The Trust, managing only three schools, faced a challenge common to smaller educational organisations—how to expand and scale effectively. The leadership team recognised that for the Trust to grow, it would need to prove its capacity to handle additional schools while maintaining or improving the quality of education and support it currently provides.

The Trust’s key challenge was demonstrating to the Regional Director that it had the necessary systems, infrastructure, and internal capacity in place to expand. This required an external evaluation against the Trust Descriptors, a set of standards used to assess the readiness of trusts to take on new schools.

Why the Trust Sought Support from EPM:

To address this challenge, the Trust sought external support from EPM. The reasons for this decision included:

• Expertise in Readiness Assessments: EPM offered a “Readiness to Grow” report based on seven key pillars that closely aligned with the five pillars outlined in the Trust Descriptors.
• Objective and Unbiased Evaluation: The Trust wanted an external, impartial assessment of its readiness to scale. EPM’s expertise would provide us with an unbiased evaluation, offering credibility and assurance to the Regional Director that growth was both feasible and manageable.

How we helped

The Trust purchased EPM’s “Readiness to Grow” package, which provided a comprehensive external evaluation of its capacity for growth.

Support Put in Place:

To assess the Trust’s readiness for expansion, EPM implemented the following steps:

1. Desktop Review of Documents: EPM conducted a thorough review of the documents provided by the Trust, such as governance structures, financial reports, strategic plans, and operational policies.
2. Review of Publicly Available Information: EPM analysed additional publicly available data, including the Trust’s website, financial accounts, and any relevant public reports or performance data.
3. Interviews with Key Staff: EPM conducted interviews with leadership and staff members to understand the internal culture, staff capabilities, and overall readiness for scaling.

The Solution Provided:

EPM provided a comprehensive “Readiness to Grow” report that was structured to meet the Trust’s specific needs for growth and scalability. The report included:

• Background to the Review: A detailed explanation of the process and objectives of the assessment.
• Summary of Findings: A high-level overview of the Trust’s readiness to grow based on the review of the seven key pillars.
• Key Findings: An analysis of the Trust’s current state, highlighting strengths and areas that needed improvement.
• RAG-Rated Recommendations: Each of the seven pillars was evaluated and given a red, amber, or green (RAG) rating to indicate the level of readiness in each area. The seven pillars included:
  1. Vision, Culture & Ethos: Assessment of the Trust’s long-term vision, its alignment with values, and the culture within the schools.
  2. People and Partners: Evaluation of human resources, staff capabilities, recruitment strategies, and the Trust’s partnerships with other educational organisations.
  3. Teaching & Learning: Review of the quality of teaching practices and student outcomes, alongside the capacity to maintain high standards as the Trust expands.
  4. Curriculum & Assessment: Analysis of the curriculum frameworks, assessment methods, and how they can support the Trust’s growth across multiple schools.
  5. Quality Assurance & Accountability: Review of existing accountability frameworks, including governance structures, performance reviews, and the mechanisms in place for monitoring educational quality.
  6. Governance & Capability: An assessment of the governance structures, leadership capacity, and decision-making processes within the Trust.
  7. Resource Management: Evaluation of the financial health, resource allocation, and the capacity to manage growth in terms of finances, infrastructure, and personnel.

The Results

With the “Readiness to Grow” report in hand, the Trust now had a comprehensive, externally validated evaluation of its strengths and areas for improvement. The RAG ratings helped clearly identify which areas were ready for expansion and which needed further development before the Trust could scale effectively.

Key Outcomes:

• The Trust received a clear roadmap for growth, including prioritised recommendations for strengthening specific areas such as governance, resource management, and quality assurance.
• EPM’s independent assessment gave the Trust the confidence it needed to approach the Regional Director with a robust case for expansion.
• The Trust was able to use the findings to build a targeted action plan for addressing gaps, ensuring that when new schools were added, the quality of education and leadership would remain high.

Working in Partnership with EPM:

The Trust found the partnership with EPM to be highly productive and effective.

• Collaborative Approach: EPM worked closely with the Trust throughout the process, providing regular updates and maintaining open lines of communication. This collaborative approach ensured that the Trust’s needs were fully understood and that the assessment process was smooth and efficient.
• Professionalism and Expertise: EPM demonstrated professionalism and deep expertise throughout the engagement. The Trust valued the insight and strategic guidance provided by EPM’s experienced team, including the former Regional Schools Commissioner who helped oversee the review.

Conclusion:

EPM’s support played a pivotal role in enabling the Trust to assess its readiness for growth. The thorough, independent review and actionable recommendations provided by EPM equipped the Trust with a clear plan for expanding its operations and taking on new schools. Without EPM’s involvement, the Trust may have struggled with the logistics and expertise required for such an important evaluation, and the growth strategy might not have been as well-supported.

The partnership with EPM proved to be highly productive, and the Trust now has a strong foundation and roadmap for its future growth.