Anyone who attended the System Leaders’ Conference two weeks ago might recall that I began my introduction speech by admitting one of my (many) flaws - I have a tendency to repeat myself. I also confessed that when I’m passionate about something, I tend to go on about it! Whether it’s raving to friends, family, and colleagues about the wonders of mushroom coffee (it really is brilliant) or how fantastic the second series of The Diplomat was, I’m equally relentless when it comes to sharing how much I love my job.
As many of you know, my background is in teaching and leadership within London secondary schools, along with a brief stint in corporate finance (the less said about that, the better!). However, it was when I joined Challenge Partners six years ago that I truly saw and believed in something with the potential to transform the education system. It is a simple idea, but one that requires a strong execution.
That simple yet powerful idea is to connect school and trust leaders across the country, both locally and nationally, in meaningful ways. This enables the identification, sharing, and implementation of best practices while leveraging collective expertise to help all schools and trusts continuously improve. For this to succeed, it requires unwavering commitment: a commitment to excellence, collaboration, and the belief that together, we can achieve even much more.
“Each hub operates a bit differently, with its own approach and feel, and that's exactly how it should be”
Over the past half term, Dame Sue John and I have had the privilege of attending hub meetings across the country, from the Cornwall Hub to the Beacon Hub in Portsmouth, the Aspire Hub in the Northwest, and the North East Special Hub, and of course, plenty of meetings in between!
As you’d expect each hub operates a bit differently, with its own approach and feel, and that's exactly how it should be. Hubs are a powerful way for school and trust leaders to come together and address local needs within a national framework, but what they all share is this unwavering commitment to improvement.
Supporting our Senior Partners and Hub Managers in leading their hubs is a top priority for us this year. We are committed to empowering System Leaders as they work to strengthen support for their schools and trusts, tailored to their unique local contexts.
Below are the key areas we are focusing on this year, each aligned with three of our Challenge Partners’ values:
#Innovation
- Excitingly, we are now at the first stages of a new pilot AI project. We have now developed the means to compile QAR summary reports for hubs utilising AI tools. Our plan is to eventually provide actionable insights for all Hub Managers and Seniors Partners that can directly inform Hub Action Planning.
- We intend to expand the hub offer with the Middle Leaders QA Review (MLQAR). We have 13 hubs looking to run the MLQAR this year - so almost doubling the number of hubs who ran it in the first year.
- We will develop better resources to support hub activity and measure impact, for example, putting together comprehensive guides on how to run conferences and Area of Excellence (AoE) best practice events, to enable Hub leaders to have the greatest impact in the most efficient way possible.
#Collaboration
- We intend to strengthen ‘hub-to-hub’ collaboration even further. A great example of this is the partnership between the Herts and Bucks, Aylesbury Vale, and Thames Valley Hubs. Not only do they invite each other’s schools and trusts to their conferences, but they are also working to expand hub-led programmes, such as the Leadership Residency Programme, across the region - creating more opportunities for schools to engage and benefit from these initiatives.
- Two exciting pilots of virtual ‘hub-to-hub’ collaboration have launched this year: the West Shires Hub in the Cotswolds is working virtually with the Compass Hub in London, and the North East Special Hub is collaborating with the East Coast Hub.
#Courageous Leadership
- Supporting System and Hub Leaders to support school and trust leaders within their hub is a priority for us this year. As a practitioner-led organisation, we are establishing a Hub Advisory Group to guide and ensure the impact of this work.
- Additionally, we’ll be exploring a new model for our Hub Manager Network, focusing on how hubs can collaborate more effectively and support one another.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to extend my personal thanks to our Senior Partners and Hub Managers. Your leadership as System Leaders and your efforts to amplify the voices of local leaders in our national discussions are invaluable, especially as we navigate the ongoing changes in the sector. I am incredibly proud to work alongside such inspirational leaders, all looking to achieve excellence - regardless of the challenges posed by the educational and political landscape - together.
Laura Lewis-Williams, Managing Director