Opportunities and Expectations

Opportunities

• Sharing research informed best practice across our family of schools
• Openness about strengths and weaknesses in a supportive and challenging environment
• Access to specialist colleagues shared across the trust including trust-wide support for the curriculum, assessment and leadership 
• Utilising cutting-edge technology to transform learning

Expectations

• Willingness to be truly collaborative
• Openness and honesty in all areas
• Thinking about the educational provision across the trust and not just in one institution
• Sharing of data

Opportunities

• Sharing research informed best practice across our family of schools
• Openness about strengths and weaknesses in a supportive and challenging environment
• Access to specialist colleagues shared across the trust including trust-wide support for the curriculum, assessment and leadership 
• Utilising cutting-edge technology to transform learning

Expectations

• Willingness to be truly collaborative
• Openness and honesty in all areas
• Thinking about the educational provision across the trust and not just in one institution
• Sharing of data

Opportunities

• A framework for ensuring efficient use of time and an annual calendar of requirements to support compliance
• Governor training by experienced facilitators in all areas, including leadership of local academy committee (LAC)
• Regular reports on health and safety and premises management
• Data for the LAC in relation to pupil progress and monitoring to ensure efficiency.

Expectations

• The LAC is fit for purpose and has undertaken self-evaluation and a skills audit
• The LAC will accept guidance and advice to ensure they are compliant with our scheme of delegation and legal requirements.

Opportunities

• Supporting all staff on a journey to becoming highly effective and reflective practitioners
• Supporting staff development by providing trust-wide opportunities to work in different contexts
• Recognition and nurturing of talents and aspirations
• Providing opportunities for all staff to lead or engage with improvement teams
• Engagement with a range of CPD providers
• Access to a suite of NPQ leadership training opportunities
• SLE deployment, school-to-school support, research and development
• Trust-wide conferences and exposure to national events and leading educators

Expectations

• All leaders are flexible about working across the trust
• Common training opportunities across the trust

Operations  plays a vital role in enabling excellence across all areas of our Trust. The Sycamore CE Trust is committed to delivering high-quality, efficient, and sustainable operational services that empower our schools to focus on teaching, learning, and pupil wellbeing.

Opportunities

• Trust-wide policies in all key areas
• Trust-wide health and safety arrangements and support
• Access to specialist estates support
• Be part of the development and implementation of streamlined systems that enhance productivity, reduce duplication, and support smarter working.
• Access training and development in estates management, procurement, compliance, health & safety, digital transformation, and more.
• Support the development and implementation of streamlined systems that enhance productivity, reduce duplication, and support smarter working.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, using data and feedback to refine operational practices and introduce innovative solutions.
• Join a collaborative network of operational professionals, sharing best practice and driving Trust-wide improvement.
• Drive value for money through robust procurement processes and regular review of service level agreements (SLAs), identifying opportunities for Trust-wide contracts and shared services.

Expectations

• A willingness to join trust contracts to support facilities and site management
• A willingness for joint trust health and safety arrangements and support
• A willingness to adopt common HR and facility policies
• Ensure operational practices are consistent and aligned with Trust-wide policies, priorities, and values.
• Uphold high standards in all operational functions, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and value for money.
• Maintain a proactive approach to procurement and SLA management, ensuring services are cost-effective, high-quality, and aligned with the Trust’s strategic goals.

At the heart of Sycamore Trust is a commitment to providing the best possible support and challenge to our academies to enable them to provide ever-higher standards of education to their pupils. To achieve this, we offer the following:

High Quality CPD

• Leadership Training organised through the MAT;
• Access to ICT support through our strategic partners;
• Access to support from Manchester Diocese to develop RE and SMSC;

Educational Support

• NLE, LLE & SLE support available from within the Trust;
• SENCo support;
• Data support;

SIAMS Support

• Trained SIAMS leaders within the Trust;
• RE specialist support within the Trust.
• Keeping RE and Collective Worship at the fore for Church of England schools
• Support from Manchester Diocese to develop RE and SMSC