Your team operating at its best to achieve school improvement goals
As a strategic partner, I collaborate with headteachers and senior leadership teams to navigate the challenges of school improvement with a golden thread of 'helping leaders to operate at their best'. Through sharing knowledge, support for strategic planning, leadership coaching, and solution-focused consultancy, I help schools move confidently toward excellence, empowering leaders to achieve their goals and vision. I work with schools that are already operating from a position of strength, and those needing rapid improvement. By working with leaders at different levels in school, from phase leaders to headteachers, efforts are maximised and more is achieved.
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Schedule a discovery meeting to see how I can help your leaders to operate at their best.
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Create a bespoke plan to give leaders the tools, knowledge and support they need.
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Evaluate together the impact of our work, creating a true partnership.
Your team, operating at its best to improve academic outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
For disadvantaged pupils, achieving academic excellence can be like completing an obstacle course whilst running up a mountain. Frustratingly, we have plenty of evidence of what will level the playing field. Unfortunately, the solutions are as complex as the problem and require hard work and a long-term approach. As an improvement consultant, I am drawn to problem solving, understanding variables, and working out high-impact solutions.
If you are a headteacher who really wants to address the academic gap, talk to me and tap into my knowledge base, work with me to make plans that will create an uplift in pupil performance, focus on improving the expertise of your leaders so that you have multiple people working effectively on the problem and tap into resources that can be useful in the quest to raise attainment.
My support is focused on helping your team to operate at its best in improving academic outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Only a highly effective team effort can bridge the gap.
Let’s tackle the challenge together.
Let's talk about your current position and where you want to be.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT CONSULTANCY
Analysis, review, problem solving, discussion, strategic thinking, planning, celebrating.
LEADERSHIP development FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Training, coaching, professional dialogue, team development : maximising leadership impact.
BESPOKE TRAINING TO ACHIEVE GOALS
Leverage research & tap into expertise by providing high quality training focused on teaching & learning.
WORKING PARTY FACILITATION
Facilitating thinking and providing additional expertise for tackling a school priority.
What do the schools I work with say about my school improvement services?
Confidence in the person providing external support is paramount. I work with passion and integrity, but don't just take my word for the quality of support I provide. Hear from people just like you who have used my services:
HEADTEACHER: "Vicky is an excellent trainer and has worked with us at Allerton CE Primary, for several years; both in developing individual leaders but also the work outlined here. Truly exceptional in tailoring to our school, my vision and also the staff rather than just being generic. Love her!“ Helen Stott, Headteacher, Allerton CE primary.
HEADTEACHER: "Working with Vicky Crane on all areas of school improvement is a dream. Bespoke packages backed up with up to date thinking and research means that schools can be at the forefront to drive positive outcomes for their children. Vicky’s style is a combination of information sharing, enquiry based questions and a coaching model that provides both challenge and support to all leaders and staff in school. I thoroughly enjoy working with Vicky, it supports and challenges me to be a proactive leader." Rupa Barson, Headteacher, Churwell Primary.
HEADTEACHER: "I can’t tell you how much I have personally and professionally grown from my leadership coaching with Vicky. I cannot think of any other CPD that has had such an impact on me and as a result for my organisation."
PHASE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT "Thank you for a really useful day. I know the phase leaders, and myself, found it really inspiring." Headteacher.
DEPUTY HEADTEACHER SUPPORT “Thank you for being so generous in your support. I have been inspired and energised to keep going. Truly a well timed and informative session that I can practically put into practice for IMPACT.” 1:1 support for Deputy Headteacher.
CURRICULUM REVIEW, LEADERSHIP SUPPORT: "I found the process on Friday so useful. It is some of the best CPD I've had for a long time and it helped me to be really clear about next steps etc. It was lovely to work with you as it is always." Headteacher following a review of pupil work and strategising on curriculum implementation.
PUPIL PREMIUM LEADERSHIP SUPPORT: “Thank you for all the support Vicky! All day you have been extremely knowledgeable in answering all my questions.” Deputy Headteacher related to pupil premium and closing the gap for disadvantaged pupils sessions.
SUBJECT LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND SUPPORT Subject leader bespoke support. "We are really pleased with how well the inspection went - lots of hard work has been put in over the last few years, so great to get the report we received. Thank you for your part in it - the subject leaders were confident and knew their subjects inside out!" Headteacher.
If you are unsure if my expertise in school improvement is a match for you, why not email me your support requirements, discuss your needs with me by telephone or book a discovery meeting.
School improvement support can be purchased in blocks, e.g. a whole day, half-day or twilights. Additional 1:1 professional dialogue and coaching sessions can be added: 90 minute sessions. Discounts are provided for schools booking multiple days.
Support can be for individuals, teams or larger groups.
Training courses
I design and deliver leadership programmes, e.g. DHT training, phase leader training, subject leader training. These can be bespoke, and designed for an individual school or for a group of schools. I also offer a suite of central courses each year. I'm based in the Yorkshire region for face-to-face training.
Multi-academy trust school improvement support
Do you have a central school improvement team in your MAT? Would they benefit from coaching and training? Having lead teams of ASTs, SLEs and local authority consultants, and having extensive experience of supporting schools myself, I can provide training and development for a range of different school improvement personnel. This can be direct training, coaching, or team facilitation.
Contact me for supporting in creating courses and training programmes for MATs and groups of schools who wish to work more closely together, or to contribute to an existing programme.
Leadership coaching
Ensure everyone can operate at their best through personalised coaching.
MIDDLE LEADERSHIP TRAINING
Ensure every leader in your school as the skills, knowledge and ability to be a great leader.
HAPPINESS AT WORK
Use proven Happiness at Work tools to help your staff thrive — building a stronger, more positive school culture that’s equipped to handle today’s educational pressures.