LEADERSHIP support SERVICES
Primary, Secondary & Special School Improvement
School improvement strategies drive school success. I can offer a range of training packages, face-to- face, online, keynotes for a wide range of audiences focused on teaching pedagogy, learning, assessment and leadership of learning.
Primary & Secondary School Design & Learning Spaces
Learning space design is critical to support success in learning. Drawing on my Free School experience and refurbishment experience, I can provide consultancy on curriculum visioning, learning space design to support vision, procurement of furniture, IT solutions, signage and decoration to create outstanding environments.
Multi Academy Trust Executive Leadership Improvement
Building on my MAT executive leadership; I can provide MATs with support in engaging staff, cultural change, common approaches and embedding consistency of practices , marketing your MAT to prospective schools, team building and systems for MAT wide school Improvement.
Governor & Trustee Leadership Improvement
Governance is key to effective school improvement. I can offer support as a practising governor for primary, secondary and MAT contexts and look at how best to ensure governors interact with executive leadership teams to both hold to account and support so that school improvement is sustained.
Mental Health & Well-being Staff & Students
Every School must have a Mental Health and Wellbeing Champion. I can provide bespoke job descriptions, implementation plans, training and support so that you can evaluate your practice and excel in supporting the wellbeing of your staff and students. I can prepare your school for The Mental Health Quality Mark.
Safeguarding Children, Behaviour & Attendance
Keeping children safe and the Prevent agenda are critical training needs for all schools. But there is more to just training and I can provide schools with a highly effective safeguarding audit tool, action planning and review so that safeguarding is embedded in the DNA of your school culture.
Special Education Needs & Talented and Gifted
Preparing individual challenge plans for identified SEND Children is a key priority and I can offer training to SENCOs, leadership teams and teachers/ Teaching assistants with the most up-to date best practice in SEND provision. Major expertise in SEMH. I can also advise schools and provide support for robust Alternative Provision
IT solutions driving school improvement
Strategic planning for IT solutions is a costly and complicated process. Having negotiated bespoke multi-million pound IT solutions for two Free Schools, I can offer expertise with IT strategic planning, implementation to support the curriculum and website/App applications to support learning.
Teaching, Assessment & Learning
Teaching and learning needs to be consistently good every day for a school to be effective. How do you maintain high standards of Teaching and Learning? I can offer a range of strategies to support learning and teaching at individual, team and whole school and school to school level within a MAT.
Talent Management- Recruiting and retaining brilliant staff
Staff are the greatest resource. Securing their commitment, especially during times of change is a key leadership skill. I can offer schools and MATs tailor made talent development programmes aligned to school improvement. I can offer expertise in robust performance management and capability support.
Bid Writing & Financial Management of schools/MATS
Over the last six years I have secured over £7 million in capital investment to schools through bid writing. I can offer expertise in bid writing, write actual bids such as teaching school, capital grants and also provide support to leaders in securing additional resources from charity trusts and business.
Bespoke Support for Schools & MATS
I can offer tailor made consultancy for schools or MATs which can be fully aligned to your priorities. This may include face to face training, e-learning, coaching, key notes or organizing away day conferences or residential team leadership events. Flexible packages can be assembled that support your individual needs.
About Me
Colin has expertise in primary, secondary and Special school sectors and is passionate about how leadership can act as a key catalyst to school improvement. He is passionate that schools must be places where all children thrive and have access to a ‘Curriculum of ‘Opportunity’ which transforms life chances.
Colin works in schools, MATs and small businesses supporting pupils, teachers and leaders about learning, leadership and has particular interests in curriculum development, visioning, mental health and wellbeing of school staff and pupils. He is also an expert in SEND education. He is a pragmatic leader who believes that there are no ‘quick fixes’ to school improvement but that leadership must have positive impact. He writes and speaks at conferences about leadership, school culture, curriculum, mental health and school improvement.
What People Say About Colin
Colin can provide a more detailed list of testimonials on request
Discover how Colin Cattanach Leadership can help your school or organisation
Latest Blog Posts
Many pupils in England are hungry and badly clothed , say teachers. Why do teachers provide an ’emergency service’ to children ?
I find it difficult to find words for the perilous condition of State education at the moment and the levels of ‘relative’ and indeed ‘absolute’ poverty children endure in 2018. The government proclaims that its major priority is to defend its people. For me that’s not simply about warfare but its about defending dignity, disease, Read more about Many pupils in England are hungry and badly clothed , say teachers. Why do teachers provide an ’emergency service’ to children ?[…]
According to the Guardian today, two thirds of teachers are thinking about leaving due to poor behaviour. A crisis in our schools?
