From Struggling to Stellar – Forest’s Journey to Outstanding

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome back to the Wellspring Way. I'm your host, Elizabeth Hudson, and as always I'll be chatting today to an education professional with a great story to tell. My guest today is no stranger to change. She started her teaching career in a comment school before making quite an incredible cultural shift to join what was then Kentry Primary School in Bansley. The school back then had the dubious honour of being the 32nd worst performing primary in the country. In 2013, the school changed its name to the Forest Academy and became the very first school to join a new multi-academy trust called Wellspring, and its journey of transformation began. I'm really pleased to be talking today to the head of the newly rated outstanding Forest Academy, Katie Pearce. Katie, welcome to the Wellspring Way. Thank you very much. So, an interesting kind of career journey. Tell me about the move from teaching in a combat school to then finding yourself in Kendry.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

So I actually came into teaching quite late. It wasn't something I'd done straight from school. I'd had various roles but all involved working with children, so I'm actually a trained nursery nurse, and that was my very first role that I did. And I worked in a private day nursery for a couple of years. Following that, I then became a nanny and I worked for two different families as well. And then I made the move into a teaching assistant within a school, and it's whilst I was working in that school and in that teaching assistant role, I suddenly, you know, really gained this intense passion that actually I want to be a teacher, I want to have my own class, and it's always something that had kind of been there in the back of my mind, but I think it was actually working in school within that role, it kind of gave me the confidence to do that. So I left my job and I went back to Sheffield Hallam University for full-time for three years, held down a part-time job in Harrison's whilst I continued my studies, and then from there I got my first position at an independent school that was housed within a convent, and that was part of Silcoat's Foundation, which is still there in Wakefield. Oh cuts, yes, yeah. So um, that was my first teaching position, and my first class was a reception class with 12 pupils, and I stayed there for six years, and I worked across reception and year two. It was whilst I was into my sixth year that I would just got this taste, I just wanted something more and something different. Um, and obviously, I saw the job come up at what was then Kendry Primary School and applied for the job, had an interview and was successful. Obviously, it was a completely different end of the scale in terms of the location of the school, the size of the school, just like I said, the demographic of the pupils was massively different, but I'll still go back to that first day when I came and looked round. And although the building wasn't the nicest, um, there was just something at that time that felt right actually, and I felt like I wanted to be part of this school as well. Interesting, that kind of full additional pull to something, and actually, it anything it's still there today, but even stronger than it was back then, because obviously a lot has changed, but it still had that pull at that point in time.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

When I I could I know that when I first walked around Forest, there is there is something really special about this school. I mean, there is yeah, there's something special about all Wellspring schools, but particularly at Forest, you feel it quite strongly.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Yes, you do, and I think it's it's ingrained, it's in the walls, it's part and parcel of what we do every single day. Um, and even after you know, we've been now being Wellspring like for 10, you know, for 10 years, and in that time there's been different leadership, you know, staff have come and gone as they naturally do, but that has always remained at the heart of what we're about, actually, that authentic love and care for our children in our community. And I think even visitors who come in from outside of Wellspring always comment on that as well, which I think that just shows how powerful it actually is to get that from other people as well who don't know our story, as it were.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

So, talking talking about your story then, um it's a headline that we don't we don't really want to talk about, but it's kind of really important to the story that 30-second worst-performing primary in the country. How on earth do you take that position and move a school on? Because it's the same demographic, yes, you know, it's the same build, it's had a lot of money spent on it and improvement, but it's it's in the same place. Yes, how do you change that to where it is today, which is recently rated outstanding? And I mean, amazing comments in that report about this school.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Yeah, I mean, thinking back, it you know, there's a a number of things where I think back to that time when we're 32nd was school, you know, it had had years of instability actually in terms of staffing, in terms of leadership. I think it was also built on well, these children won't do well because they're from Kendry, and I think that was kind of the attitude of a you know, of some people, not of all people, but I think it was you know looked upon in that way. Um, but at the heart of that, there was a still a group of people who believed that this school could be something quite magical. Um, and obviously, you know, that started right from when we found out we were going to be a trust, going to join Wells Being Trust, and actually Mark coming and meeting with us all for the first time saying this will be an outstanding school, and we're you know we're 100% behind to make absolutely everything better, and it was from that point I think we could just see that shift straight away, and even though you know things just transform overnight, it was those kind of constant messages and those constant conversations and that constant belief in us as a team that together we can achieve this. And then when Sam Bailey joined, again it was exactly the same there, you know. Um, she came into our building, and instantly, you know, we were all on the same page. We knew that she was passionate about what she wanted to achieve, and we were all right there with her, and we're all prepared to go on that journey with her as well. And I think what we did see as well in those really early stages was just the impact of little changes as well. So it wasn't like huge things at first, it was just small changes, but immediately could start to see the impact and think actually this already feels better. So it's even down to little things like you know, having more um resources in our classrooms, you know, just fresh paint on the walls, you know, nicer furniture in our classrooms, and it felt like we were you know almost given a second chance now. Um, and we all bought in to that as well, and it just kind of lifted the whole atmosphere of the school, it became an atmosphere of real positivity, I think, as well in celebration and reward, and we're doing this, and you know, I think not straying from what we wanted to achieve at any point as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Yeah, it's really it's really interesting because I hear that a lot about those first few actions, and they're often around little things like you say about a lick of pain, yeah. But it's that message that very visual message to people that yeah, this is different and it's going to be better, and we're putting time and we're putting energy into it. And I'm really fascinated by the um because you talked about raising expectations for the children, but it seems that part of it was also raising the expectations of the staff, yeah, and what was possible.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

