The Pinnacle Learning Trust

The Pinnacle Learning Trust, located in Oldham, consists of four academies, with an additional primary academy joining soon. The trust serves around 4,500 pupils and employs approximately 550 staff.

Oldham Sixth Form College

Oldham Sixth Form College, the trust’s largest academy, has 2,300 pupils and over 200 staff. The College was a founding member of the Pinnacle Learning Trust. Jayne Clarke progressed from Principal of the College to CEO of the trust, integrating the College’s leadership ethos into the trust.

Key contributor: Pamela McIlroy (COO)

Leadership structures and styles

Leadership structure: a distributed model

Pinnacle Learning Trust’s leadership structure is characterised by a distributed leadership style, ensuring broad representation and active involvement across its various academies. The trust Executive team, including the CEO, COO, CFO, Professional Development Director, Lead Governance Professional and Principals, is instrumental in defining the trust’s mission and values.

Centralised services such as HR and finance form a backbone of support for the academies and grew out of the central services at Oldham Sixth Form College. Staff from these teams are regularly present in the academies, particularly the HR team, to maintain visibility and approachability. Cross-trust groups, such as a safeguarding group, work to maintain a consistent approach across all academies. Additionally, a staff engagement group focuses on social and wellbeing activities. This group helps staff feel a sense of belonging to the wider trust, not just their individual academy.

Within this framework, at Oldham Sixth Form College, leadership groups, including curriculum leaders, meet regularly and provide essential feedback to the College Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Support staff managers also have a direct channel to the SLT. This inclusive approach ensures that every area within the College is linked to the SLT, fostering a culture of representation and inclusivity.

The leadership style: accessible and integrated

Pinnacle Learning Trust adopts an open and accessible leadership style devoid of any “ivory tower” mentality. COO Pamela McIlroy highlights that “Senior leaders have an open door policy, so any member of staff can speak to a member of the senior leadership team if they want to.”

Acknowledging the distinctiveness of each academy, the Pinnacle Learning Trust embraces a leadership style that allows considerable autonomy. Principals are empowered to guide their academies according to their individual contexts while aligning with the trust’s shared vision. This approach highlights the balance between individual academy needs and the collective goals of the trust.

Part of the trust’s vision, “Develop outstanding leadership at all levels,” reflects its belief in the transformative impact of leadership on workplace experiences. Substantial investments have been made in internal leadership training programmes. Internal specialised training for support staff managers and teachers is tailored to ensure that staff develop a sense of leadership at every level, be it as a leader of a team or as a leader in their classroom. These training sessions have led to positive evaluations, career progression, and internal staff retention and promotion.

The transition of Jayne Clarke from principal of Oldham Sixth Form College to CEO exemplifies the trust’s approach to leadership development. This gradual transition away from the College Principal role, involving the development and promotion of Suzannah Reeves from Vice Principal to Principal, illustrates the trust’s commitment to nurturing leadership internally. The emphasis on a slow transition process allowed for a seamless change in leadership, benefiting both staff and new leaders. Furthermore, the trust encourages leaders to pursue national qualifications and recognises the leadership role inherent in teaching positions. The Professional Development Lead plays a key role in coordinating with academy leads to ensure staff access to these training opportunities, with a focus on identifying and nurturing potential leaders.

Culture: a family feel

Since the CEO previously worked as principal of Oldham Sixth Form College, the College has had a significant impact on the development of the trust culture. Central to the leadership philosophy is the development of a family-like culture aimed at both pupils and staff. At Oldham Sixth Form College, this philosophy is evident in practices such as pupils addressing staff by their first names. Such a practice highlights a leadership ethos that values closeness and teamwork.

Responsiveness is a key feature that is part of the culture within the trust. Addressing individual concerns is balanced with the implications for the wider community. When the trust cannot be responsive to a specific request, this is communicated transparently, reinforcing trust and understanding among staff and stakeholders.

