Assessment Network: Strengthening Practice, Supporting Progress
The Assessment Network sits at the heart of our Trust-wide approach to ensuring that every child’s progress is recognised, celebrated, and supported through accurate, meaningful assessment. Led by experienced senior leaders, this network brings together colleagues from across our schools to work collaboratively on getting assessment right—for pupils, for teachers, and for outcomes.
At its core, the network exists to ensure that all schools within the Trust are meeting key statutory requirements with confidence and clarity. From end-of-key-stage assessments to teacher frameworks and reporting procedures, the group keeps everyone up-to-date, aligned, and well-prepared.
But it goes far beyond compliance.
This is a space where professional dialogue thrives—where teachers and leaders share what works, unpick challenges, and reflect on the role of assessment in driving high-quality teaching and learning. A key strand of the network’s work is to build confidence and consistency in teacher judgements, ensuring that assessments are not only accurate, but also fair, informed, and rooted in deep understanding.
Central to this is our commitment to Trust-wide moderation. Regular opportunities for teachers to come together, review pupil work, and discuss judgements help ensure reliability and equity across all settings. These sessions are not just about checking boxes—they’re rich, developmental experiences that promote shared standards, encourage reflective practice, and support continuous professional growth.
By investing in the upskilling of all teaching staff, the network helps to embed a culture where assessment is seen as a powerful tool—not a task. Whether it’s fine-tuning formative strategies or preparing for summative benchmarks, our collective goal is clear: to ensure assessment enhances learning, supports progress, and provides meaningful insight for every learner.
In short, the Assessment Network is more than a working group—it’s a professional learning community, driven by collaboration, curiosity, and a shared commitment to excellence.
Curriculum Design: A Shared Vision for Rich, Rigorous Learning
Across our Trust, we are proud to deliver a carefully crafted, knowledge-rich curriculum—one that is ambitious, inclusive, and designed to empower every pupil with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.
This work is championed by our experienced Trust Lead Practitioner, who plays a central role in guiding curriculum thinking and supporting schools in its effective implementation. With their leadership, our curriculum design is not just consistent and coherent, but continually evolving, shaped by both research and real classroom experience.
At the core of our approach is a deep commitment to both substantive and disciplinary knowledge—what we call the “know thats” and the “know hows.”
· The “know thats” represent the substantive knowledge—the essential facts, concepts and ideas that pupils need to understand the world around them.
· The “know hows” refer to the disciplinary knowledge—the methods and approaches specific to each subject, helping pupils learn how to think and behave like subject specialists, whether that’s as historians, scientists, or artists.
This dual focus ensures our curriculum goes beyond surface learning—it’s deep, meaningful, and allows pupils to make connections across their learning journey.
One shining example of this in action is our Subject Leader Art Network, which is led by a professional artist who co-designed our Art curriculum alongside our teachers. This network brings subject leaders together to engage in rich professional dialogue, share classroom practice, and shape the ongoing development of the Art curriculum. The artist’s role is not only to guide and inspire, but to refine the curriculum based on teacher feedback, ensuring it remains responsive, authentic, and firmly rooted in both creative integrity and educational impact.
Across all subjects, our curriculum work is collaborative by design. Subject networks, planning sessions, and continuous professional development create a thriving community of practice. With leadership from subject experts and classroom practitioners alike, we ensure that our curriculum is rigorous, relevant, and reflective of our shared values.
In short, curriculum design in our Trust is a shared endeavour—led with vision, shaped by expertise, and enriched by collaboration. It’s how we bring learning to life, and how we make sure every child has the opportunity to build powerful knowledge and the confidence to use it well.