I no, I agree massively, and I think going back to obviously when I first joined, um, there's still a number of us here today after all that time, and at the time when we thirty second world school, we knew it wasn't right, actually, it wasn't right, you know, and um there was frustrations or things that you know we didn't agree with, and you know, almost we were crying out for wellspring, you know, since actually we were crying out for someone to come in and say, help us with this. Yeah, um, so obviously when Wellspring joined, and then Mark and Sam joined, you know, that was like an answer to our prayers almost because we do often reflect on that. I think what would become of us had we not joined Wellspring actually as well. An interesting question to ask, isn't it? Yeah, um, so I think you know, immediately they were investing in us as people as well, and we talk about you know, rewarding the children, you know, a pattern back, a well done and things, and actually it's the same for adults because we all needed that, and we talk about being the children's champions, but we had them behind being our champions as well. Actually, that these people want to make this school better, and we will support you to now allow you to do that almost, and what is it that you need? Um, so to me, that was really kind of powerful, and having those people supporting us and having our backs as well, you know, realizing the challenges that we were facing and being there to support us and guide us through that as well, and you know, reflecting on it and seeing the impact and thinking this is great stuff, actually, let's keep going, and that kind of spurred you on to the next thing and the next thing and that continuous strive to be better, and that's what we've always lived by actually and continue to do that as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Was there a particular moment where you thought, yeah, this is happening? Yeah, this isn't just words, this school is is is changing in phenomenal ways. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

I mean, there was lots of little things along the way, and one of the things might sound really silly, but it was actually the first year that we were part of Wells Ring and Sam joining, and we received our um phonics screening check scores. I don't know what this needs, but you know, previously we've been 20 at 20% pass rate, a 40% pass rate, and phonics was one of the things we'd really invested in from the start, particularly in early years in key stage one, actually, because our standards were so poor at that point and children weren't able to.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

I'm guessing this is because kids are coming to school and they've they've never really held a book or anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

No, yeah, and because we've not had a consistent approach to teaching phonics within school at that time, um, and obviously, you know, if the children can't read, then it's really difficult for them to access any area of the curriculum, yeah, and the non-con effect of that is massive as well. So I can remember even standing on the playground and actually waiting for that pass rate to come through, and it came through at 32, and I thought we've got 80%, we've 80% pass rate in our year, and it was just that consolidation around we've done incredible this year, amazing things are happening, and even um like working alongside um Natalie in year two in that first year with things we were putting in place, just the rate of progress that we were seeing in children across you know our classes, but not just that, but across school as well. And I think it was I couldn't pinpoint to one thing, but it was just little bits all coming together. You think actually these children can do these things, we're raising the bar, but they're meeting us there as well, yeah. Actually, and I think that was kind of really powerful for me in terms of that first year seeing that progress, that attainment just rising and thinking this is you know, this is really happening, and we're in this third long term, and all we can do now is continue to build on this and ensure that this is the only way we do it going forwards as well. So I think that was kind of my moment, I feel.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Yeah, yeah, and yeah, yeah, not that long really.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

No, no, it wasn't, and I think that was also the things where we saw change very quickly. Um, and like going back to what I said before, yeah, there were changes in the building in terms of the resources that we were being giving, um, you know, the ICT facilities, there was you know a lot of investment in that as well. We were able to teach effectively in our classrooms as well, so therefore, you know, as class teachers comes great satisfaction with that and great pride, actually, because you do feel like you're being effective as a class teacher, and then you're reaping the benefits from that, and so are the children as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

Yeah, it's um it's one hell of a story, but it can't have been all plain sailing, there must have been challenges along the way. What have been what have been the challenges around driving change? Do you think?

