Our staff are passionate about driving educational improvement through the principle of school supporting school.
We believe transparency is vital to this aim and are always willing to share our resources, our successes, and our failures, both within the REAch2 family and across the education sector. The goal is to ensure every child can receive an excellent education, regardless of their background.
We are committed to leading by example and holding up our academies as shining models of what can be achieved. Every one of our staff lives by our commitment to our touchstone values of integrity, responsibility, and inclusion. We know that we are the role models for our pupils and that the behaviours we model are those they will learn and share.
REAch2 proactively engages with parents, carers, and the wider academy community to ensure they are aware of the targets we set for ourselves, and to seek constructive guidance on where we can improve. Our academy leaders will continually seek ways to improve and enhance the education on offer, and act as a network for support for each other in this calling.
What is REAch2’s model for school improvement?
REAch2 Academy Trust originated from the successful school improvement and partnership work led by Hillyfield Primary Academy in Waltham Forest in East London. Since its inception in 2012, the Trust has grown from one London-based primary academy to 60 academies across the country.
Our approach has been consistently based on the national school support model. Within the Trust there is a wealth of educational expertise with our staff holding a strong track record in supporting and working with schools in a variety of contexts. We have developed a wide range of strategies to support school improvement, as well as a practical framework to help any struggling school.
As we have grown, we have adapted. In 2019 REAch2 brought in a cluster model of support, headed up by two Directors of Education with a Deputy Director of Education responsible for each of the ten clusters. This ensures we have the necessary capacity and expertise to sustain and develop excellent performance of across our academies.
All academies, staff, and children, within the Trust benefit from our core ethos of support and collaboration. This includes opportunities for enhanced continuous professional development for staff, access to a range of central support services, informed peer-to-peer accountability and review, and the sharing of expertise and joint practice development.
How much autonomy do schools within REAch2 retain?
Our academies are at the heart of their communities; they know their parents and children best and it is only right they have the opportunity and freedom to respond to their needs and come up with their own unique solutions.
Across the Trust we celebrate diversity and individuality, and we carry this over to our academies. Every academy is different, every community they serve is different, and each academy should have the flexibility to be different where needed.
Our role as a Trust is to offer support, to set expectations, and to provide leadership to ensure that every academy provides a great learning experience for the children in their care.
How is the Trust ensuring it is growing sustainably?
Sustainable growth is an essential principle of the REAch2 Academy Trust. It is vital that we retain the capacity and expertise to ensure our academies are all offering a high-quality education. To deliver capacity, operational integrity and best value for public money, the Trust has developed a clear model of organisational structure.
We review this regularly to ensure it remains fit-for-purpose and to see if there are any areas, we can improve our practice.