Specific leadership practices and the impact

Being on the same page

The impact of Pinnacle Learning Trust’s distributed leadership is particularly evident in its approach to communication. Reflecting on the trust’s high leadership scores, Pamela McIlroy, COO, is very straightforward: “You can be doing wonderful things, but if you are not communicating that to your staff, then none of you are on the same page.” The trust Executive Team’s bi-weekly meetings, which include communications to and from the principals and the CEO’s involvement in meetings at different academies, reinforce this inclusive communication structure. Cross-trust groups, such as the safeguarding and staff engagement groups, further consolidate this approach by ensuring consistency and fostering a sense of belonging across the trust.

At Oldham Sixth Form College, the implementation of a shared calendar at the start of the academic year exemplifies the Senior Leaders’ approach to clear communication. It outlines key dates and commitments, enabling staff to plan ahead and avoid last-minute surprises. This foresight not only aids in workload management but also ensures that significant tasks, like pupil reports and performance management, do not overlap, thereby reducing unnecessary stress.

Regular meetings of leadership groups, including curriculum leaders, allow for a two-way flow of information between the College’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and staff at various levels. This setup ensures that every area within the College has a voice that reaches the SLT, fostering a sense of representation and inclusivity.

A chocolate bar

At Oldham Sixth Form College, Principal Suzannah Reeves gives each staff member a bar of chocolate on their birthday. This gesture, while seemingly small, holds significant value. As the COO Pamela McIlroy explains, “It is not chocolate that is really important. It is a little thing for the individual, but it is a big commitment for the principal with over 200 staff.” More importantly, this gesture provides an opportunity for staff to have a personal interaction with the principal, enhancing their sense of being special and recognised. This practice also takes place at other academies in the trust.

Challenges and solutions

Challenge: addressing staff needs

Trust and school leaders at Pinnacle Learning Trust have to deal with staff needs just like leaders in any other organisation. These needs can range from requests for better scheduling to HR-related needs and other day-to-day issues.

Solution: proactive engagement

Trust leaders at Pinnacle Learning Trust focus on promptly addressing small issues pointed out by staff to prevent them from escalating. For instance, regular meetings with school/college union representatives help pinpoint minor staff concerns, such as dissatisfaction with event scheduling. These discussions are instrumental in adapting policies to staff needs. The trust’s relationship with unions, initially cautious due to uncertainty about how academisation might affect conditions for staff, has improved over time through consistent engagement and a commitment to stakeholders’ voices. The trust’s mentality of responsiveness is key, but it is coupled with prudence. As the COO Pamela McIlroy puts it, “If we respond to one person’s concern, what are going to be the implications for other people?” Even when the trust cannot address a particular request, the trust’s transparency in communication is appreciated, establishing trust in its leadership.

Practical advice to leaders

Embrace open communication

In advocating for a culture of open communication, the COO of Pinnacle Learning Trust, Pamela McIlroy, stresses the significance of listening. For her, listening is about more than just hearing staff out but, where possible, adopting their suggestions and, if not, explaining why it cannot be done. This approach ensures that people feel like they have a voice in the organisation. Such a practice of two-way communication, from leadership to staff and vice versa, is fundamental in making people feel that they are actively contributing to the organisation’s success.

Leadership are one team with staff

Pamela advises seeing leadership as part of the staff body, not as a separate entity. Leaders should be approachable, “people you would talk to in the staff kitchen,” fostering an environment where everyone feels free to approach them. This philosophy extends to avoiding differentiation between roles, such as teachers and support staff. The aim is to create a “whole staff feeling” that transcends role boundaries, ensuring no one feels superior or inferior within the team.

Be considerate with policy implementation

Pamela emphasises the importance of considering the workforce when implementing new policies or practices. Leaders should reflect on how these changes will affect staff, asking, “Are we introducing a new practice that feels like a good idea but will add extra hours per week for staff to deliver?” Fairness in applying policies is also essential; all staff need to feel that, however the policy applies to them, they will be treated fairly and compassionately. This perspective ensures that leaders make decisions with an understanding of the practical impact on the people within the organisation.