Student leadership in action at Broadway Academy

Headteacher’s overview of Leadership and Management

At Broadway Academy, over many years, we have created a shared vision, with the whole community, built on our values. There is a clear understanding of what we are trying to achieve and how we getting there. https://www.broadway-academy.co.uk/

Safeguarding permeates the culture of our Academy. It underpins all that we do. The safeguarding team (DSL’s) work tirelessly to ensure that the safety of the students is a priority for everyone. Students who are vulnerable are identified and support is put in place to protect them and reduce their risk of harm. Extensive provision is in place for students who are at the highest risk. The SCR is regularly reviewed and recruitment is highly effective. I have a weekly safeguarding briefing from the lead DSL. All allegations are investigated, records are kept and the LADO informed if the threshold for allegations is met. The safeguarding governor is a regular visitor to the Academy to review and scrutinise the safeguarding systems, procedures and safer recruitment across the academy.

In order to ensure an exceptional, educational, experience (3E’s) for all our students we have continued to review and reflect on our practice, at Broadway. This has created a culture of continuous improvement. We have created a climate where staff are not complacent and leadership (staff and student) is distributed across the whole Academy. https://www.broadway-academy.co.uk/student-leadership/

Over the last two years we have had five formal external reviews and written reports. Two from David Turner the SIP (during the pandemic). A review of the Academy and its work by the Princes Teaching Institute https://twitter.com/PTIEducation/status/1442921517281538055 resulting in us achieving the prestigious PTI Bernice McCabe Award. Jayne Flynn visited Broadway in September 2021 and undertook a full review, with staff, against the Inclusion Quality Mark objectives where we have demonstrated our commitment to developing and achieving a highly inclusive culture https://www.broadway-academy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Broadway-Academy-Review-Sept-2021.pdf The governors and staff are committed to embedding the equality act in all areas of Academy life; this is an overt aim of the Academy. The most recent review on Teaching and Learning was undertaken by the School Improvement Partner (November 2021)

In addition to this external scrutiny governors have spent time in school visiting lessons, talking to staff and holding myself, the senior team and middle leaders to account. This takes place through the highly effective governors committee structure. We have also had parents, partners and visiting Headteachers comment and reflect on the positive ethos of Broadway Academy, the sense of shared values which have been embedded for many years and have been the cornerstone of all our work. Indeed it was Emma Knights, Chief Executive of the National Governors Association, who visited us back in 2016 and was so impressed as to how our values were not just words but rather lived out in the day to day life of the Academy.

The professional development of all staff: support staff, teachers, students, support staff and SLT has been at the forefront of our work over the last year. The professional development has been highly effective and for teachers this has ensured that it has built on the individual and collective needs identified across the Academy. Support staff managers have all had bespoke training on improving their effectiveness as mangers and this is being followed up with 1:1 bespoke training to meet staff individual needs. We have developed a highly trained cadre of leaders who give immense leadership capacity to the Academy. Dozens of staff have successfully completed NPQ leadership programmes at all levels – which are closely aligned to the needs of the Academy. Leadership is extended with many staff seconded onto the leadership team with specific improvement projects.

Student leadership has been developed at many levels with the student council, the House System and Radley College. It has involved training alongside students from some of the top independent schools in the country, this took place this year at Dean Close School Cheltenham. Our curriculum focus on ethical leadership, character development and outdoor education has resulted in exceptional results particularly with students at risk of exclusion who have reengaged with their learning and changed their lives.

There has been an ongoing and relentless review of the curriculum at all levels. Heads of dept have taken a lead in designing exceptional curriculum experiences for all students. This links into the overarching vision. https://www.broadway-academy.co.uk/new-curriculum-page/ The curriculum is continuously reviewed and refined and has resulted in national recognition for work in Geography. We continue to refine our work with the curriculum and have ongoing and exciting plans to review the curriculum using the exceptional SACRE Birmingham Agreed Syllabus template. The Director of Education for Birmingham said that the Agreed Syllabus was the most thoughtful and meticulous process of curriculum design that she had ever experienced. One of Broadway’s governors, Guy Hordern Chair of the Birmingham Agreed syllabus, has started work on the Broadway curriculum design with the staff and the senior team. This is now called the Broadway Academy Living Curriculum (BALC) this was shared with schools nationally at a recent PTI leadership event for Headteachers. The bespoke nature of our curriculum meets the needs of all students. This is evidenced in the exceptional outcomes for our disadvantaged and SEND students.

A continuing strength of Broadway Academy is its relationships with community partners. This includes ongoing work with faith groups, businesses, careers fairs providers, Radley College, Brookside, Island Pool, St Michaels (see attached flyer) Career Fairs, 50,000 per people using the Academy per annum. These partnerships create an outward facing culture that enhances the students’ educational experience. Our work with Employers and Careers is exceptional and plays a vital role in raising aspirations for all students. Jayne Flynn in the Broadway Academy Annual Evaluation for the IQM Flagship Project Sept 2021 writes:

We continue to put staff wellbeing and workload at the heart of our work. We trust staff to take responsibility within their roles; they have autonomy as well as accountability. This is achieved through exceptional Line Management. We encourage all staff and students to be ‘servant leaders.’ We are doing all we can to balance the ongoing continuous improvements with the health and wellbeing of our staff. The feedback from a recent staff wellbeing survey has been very positive with the vast majority of staff believing that we work together to reduce workload and their wellbeing is really important to us and is taken seriously by their managers. Furthermore, the recent survey by the NEU regarding workload at Broadway was very positive. We have addressed issued raised by staff in previous surveys. All of the 37 questions regarding workload were marked positive according to the Broadway NEU Reps and they did not have any negative feedback from their members. This is testament to the work that has been undertaken by mangers to support and assist staff in their roles. The list of measures to reduce or improve efficiency of workload was discussed in the governors HR meeting in February 2021.

Finally, we have a highly experienced, knowledgeable governing body who challenge and support in equal measure. There is scrutiny and accountability. Governors undoubtedly have an impact on all areas of Academy life.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘— Jeremiah 29:11.31