performance of the headteacher on an annual basis. Under the 2012 School Teachers’ Appraisal Regulations, the governing body of a maintained school must appoint an external adviser for the purpose of providing it with advice and support in relation to the appraisal of the headteacher.

School Effectiveness Officers are equipped to provide advice to the governing body about the performance management of the headteacher. Our School Effectiveness Officers are well practiced and knowledgeable in helping to improve the process, as well as clarifying the links between internal and external accountability, headteacher development and governance.

Further information on purchasing this service can be found via the following link: Headteacher’s Performance Management

We value early career teachers (ECTs) for their enthusiasm, talent, passion and energy and we will encourage and support new teachers, as they first enter the profession.

In our role as the ‘Appropriate Body’ we work in partnership with schools to support the enrichment of the Early Career Teachers’ skills to retain teachers, improve teaching and raise standards. We discharge our responsibilities as defined in the statutory guidance Induction for early career teachers (England) by quality assuring the induction arrangements in place for all ECTs and support schools with all aspects of induction through one-to-one, group advice, support and training.

Alongside a two year statutory Induction ECTs and their mentors will also follow an Early Career Framework induction training programme.

We encourage and support ECTs and induction tutors throughout induction through the provision of:

• A dedicated named contact for support and advice
• High quality personalised school-based support
• Termly ECT clinics
• Induction Tutor training and termly networks
• Termly briefings for ECTs focused on local education priorities
• Resource bank of induction related documentation and online CPD
• Face to face, email and telephone support
• Secure, online paperless system for ECT registration and submission of assessment/progress review forms

Click on the link for further information on our traded service: Early Career Teacher Service.

If you need to get in touch, please email ect@brighterfuturesforchildren.org

School governors are one of the biggest volunteer forces in the country, working in their spare time to promote school improvement and to support headteachers and teachers in their work.

Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) reflects that the quality of governors’ work is very important. Inspection evidence tells us that there is a link between effective governance, the quality of leadership and management, and the quality of provision and pupil success.

There are a number of different categories of governor: Parent, Staff, Local Authority, Co-Opted and Foundation. Regardless of category, all governors have three core functions with regards to the school, which are:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent

Once appointed, Brighter Futures for Children offer governors an annual training programme which:

• Provides up to date, focused programmes of training and development for governors/trustees and governing boards to help raise standards in our schools
• Equips governors/trustees with skills and knowledge to be effective in their role
• Offers support, advice, guidance and information in various ways to meet governors/trustees’ needs
• Provides a set of products to support the continuous relevant progress of governors/trustees

Further information and annual programme of training, briefing sessions and networks provided by Governor Services.

You can register to become a Governor and look for schools vacancies on the Inspiring Governance website – Become a school governor – Inspiring Governance or with Governors for Schools – About the role – Governors for Schools.

If you are thinking about applying to become a school governor, these Department for Education documents may be useful:

Clerking competency framework

A competency framework for governance

Governance Handbook

Model governor role details

NGA Model code of conduct

Twenty questions

What governing boards should expect from school leaders

Eight elements of effective governance