Vision and Leadership

How we live out this in our Trust – a celebration of excellence

As a Trust we have worked hard to create a deeply Christian vision that is welcoming to call.  We are a distinctively Christian Trust, proud of our Christian vision and seek to live it out in all that we do.  We do lots of this brilliantly and these case studies are an opportunity for us to celebrate what we do and share it with a wider audience.  We have created a clear vision statement with stakeholders across the Trust but it is about more than what is on a piece of paper, it is about how we model this in all that we do.

How we achieved this

Our vision statement as it currently stands was created when the Trust had been in existence for almost three years.  We recognised the need to capture our vision in a concise way that enabled everyone – pupils, staff, parents, carers, governors, trustees and other stakeholders – to be clear about who we are and what we stand for.  We created a clear biblical underpinning for this – ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ – and chose this verse because of the hope and high expectations that it brings to us, whilst recognising that none of us can achieve anything simply in our own strength – we need the help of each other and the help of God.  Having collected views from across the Trust and produced a clear document, our focus since then has been on ensuring that everyone is clear about our vision, that the vision statements of our academies flow from it, and that we find practical ways in which to celebrate and live out that vision.  As we were creating our vision statement, the Church of England produced its own Vision for Education – we are confident that our vision is utterly consistent with the flourishing of children, and the living life to the full that this document seeks to encourage.

The difference that it makes

Our vision affects our leadership at all levels.  Within the DSAT Services Team, we are constantly challenging ourselves to live up to its expectations.  When we work with our Headteachers, we seek to do so in a manner that is utterly consistent with that vision, so that they in turn can model that back with their school communities.  Our Christian vision does not mean that there are not times when we have to have difficult conversations and have to make hard choices.  It is about doing what is right in the longer term for the good of the children in our care and recognising what we can achieve together – we have high expectations and strive for excellence, but we believe this can be realised within our values of love, reconciliation, hope, forgiveness, peace, grace, justice and joy.

“In my professional career as a Headteacher, I have never felt so professionally challenged whilst being, at the same time, so well supported.”

Headteacher

“DSAT enables me to step outside of my own context and experience something different. Stepping out affords me the opportunity to share with purposeful and empowering learning communities who focus on the craft of teaching.”

Academy Improvement Team member

“We are supported and challenged to make a difference to children’s lives. The opportunity to network with colleagues across the diocese is great so we can all learn together.” Teacher

“It is great to be a part of this big family of learners.” Pupil

“Being part of DSAT means we are not just one school – we are connected with others.” Pupil

“DSAT have shown enormous faith in me and encouraged me to thrive in a professional environment. There is a culture of striving for excellence but one that never feels unnecessarily pressuring or uncomfortable. The welfare and prosperity of the children in DSAT really is at the heart.” Teacher