SPEAKER_00 11:53

I think, in terms of kind of at the start for myself, I would say it's because we've had two years of instability and potentially questioning, actually. Because with 32nd comes worse school comes that badge of, well, you must be a really poor staff team. So, with that becomes this um kind of pressure on yourself as well, and this desire to prove yourself that you know we are fantastic, we really genuinely care about these children. Um, and like you would do for children in class, you know, providing that scaffolding, providing that support so that they can reach the potential. That was the same for us as a team because there wasn't that in place for us. So I think in those early days, I think a huge thing for me was that belief that you know you are um worthy of staying here and you can do this. People believe in you. So I think that was a huge thing for myself. Actually, having somebody saying, No, you you know, you can do it, and it's all the pat on the backs and well done for the little things and kind of improved over, you know. I built on that over time to get to a point where you think, no, this is good, yeah, this is good practice, and but that takes time, and there's those questions of well, you doubt yourself, or you know, there is bumps in the road along the way, and things haven't worked like quite worked out as you wanted it to, but I did feel that you were never alone in that, and that's one thing I would say, even thing things went slightly awry. You were a team to deal with it, where previously you hadn't been, it was you. So I think that was kind of a huge thing for me as well.

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Yeah, I wonder if part of the forest magic then is perhaps this kind of like synergy and mutual understanding between the staff and the kids because some of the challenges that the kids have faced or face when they joined school are similar to some of the challenges that the staff team faced.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Yes, yeah, I would say that because I think I was speaking from my you know personal experience, it was that because there wasn't anybody behind us supporting us as a staff team. Um and then you know, naturally, as with children, that knocks your self-esteem, that knocks your confidence as a professional, um, and you really question your ability to do the job at times, um but you know, then completely flipping it on its head and having that positive, supportive approach, and then quickly you get you know, suddenly, oh yeah, we can do this, and it creates that kind of team atmosphere where suddenly you're spotting other people doing great things, and then it just lifts the mood in the building. It's really hard, yeah. It just kind of lifts everybody in the building, yeah, actually, and those that feedback, you know, from however small it might be, but a small success or a small achievement becomes huge, and that's kind of how it's operated on over the years. You know, one success leads to another, and continue to build on that year after year after year.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Um you get to where we are today. Yes, yes, 10 years of building gets you to where we are today. Yes, yeah. Talking about the team, you've mentioned the team a lot. We had that wonderful celebration event recently. Um, celebrating 10 years of forest, and you could feel in that room the camaraderie, the friendship, the love between staff members, past and present of Forest. Um, what's it like having that as a as a way of working? Because I don't think um not everywhere does, does it really?

SPEAKER_00 15:21

No, and I do feel really lucky and really privileged to work, you know, and lead this team as well. Um, you know, from starting here 12 years ago, and there was great people, you know, at that time as well, um, and going on that journey with those people, and obviously people have joined along the way as well, but we've always had that kind of shared vision that we want to be the absolute best for our children because they deserve the absolute best, and you know, we we have those positive relationships with our children, you know, we love them unconditionally, every day is a fresh start. Um, but actually, the way we treat one another is exactly the same as well. Um, and over time, you know, there may be things going on in your own personal life challenges there, but actually, you come into work and you feel really supported. And I know somebody mentioned it in their speech about it was there a safe space as well, and we've talked to that about being for children, but actually for staff as well, it's that stability, and you know you have that support of a staff team because in a school like Forest, where you know some days and sometimes have very challenges, it's really important that you have that as well. Um, and I think you know, having a sense of humour in this school is an absolute must, and that's something you can do. Well, we definitely have and it is, and you know, there's never a day that goes by where somebody's not laughing and smiling. And I think people generally feel really proud to work here because I think going back 12 years ago, we were often the school in the area that nobody wants to send their child to. We were the groups of people that had to go and look at other schools to see what they were doing, but you couldn't just transfer it, it wasn't as simple as go and look at what they're doing now, bring it all back and make it happen in your school because there's a number of reasons that would never have worked. But I think now you know people have come to us to see what we're doing as well, and there's just that real shared kind of pride in what we've achieved. Um, and yeah, like people said, they've made friends for life, you know, a lot of people have been through an awful lot together during their time, you know, highs and lows at this school. And I do feel really blessed to kind of work in such a strong, you know, a really strong team who are always striving for the next thing, you know. There's been so many people who have had incredible career progression, including myself, whilst being at this school. So people who started apprentices and then um become like you know, office managers, family liers on people who've started as um teaching assistants who've then gone into teaching or teachers into assistant head positions both in our school and others as well. So there's been all of that as a point of celebration as well. Um and I think you know, we generally care having that care about the staff team as well because you know, you need just have to be happy, you want them to be able to come to work, you want them to feel supported whilst they do as well.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

