Objectives, strategies and activities

The main objectives during the year were:

• To ensure that every child enjoys the same high quality education in terms of resourcing, tuition and care.
• To raise the standard of educational attainment of all students.
• To continue to improve the effectiveness of the school by keeping the curriculum and organisational structure under continual review.
• To provide value for money for the funds expended.
• To comply with all appropriate statutory and curriculum requirements.
• To maintain close links with business, industry, commerce and higher and further education, and to conduct the School’s business in accordance with the highest standards of integrity, probity and openness.

Amongst other things, the Trust Board will agree to:

• Set the aims and objectives for the school.
• Set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives.
• Set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives.
• Be a source of challenge and support to the Principal.
• Promote high standards of educational achievement.
• Set the school's budget, including numbers of staff and their pay.

The schools’ main strategy is encompassed in its stated aim which is ‘to provide an excellent education for children from the local community in a safe, supportive learning environment, where people are valued and make positive contributions to the school, and where pupils go on to become responsible, independent members of society’.

Key objectives in the school development plan for 2024 - 2025 are:

Quality of Education

• Improve any disparities between outcomes at KS4 and KSS
• Improve attainment/progress of disadvantaged students  (particularly high ability)
• Improve attainment/progress of high ability students
• Ensure that  curriculum provision meets needs of all pupils (particularly EHCP and high risk) 2024/2025 and beyond
• Teaching and learning  CPD in place to improve quality  of education for all students
• New assessment/data/reporting system implemented and reviewed
• To develop the curriculum offer by identifying cross –curricular links (through the work of the leadership team) and put into place processes to support middle leaders to use these effectively. To put into place processes to support middle leaders to develop further highly effective curriculum sequencing within their subjects
• To evaluate the impact of curriculum structures and assessment strategies on the building up of knowledge/skills and longer term memory and retention

Behaviour & Attendance

• Close the PP/non-PP attendance gap further
• Reduce Exclusions (internal and external)
• Ensure The Bridge provides SEND pupils with strategies to improve behaviour in long term

Personal Development

• Clear programme in place to monitor the progress of pupils in terms of the enriched curriculum and personal development
• Careers programme which meets all Gatsby benchmark criteria in place for all years which meets needs of a range  of aspirations post-16 and post-18
• Comprehensive range of experiences  provided to develop pupils talents  and cultural capital beyond the National Curriculum

Leadership and Management

• Trustee Restructure ensuring compliance with DfE
• Three year budget plan in place and benchmarking reviews completed
• Steering groups in place to ensure direction in key areas of the school
• Working with parents
• To ensure the ECT framework is in place and staff training/CPD meets current needs