As the MAT Excellence Awards approach in June, the Civic partnership of the year award, presented by Optimus Education in partnership with CST, will recognise school trusts working with civic organisations such as the NHS, local authorities and universities to tackle social challenges and enhance education.
A recent article by Dawn Haywood, CEO of Windsor Academy Trust, highlights a system-wide coaching and professional development programme involving 40 schools across trusts, dioceses and local authorities. This initiative, designed to embed metacognition and self-regulation strategies, demonstrates the power of civic collaboration:
‘This was a truly civic model: 40 schools, spanning school trusts, dioceses and local authorities, united by a shared mission and supported by a structured but flexible programme.’
The results include:
- teacher proficiency in metacognitive techniques more than doubling between February 2024 and March 2025.
- the number of schools where more than half of teachers had mastered their chosen technique tripled.
- 70% of school leaders rated the impact on teaching and learning as ‘significantly positive.’
More than just training, this initiative reflects system leadership at scale, with experts like Doug Lemov (Teach Like a Champion) and WAT leaders co-designing and scaling the work through coaching, shared expertise and peer support.
‘After all, system leadership at scale is about working together to move beyond a trust dividend and deliver a civic and system dividend for all children.’ - Dawn Haywood, CEO of Windsor Academy Trust
With the MAT Excellence Awards fast approaching, the Civic partnership of the year award is set to celebrate such impactful initiatives, and this programme stands as a leading example of collaborative school improvement.