We know teaching's an amazing job, but it's very, very hard on you emotionally at times, and you you need that support around you, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 18:20

And people talk about a forest family, and it really is, and that's a word we often use. We talk about ourselves as being foresters, and it's part of a forest family. Um and we are, you know, we really know these children well and their families well. And I think what is also really lovely in this school is that people don't just say, Well, that's not my role. We're all here, you know, the office staff have to get involved in things. You know, everybody's there always to lend a hand as well, which is you know, which is just wonderful because again, I don't think that happens everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

No, no, people stay in, you know, well, it's not my job, and that kind of thing is yes, yeah. Um now we know offstead, it's it's one measure of a score. Um, but I can't not ask you about the day that you found out about that result. What was it like in here when that when that call went and you found out that you'd got outstanding?

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Yes, yeah. I think um for me, obviously, we'd had the kind of first day and it was very intense, it wasn't there's a lot of questions being asked. Um and the second day, by the time we get into the afternoon, you know how do you think we're doing? And I can remember going into the feedback with Sam and Dave, um and I wasn't sure how they would give the feedback, so they just started going through the good criteria and said let's move into the outstanding, and they taught through the quality of education first, and then so we said it's outstanding, and I did tear up and I was really quite emotional at that because I thought that's incredible actually to hear those words, and almost at that point I thought, if we've got outstanding in quality of education because it's such a big measure, I think we might have this, and then they just continue to say the most wonderful, you know, beautiful things about our school, actually, and then just to sit there and listen to other people who you know they've only been in two days. I get that, you know, it's a snapshot in time, isn't it? But they understood us, I think was the key, and actually they saw what lies at the heart of this school, which is that you know, actual love and care for our children, um, and that unrelenting drive to always ensure that we provide the best for them and have those high expectations, and we never give up on them, however tough these days are, um, and how over years we've just continued to get better and better and better. And you know, that's not just our school, it's actually the partnership that we've worked in as well, and how we've all worked together as a partnership of five schools has been incredible, and as you know, as a collective group, the things that we've done, particularly around curriculum, you know, have raised aspirations not just in our school but in all five as well, which has been really powerful. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

When we talk about that five that partnership of those three schools in Barnsley and two schools in Leeds, you know, in terms of demographics, the impact of getting early education right for those kids, yes, well, that'll just pay dividends for decades and decades, won't it?

SPEAKER_00 21:17

It will do, and I think um staff have seen the real power of that as well. But you know, we've invested a lot of time in the development of the staff, the CPD of the staff, staffing time to you know look at the curriculum, and then the feedback from the staff when they're teaching it now, and the feedback from the children, actually, again in our offset, how they were able to articulate their learning and talk about their learning, is something that I'll forever be proud of, and it almost really shocked me. And not that I'd thought they couldn't, but I think the level at which they spoke about their learning and how they could articulate their learning and how they could just articulate the school itself and what it's all about again was absolutely incredible, and that's something I'll never forget. Because they just knew our school inside out, and that's not easy to achieve because the staff can say, but the the triangulation of the also the children say it as well was just marvellous, actually.

SPEAKER_01 22:11

Big corporates could learn a lot about kind of sharing cultural values pretty lot, couldn't they?

SPEAKER_00 22:16

Yeah, I think you know the children understood that as well and weren't able to talk about that. So everything the staff were saying, and you know, as leaders were saying, and then the children were saying was exactly the same. Um but that's been through years of you know, I think being consistent and sticking to what we know is right.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

And because it's real, yes, yes you know, it's if you actually live it and breathe it, you can't help but take it in, can you?

