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High quality school leadership advice, tailored to individual needs

  • Multi-academy trusts 

  • School improvement

  • CEO and headteacher performance management

  • Free schools

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About us

Andrew Lagden is an experienced independent education consultant, supporting many national organisations, trusts, individual schools and local authorities, with a very successful track record of securing significant improvement.

Andrew was a school inspector, working on behalf of Ofsted contractors, for 17 years. He currently works as a school improvement consultant for trusts and schools in both primary and secondary phases as well as for Manchester City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Additionally, he also works as an external CEO and headteacher performance management adviser for trusts and governing bodies.

Andrew has also provided significant support for the development of trusts and free schools, including as a consultant for the Confederation of School Trusts and other national organisations, particularly in view of the DfE’s expectation that all schools should join a strong trust, or have plans to join or form one, by 2030.

Additionally, he has delivered national leadership conferences and courses, in a wide range of areas including recently on the development of trusts, school improvement and the current Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF) on behalf of high-profile education organisations.

Services

High quality support is provided in four key areas, including for the development of multi-academy trusts, particularly for forming, growing and joining trusts, as well as for reviewing their performance.  Additionally, there is support for school quality assurance, self-evaluation and improvement planning processes together with regular school improvement partner reviews.

Excellent advice is provided for trustees and governors completing CEO and headteacher performance management, ensuring clear evidence of progress towards existing targets and realistic new objectives.  Free schools are supported in both the pre- and post-opening phases, including developing detailed business cases and applications.

Multi-academy trusts

  • All schools expected to be in strong trusts, or have plans to join or form one, by 2030
  • The current options for maintained schools and single academy trusts
  • How existing trusts can grow in size, including through mergers with other trusts
  • Developing growth strategies and plans
  • Identifying potential partner trusts and schools
  • Making an application to the DfE trust capacity fund
  • Developing trust partnership agreements with schools
  • Due diligence on behalf of trusts and schools
  • Reviewing trust performance
  • Trust quality descriptors and trust development statements
  • Evaluating the impact of trust improvement and growth plans

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School improvement

  • Based on the current Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF)
  • Support for schools in all Ofsted categories
  • Regular school improvement partner support
  • Quality assurance of the main Ofsted school aspects
  • Developing monitoring and self-evaluation processes
  • Writing robust self-evaluation summaries and improvement plans
  • Leadership development, including reviews of senior and middle leadership
  • Supporting governors with the recruitment of headteachers
  • Governance and pupil premium reviews

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CEO and headteacher performance management

  • External adviser in primary, secondary, special and alternative provision phases
  • Full involvement of trustees, governors and CEO or headteacher
  • Support for preparing all documents
  • Evidence of progress towards existing objectives
  • Writing realistic new objectives with suggested performance indicators
  • Annual and mid-year reviews of performance

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Free schools

  • Developing strong applications for free schools in the primary, secondary, sixth form, alternative provision and special phases
  • Developing University Technology Colleges (UTCs) and mathematics schools
  • Pre-opening, developing the education brief and other plans and policies
  • Preparation for the pre-opening Ofsted inspection
  • Post-opening, reviews of performance based on the current Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF)
  • Developing the business case for making changes to academies, free schools and UTCs

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Testimonials

"Very thought provoking and independent."

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Testimonials

"He has been able to ask difficult questions in a supportive and constructive way and has both coached and mentored staff to effective solutions."

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Testimonials

"He is an incisive, analytical, objective and challenging consultant who is able to see the larger picture whilst maintaining a good contextual grasp."

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Testimonials

"The school has clearly benefitted at a strategic level from his input."

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Testimonials

"A clear understanding of the subject which was transmitted very clearly."

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Testimonials

"The consultant displayed a real desire to work with the school in partnership to improve outcomes for all students"

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Testimonials

"He is prepared to both challenge and support school leaders in a manner that is constructive and very positive"

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Testimonials

"He has the wisdom and diplomacy to deal with all the issues discussed with us and I feel confident in taking his advice"

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Testimonials

"The SLT and the chair said it was challenging but very well facilitated and that they learned so much from the experience that will support their development as school leaders"

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