The Guardian’s headline today makes for further depressing reading with respect to school standards. We are in unprecedented times with respect to staff recruitment and retention in our schools. Poor behaviour is inevitably going to increase workload, stress and anxiety in what is already acknowledged as a very difficult job. So why are some schools Read more about According to the Guardian today, two thirds of teachers are thinking about leaving due to poor behaviour. A crisis in our schools?[…]
Is your school really inclusive? You should be worried if it is not !
I always have a wry smile when school leaders tell me about how inclusive their school is and how they personalise the learning for all. I’m even more amused when they go on to tell me how wonderful the alternative provision is in the local area for those children who ‘struggle’. I become hysterical when Read more about Is your school really inclusive? You should be worried if it is not ![…]
Why I believe Ofsted can be a force for good if it dares to reform and has additional funding.
I have been thinking for some time about writing a blog about Ofsted. Ofsted is a highly emotive subject in education circles with often binary perspectives: Those who believe Ofsted is a great thing (mostly Ofsted) and those who despise the organisation (mainly teachers). The binary debate about Ofsted is not helpful in analysing its Read more about Why I believe Ofsted can be a force for good if it dares to reform and has additional funding.[…]
Is the MAT model fatally flawed? The evidence is mounting up that the system is not really fit for purpose.
I am always concerned when I read high profile ‘World class’ (self-proclaimed) educational leaders spout out rhetoric about how wonderful the multi-academy trust system is for our education system and remind us how did we ever thrive without such a model in the past? It is dangerous when people are deluded and wedded to the Read more about Is the MAT model fatally flawed? The evidence is mounting up that the system is not really fit for purpose.[…]
Student off-rolling: Tactical game playing by unscrupulous school leaders
Why are school leaders exploiting vulnerable students and their families to game the league tables? I am delighted that Amanda Spielman will be condemning the practice of ‘off-rolling’ later today in her presentation. Nearly 10,000 students per year have disappeared from school rolls and many are year 11 students who disappear just before the January census where Read more about Student off-rolling: Tactical game playing by unscrupulous school leaders[…]
Impact of Ofsted on teacher well-being – Is this executive agent of the State contributing to mental health problems? Is it time for a new Ofsted paradigm?
At the moment Ofsted are currently surveying teacher well-being. They’ve sampled a selection of schools; though certainly from responses on social media, many teachers are not aware of the actual survey. So what is the current state of teacher well-being with respect to Ofsted? Some will say its dire, others will say its pretty benign Read more about Impact of Ofsted on teacher well-being – Is this executive agent of the State contributing to mental health problems? Is it time for a new Ofsted paradigm?[…]
#School: Does the documentary series paint a biased picture of gloom and doom or is it the raw reality of today’s state education system? Episode 3 changed my view.
#School: Does the documentary series paint a biased picture of gloom and doom or is it the raw reality of today’s state education system? Episode 3 was the game-changer for me. If I am honest, I did not enjoy episodes 1 & 2 of #school. I found myself as a school leader shouting at the Read more about #School: Does the documentary series paint a biased picture of gloom and doom or is it the raw reality of today’s state education system? Episode 3 changed my view.[…]
100 Second Blog: Former NSC Sir David Carter has suggested that Ofsted should consider having three grades – Requires Support, Good and Outstanding. There is real merit in this idea. Colin Cattanach tells us why he would support new Ofsted grades.
So, at the moment a school can be judged Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate and be further categorised as special measures or serious weaknesses. The stakes are very high for education leaders and for many a poor judgement can mean a school is forced to be academised, gains a poor reputation and enters a Read more about 100 Second Blog: Former NSC Sir David Carter has suggested that Ofsted should consider having three grades – Requires Support, Good and Outstanding. There is real merit in this idea. Colin Cattanach tells us why he would support new Ofsted grades.[…]
100 second Blog: Toxic climates for learning- what are the leadership factors contributing and what do we need to do to improve leadership?
The 100 second blog I’ve been reading about toxic work environments in schools this week. So for my first 100 second blog, I want to provide a brief commentary on what might be going wrong in our schools and what needs to happen to have a positive climate for learning Characteristics of toxic climate Read more about 100 second Blog: Toxic climates for learning- what are the leadership factors contributing and what do we need to do to improve leadership?[…]