SPEAKER_00 22:39

No, it is, and it is that it's you know, this is what we're about every single day, and yeah, you know, you don't walk into forest and it's everything is 100% perfect, and it you know, we are you know, we do have those wobbly days, but what never shifts is kind of our love and care for the children and actually our support of each other as a staff team as well. Yeah, yeah. So, what next? What next for Forest? Um, I think in terms of moving forwards now, obviously, you know, we've had a few months of you know, there's been some bit of a tension around the school, actually, as there would be, and you know, we've had many opportunities to kind of share the story, and people have wanted to hear it, and we never kind of tire of sharing you know the forest story as well. I think you know, for us now it's continuing to just build on things, you know. We've a lot embedded, a lot in place in our school, but there's always that other little bit that we want to achieve, or whether something else we'd like to try next year, and we're in a really strong position where we almost have potentially some freedom to do that a little bit as well, yeah. Um, but you know, there's always new kind of experiences we want our children to have. We're always continuing to strive to look at that actually for our pupils in terms of what other experiences can we provide for them. Um, our curriculum is fantastic. What wider opportunities now are we looking at as well for them to get involved? Because we're really passionate about ensuring that our children have just as much right to these experiences, other children in a leafy laying school, and why shouldn't they?

SPEAKER_01 24:07

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

Um, yeah, just keeping on doing you know the fabulous work that we do, really.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

We'll all be watching closely and um and cheering you on. Um, I want to move on to your own school days now in our quick fry around, get a little bit of an insight into uh what Katie's school days were like. Um history or geography.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

Oh uh I would probably say I wanted to do history, but actually nobody else wanted to do that for their mock exam, so I ended up having to do geography, which I just scraped for seeing, so I think I probably but actually probably interesting interesting wise, I would probably go history.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

Um school sports day or summer fair? Summer fair, definitely. Not sporting on absolutely not a sport, no. Um sixth form college or school sixth form? Um college, college, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

What was that? Was that kind of so I never did it, I didn't do ear levels, I went straight into doing my diploma for nursery nursing. So I guess it's a different route, I would tell you.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

Yeah, um, musical drama?

SPEAKER_00 25:12

Oh music.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

Do you play anything? No, but you're you just like that. Yes, we have seen the ABBA video, so yes, yeah, yeah. That crosses both. That's drama, drama, ramp. If you would say it was drama. Um, parents' evening, were they a time to shine, or did you make yourself scarce?

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Um I'd say it was time to shine. I look back at because I have all my previous school reports, and when I look back at those, always the comments were Katie needs to contribute more in class discussions. And I was, you know, I was very quiet at school, and to some extent that is. You know, now actually in this role as well. Um, but yeah, it was the same comment. Speaker more.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

Um, exams or coursework?

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Ooh, I'd probably say coursework.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yeah, more time to kind of think about it.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

Yeah, I think actually um going through doing kind of my diploma and then going back to university for three years when it was more heavily coursework at that time and more assignments and then dissertations, and um yeah, I felt like that was more me than this exam.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

Yeah, yeah. I mean, gosh, kids are sitting there GCCs now, aren't they, and stuff? And it's yeah, yeah. We've got friends sitting there, it's such a stressful, horrible time. Um right now, finally, my last question that we like to ask all the guests that come on if I gave you a magic wand and you could change absolutely anything you wanted about the education system to make it better, what would you do?

SPEAKER_00 26:59

Um I mean, I think given where we're at now and actually seeing the impact of it, I think you know, if there was endless pots of money for the support services, external support services for these children, you know, I think that's having a huge impact on individuals for school, and we've seen that more and more and more. I think you know, being able to have a wide range of plethora of services that we could draw on and the right professionals there to support actually to get the very best for these children.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

So we're talking about things like perhaps mental health services about families.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

You know, Cindy's a big one at the moment. So actually, you know, if money was no object and that was you had just somebody there as and when you needed them, I think you know, you would be incredible because you do see the impact of that not being there. Um, and sadly, you know, you can see the long-term impact as well, and I feel that that's only getting worse, as many other professionals would probably say exactly the same thing. Um, and I also my other probably side of that would be I think NS5 money for teacher support staff in terms of just wage because I do think it's a really underpaid role for the incredible job that they do.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Absolutely, teaching assistants are essential, aren't they?

SPEAKER_00 28:14

They do, and actually, I've been both sides of that, having been with myself and this, and they are they do, you know, an incredible role, and I may be very biased, but the staff you have here for us, you know, they're incredible at what they do, and maybe skilled, so I think you know, again that would be something I think yeah, recognising more, but it's money.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

It's unfortunately, and people go into it because they love it and it's evaluation, so yeah, they can rely on there being that pool of people wanting to do it, even which is yes, yeah, unfair in all kinds of ways. Yes, yeah. Um, that's been brilliant. It's so lovely to talk to you about Forest, it's such a special place, it really is. That's it for this episode. Um, I hope you can join us next time when we'll be talking to Sam Bailey as she heads off for retirement about her long career in teaching. Hope you can join us then.