Working Groups

We run a broad programme of trust-wide working groups that bring colleagues from across our schools together on a regular basis. Collaboration is key at Active Learning Trust - it’s how we save time, solve problems and make better decisions.

By sharing resources, approaches and what’s already working, our school teams avoid duplicating effort, free up time for teaching, and find more creative, practical solutions for their departments and their students. We've also seen the positive impact collaboration has had on boosting staff development and wellbeing.

Browse our training calendar to find groups relevant to your role and event dates for the current year.

Attendees: Attendance Champions, Attendance Officers, Attendance Leads

Host: Shirley Young, Head of Safeguarding

This network delivers training on the latest attendance strategies and shares the latest government guidance and updates from OFSTED. It's an excellent opportunity for colleagues to collaborate on improving student attendance by sharing best practices and contextual data updates.

Attendees: School Behaviour Leads

Host: Lynsey Holzer, CEO & Jeremy Rowe, Educational Project Lead

A collaborative forum for Behaviour Leads to review and share best practice, align curriculum where helpful, explore national research and updates, and work together on assessment and moderation. The group also aims to build a supportive community to share workload and ideas. Agendas will be circulated in advance to leaders and Headteachers.

Attendees: Designated Safeguarding Leads, SENDCOs, SLT

Host: Shirley Young, Safeguarding Lead

These regular meetings are an opportunity for all DSLs across our Trust to collaborate on important safeguarding areas, including the processing OFSTED and government guidance with critical dates, Safeguarding training, sharing best practices and contextual data updates. 

Attendees: EYFS Leads

Host: Trust EYFS Improvement Lead

This network brings together EYFS Leads from across our Trust to explore, share, and deepen our understanding of ALT's vision and values in Early Years. By sharing best practices and exploring creative solutions to common challenges, we aim to improve learning experiences for our youngest learners.

Attendees: Headteachers, Central Team Heads of Service

Frequency: Every 3 weeks

Host: Lynsey Holzer, CEO

These regular meetings are a valuable opportunity for school leaders to share best practices across our Trust and to discuss strategic areas of improvement, as well as current issues. It is essential that someone attends from each school. Agendas are circulated ahead of the meetings, and all leaders are invited to add to them or to request that specific areas are covered.

Attendees: Personal Development Leads

Hosts: Lynsey Holzer, CEO & Jeremy Rowe, Educational Project Lead

These sessions bring together Personal Development Leads from all schools to help deepen staff's understanding of the role, enhance their skills and align strategies with whole-school development goals. By sharing best practices and identifying new opportunities for collaboration, these sessions allow us to continue improving our trust-wide focus in this area. Sessions include discussions about curriculum integration and evidence-based practices to ensure that personal development is embedded within the school culture, in alignment with national standards and research.

Attendees: Primary Headteachers

Host: Academy Improvement Leads

These sessions aim to share key updates with Primary Headteachers and will have a different focus each session.

Attendees: Secondary Headteachers

Host: Academy Improvement Leads

These sessions aim to share key updates with Secondary Headteachers and will have a different focus each session.

Attendees: Special School Headteachers

Host: Academy Improvement Leads

These sessions aim to share key updates with Special School Headteachers and will have a different focus each session.

 

Attendees: School Business Managers, Office Managers, Central Finance, Operations & People Teams

Frequency: Every 3 weeks

Host: Phil Beecher, Chief Finance Officer, Chris Everard, Chief Operating Officer and Elaine Hammond, Director of People

These regular meetings are essential to the smooth running of our schools. They bring together Business Managers, Office Managers and central teams (Finance, People, Operations) to share best practices, discuss new systems and processes, and review strategic improvement areas. They’re also a valuable forum for schools to give direct feedback on what’s working, what isn’t, and what support or resources they need from our central teams.

Attendees: Secondary English Leads

This network brings together Secondary Subject Leaders from across our Trust to explore, share and deepen our understanding of ALT’s vision, values and expectations for subject leadership at secondary level. By sharing effective practice and exploring creative solutions to common curriculum, assessment and examination challenges, we aim to strengthen subject leadership and improve learning experiences and outcomes for all secondary pupils.

Attendees: Secondary Geography Leads

This network brings together Secondary Subject Leaders from across our Trust to explore, share and deepen our understanding of ALT’s vision, values and expectations for subject leadership at secondary level. By sharing effective practice and exploring creative solutions to common curriculum, assessment and examination challenges, we aim to strengthen subject leadership and improve learning experiences and outcomes for all secondary pupils.

Attendees: Secondary History Leads

This network brings together Secondary Subject Leaders from across our Trust to explore, share and deepen our understanding of ALT’s vision, values and expectations for subject leadership at secondary level. By sharing effective practice and exploring creative solutions to common curriculum, assessment and examination challenges, we aim to strengthen subject leadership and improve learning experiences and outcomes for all secondary pupils.

Attendees: Secondary Science Leads

This network brings together Secondary Subject Leaders from across our Trust to explore, share and deepen our understanding of ALT’s vision, values and expectations for subject leadership at secondary level. By sharing effective practice and exploring creative solutions to common curriculum, assessment and examination challenges, we aim to strengthen subject leadership and improve learning experiences and outcomes for all secondary pupils.

Attendees: Secondary Maths Leads

This network brings together Secondary Subject Leaders from across our Trust to explore, share and deepen our understanding of ALT’s vision, values and expectations for subject leadership at secondary level. By sharing effective practice and exploring creative solutions to common curriculum, assessment and examination challenges, we aim to strengthen subject leadership and improve learning experiences and outcomes for all secondary pupils.

Attendees: All EYFS teachers

Host: Trust EYFS Improvement Lead

This group serves to share best practices amongst teaching staff and to benchmark books against national standards. Key takeaways will be summarised and shared with school leaders.

Attendees: All KS1 Teachers

Host: Academy Improvement Leads

This group serves to share best practices amongst teaching staff and to benchmark books against national standards. Key takeaways will be summarised and shared with school leaders.

Attendees: All KS2 Teachers

Host: Academy Improvement Leads

This group serves to share best practices amongst teaching staff and to benchmark books against national standards. Key takeaways will be summarised and shared with school leaders.

Attendees: Site Team Managers

Host: Mick Crossley, Head of Estates

These virtual meetings bring together estates staff from across all our schools to discuss emerging issues in site management, including compliance updates, training and development and capital projects. 

Attendees: Sustainability Leads

Host: Chris Everard, Chief Operating Officer

These termly meetings give our Sustainability Leads the opportunity to discuss implementation of the trust's sustainability strategy and school climate action plans. Each meeting will focus on a specific area of sustainability, including student engagement and leadership in environmental issues. 

Attendees: Wellbeing Champions

Hosts:  Elaine Hammond and Amanda Ankin - Trust Wellbeing Leads

This trust-wide network is dedicated to fostering a positive, inclusive and sustainable culture of employee wellbeing across all our schools and our central team. The group brings together representatives from each school to collaborate, share best practices and support the development of employee wellbeing strategies that align with Acitve Learning Trust's values and strategic priorities.