The Apex Collaborative Trust School Improvement Framework is underpinned by our values of Ambition, Collaboration and Trust, ensuring every school receives the right level of support, challenge and partnership to secure continual improvement.
We employ a 4-layered approach according to need:
Universal
- Phase collaborative partnership work
- Apex Together
- Health checks and peer to peer reviews
Bespoke
- Contracting
- Ofsted readiness
Broad
- Specific Partnership Project
- Wraparound Approach
Trust
- Leadership guidance
- Quality assurance
Universal
Every school in Apex Collaborative Trust both contributes to and benefits from our collective strength. Through our shared commitment to Ambition, Collaboration and Trust, all schools engage in trust-wide networks, professional development, quality assurance processes and the sharing of effective practice. This tier reflects our belief that school improvement is a collective responsibility where every school has expertise to offer and opportunities to learn from others.
What activities are involved?
Apex Together membership
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person from each school with responsibility in relevant area | None | 6 meetings per year + any reading |
Health checks
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Part of exec head or CEO role | Successful headship | 3 meetings per year |
Peer-led trust reviews
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Trust exec, heads, SLT | Experience of whole school leadership in review focus area | Termly for each school for exec, ad hoc for others |
School improvement planning
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Trust Improvement partner | Successful headship; experience of school improvement across settings | 1-2 days per term |
General partnership work such as learning communities^ or peer communities (e.g. all learning and teaching, assessment, subject, phase leads.
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Lead roles – varied | Expertise and experience in relevant area; | Half termly or termly meetings depending on the area. Possible paired work or meetings arising from these. |
Specific subject networks, e.g. maths hub transition project
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Maths project lead | Trained by NW Maths Hub | 6 sessions per year and coordination of primary maths challenge |
Bespoke
Schools requiring focused improvement support will receive a tailored response aligned to their context and priorities. This may include preparation for Ofsted, addressing a persistent improvement challenge, or strengthening areas such as phonics, careers education or curriculum leadership. The Executive Partner or Phase Lead will coordinate the most effective support, drawing on expertise from within Apex Collaborative Trust and external specialists where appropriate. This tier reflects our commitment to Ambition, ensuring schools receive the support needed to achieve the highest standards for pupils.
What activities are involved?
Ofsted prep support – for leaders, governors (data, QA, practice)
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Data reviewer / inspection expert Serving / ex-inspector | Current framework inspection experience | 2–5 days total dependent on level of need and support required to |
Subject-specific rapid improvement, starting with diagnosis and then support to implement agreed priorities
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist consultant (internal/external) A team of ‘experts’ and coaches (e.g. lead practitioners, other strong practitioners) | Proven subject turnaround experience, coaching approach | Sustained support to deliver improvement over a period of a year. Likely to involve 7-12 days in total. |
Curriculum review for a subject area
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Subject specialist | Deep subject expertise; Ofsted understanding | Ad hoc – could be commissioned as a one-off |
Mentoring for new headteacher or other leader
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Executive mentor | Experience of headship, other leadership roles, mentoring skills | Fortnightly over term 1, reducing frequency term 2/3 |
Shadowing of a leader for an aspiring leader or current leader seeking to improve aspects of practice
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Non-specific | Experience and strong track record in current role | Minimal for the leader – time to meet person shadowing before during and after the process to plan and evaluate learning. |
External QA review in an area of concern. (Follow-up action planning and MER)
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Accredited reviewer | Experienced HT or trust leader with relevant knowledge – ideally inspection experience | Ad hoc as needed |
Broad
Schools identified as having wider areas for development will receive targeted support. Where self-evaluation, trust quality assurance, performance data, or external review identifies priorities for improvement, schools will be partnered with an Apex school demonstrating strong practice. Where needs are more significant or sustained, a member of the Executive Team will coordinate additional support, ensuring leaders are both challenged and supported to secure improvement. This approach reflects our value of Every school in Apex Collaborative Trust both contributes to and benefits from our collective strength. Through our shared commitment to Ambition, Collaboration and Trust, all schools engage in trust-wide networks, professional development, quality assurance processes and the sharing of effective practice. This tier reflects our belief that school improvement is a collective responsibility where every school has expertise to offer and opportunities to learn from others. Collaboration, drawing on expertise across the Trust to share effective practice and accelerate progress.
What activities are involved?
