“If the teacher makes the weather, the school creates the climate. School improvement is how schools create an ever-better climate for the individual and groups of teachers to do their job in the most favourable circumstances.” Sir Tim Brighouse

‘Growing great teachers’ is SBMAT’ s professional growth strategy that puts developing and maintaining the highest quality of teaching at the very heart of the process. It focuses on a genuinely continuous professional development process. (policy below). 

As a MAT we prioritise staff development. The MAT supplies high quality CPD  with access to external support networks such as our collaborative School Improvement Teams combining subject leads across the schools to develop innovative practice.

CPD is based on current research and case studies and involves high quality external consultancy in development areas.

Empowering and Developing Leaders

SBMAT ensures our leaders of the future are supported and guided on their journey to leading and developing schools. There is structured support to enable aspiring leaders to grow. School collaboration allows peer to peer review alongside developing partnerships with other schools outside the MAT. 

Career Bridge

The Trust schools contribute to create a Trust 'bursary fund’ called our Career Bridge. This enables us to facilitate and incentivise participation in NPQs from a wider range of senior leaders. It also allows all staff to access additional career development in areas such as: NASENCO, ELSA, MAPA and administrative courses for example. 

The Career Bridge also supports and incentivises the UPS3 staff not wishing to go into leadership to undertake  a ‘project’ to develop an area of development both personal and beneficial to school. (See Career Bridge Document below.)