In February 2010 Saxon’s leadership and management achieved an Outstanding judgement at Ofsted and began to support vulnerable schools both locally and further afield. In doing so, Saxon’s team were drawing on their own experience of taking Saxon from a school in Special Measures (2007) to a school in such a position of strength that it gained sponsorship status from the DfE in June 2013 and was designated a National Support School by the National College for Teaching & Leadership in September 2013. Our support for other schools is enhanced by the experience and skills of a number of our team; we have 9 accredited Specialist Leaders of Education on the teaching team and our Executive Principal, Mrs. Mary Ellen McCarthy is a National Leader of Education and a serving Ofsted inspector.

We believe education is the 'engine room' to a strong economy. Schools are therefore duty-bound to do all they can to enable their pupils to acquire a relevant and rounded repertoire of skills which enables them to grow into happy, fulfilled adults who can enjoy real choice regarding how they live their lives and who understand their responsibility in terms of supporting the wider community.

We understand primary schools are the beginning of this journey and so we have a particular part to play in securing these positive outcomes.

Our Overarching Strategy

• Talent spotting in staff at all levels, supported by a wide range of development opportunities
• Identifying capacity in all aspects of the community; where are the community's strengths? How can we use them to achieve our goals for our children?
• Clear lines of accountability
• Clear and candid communication; credit where it is due and holding to account where necessary
• Relentless focus on the best possible outcomes for the children
  

Darley Dene Primary School

The Echelford Primary School

Riverbridge Primary School

Saxon Primary School

Walton Oak School

We are unashamedly ambitious, not only for our children but also for all of our staff. We believe that from the moment teachers begin their NQT year they are leaders; they are leading the learning in their classrooms and the other adults who are there in a supporting role. We actively search out opportunities to develop our teachers' skills in three main areas:

• strengthening their own classroom provision
• leading whole school developments
• supporting other practitioners' provision

When recruiting we look for candidates with strong academic backgrounds + a well-rounded range of interests who understand that teaching is a cerebral activity which requires critical thinking, reflection and resilience to secure the best outcomes for children in the widest possible context. In essence, we want colleagues whose skill-set gives them a choice of employment but who want to be teachers because they believe they have a part to play in securing our future generation's life chances.