Learning Partnership Project: Paired school support (stronger → developing school)*
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Developmental opportunity for a leader who has had a positive impact in their setting | Evidence of improving outcomes in focus area | Dependent on issue – 3-weekly sessions sustained for 12 months meetings per year + any reading |
Leadership mentoring
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Head / Phase leader, headteacher, senior or middle leader | Coaching or mentoring experience | 1 hour 3-weekly / monthly |
Data and academic tracking support
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment lead from one school or externally sourced expert | Strong data analysis; IDSR familiarity | Ad hoc, commissioned half-termly or termly |
Teaching and learning review
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Practitioner team, other strong practitioners | Evidence-informed pedagogy expertise | 2 days + review and feedback, next steps |
SEND / inclusion support or reviews
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| SENCOs / external advisor | NPQ SEND or equivalent; inclusive practice | Ongoing for schools without a qualified SENCO, ad hoc for others |
Safeguarding review and support
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| DSL / safeguarding auditor | Advanced safeguarding training | One off review + follow-up so support actions arising |
Behaviour / culture support
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour leads in schools | Proven impact on implementation of strong behaviour systems | Ad hoc as needed. Would likely be for 12 months minimum with frequent planning and review visits. |
Attendance strategy development and intervention
Reviews of data/systems
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance leads Phase Lead/Exec | Strong attendance improvement outcomes QA Experience | Ad hoc as need arises – likely to be intensive at outset around planning, then more monitoring of progress. |
Wraparound support – in the event that the school needs support with several areas that are orange or declining on health check.#
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Phase/partnership executive leader coordinates support from a team of ‘experts’ and coaches (e.g. lead practitioners, other strong practitioners) | Expertise and track record of improvement in relevant areas. Need for pool of people to be trained as coaches in readiness | Support over an extended period of about 12-18 months. Pool of available expertise |
Enhanced
Where the quality of education, leadership, safeguarding or wider provision falls below Trust expectations, a more directive improvement model is implemented. At this level, the CEO or an executive leader take increased responsibility for oversight, quality assurance and improvement planning. School leaders receive intensive support and challenge, with clear milestones, regular review points and focused intervention to secure rapid and sustainable improvement. This approach is underpinned by our value of Trust—working alongside leaders with transparency, accountability and an unwavering commitment to securing the best possible outcomes for every child.
What activities are involved?
Intensive leadership oversight
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Head / CEO | Proven turnaround leadership | 1–2 days per week |
Interim leadership deployment
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Interim Head / Deputy | Track record in leading effective improvement | Full-time or part-time placement |
Daily/weekly operational support
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| School improvement lead (on-site) | Strong senior leadership experience | 2–5 days per week (initial phase) |
Tight QA cycle (reviews, book looks, data)
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Trust QA team(s) | High-level evaluation expertise | Monthly |
Mandatory curriculum redesign
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Experienced curriculum lead – may be externally sourced | Deep curriculum design expertise | 2–3 days per week (phase dependent) |
Behaviour system reset
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour leads | Evidence of rapid culture change | Intensive first 6 weeks to a term, gradually scaling back |
Staff capability management
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| HR + Exec leader | Experience in capability processes | As required (high intensity initially) |
Safeguarding assurance
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Senior DSL / external auditor | Advanced safeguarding expertise | Initial full review, then support with action planning and fortnightly checks on progress. |
Governance intervention
Personnel needed
| Role | Experience / qualifications | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Trust-appointed governors Head of Governance | Strong understanding of trust governance and accountability | Monthly minimum commitment |
Some key terms explained:
*Learning Partnership Project
This would involve Apex schools working together on one focused project. Overseen by either the executive headteacher for secondary or primary partnerships, the focus of the Learning Partnership will be informed by trust and school priorities.
Learning Partnerships will be time limited as set out in a strategic plan. Schools with strong practice in a specific area will be identified as having the ability to partner other schools. As a vehicle to facilitate collaboration and shared practice, it might be worth trialling all schools being part of one Learning Partnership Project?
Within the partnership project there is still the ability to invite specialist input from other schools or trusts or to visit and observe practice and systems in other trusts.
#Wraparound Support
This is a more rigorous support process that would be implemented for one or more of the following reasons:
- Too many orange/red indicators on health check dashboard, or a declining trend – no precise number, as different areas have greater significance than others.
- Slow or stalled progress in areas highlighted as priorities for school improvement.
- Evidence from QA that provision in school for 2 or more areas of the Ofsted framework, (or Leadership and Governance alone), fall below the expected standard or have declined from ‘strong’ to ‘expected’.
- Request from the school’s headteacher/chair of LSC.
^Learning Communities:
Similar model to Apex Together – half-termly or termly get-togethers for leads for curriculum design, T&L, assessment – as considered appropriate. Subject leads, phase leads, PD leads, Mental Health Champions, etc.