c2a learning has a wealth of experience at leadership level within schools and local authorities. We understand the challenges that face School Improvement Officers in supporting and challenging schools to raise standards of attainment. Our services cover all aspects of school support including bespoke local authority and school improvement advice, Leadership, Headteacher support and short term cover, Continuing Professional Development, subject specific advisory support, National Challenge, preparation for Inspection, Student Voice and e-learning.

Building staff capacity is critical for retaining staff, keeping them motivated, making the best use of their skills and ensuring that they are ready and able to respond to the next change or development. We can deliver a range of training tailored to your needs linked to service specific areas, contexts, national policies or more local initiatives.

Following the Government’s announcement that schools should offer a broad range of academic subjects to age 16 they are using the English Baccalaureate (EBac) to promote that aspiration. The EBac will be made up of GCSEs or iGCSEs in English, mathematics, sciences, a language and a humanities subject. In the future, individual students' achievements will be marked through a certificate. The 2010 Performance Tables, published in January 2011, will have a new EBac indicator. This is a significant change for schools and authorities in respect of their responsibilities for school performance.

The review of services and restructuring feature regularly within the work of local authorities as they drive to deliver efficiency and value for money. Managing these processes is demanding on senior officer time. We have gained experience of managing organisational change at the highest levels and are able to work with an authority to review service planning, delivery and the development of departmental structures capable of delivering efficient and effective services.

Many schools and college providers have experienced challenges in embedding the necessary Functional skills within their Diploma Courses. This has resulted in many students failing to meet the necessary skill level requirement to pass the Functional Skills element of their chosen course. We are able to deliver a wide range of high quality training, support and coaching to improve learning and results in Functional Skills at levels 1 and 2: Maths, English and ICT. This service is offered as an intensive bespoke booster programme focusing on the specific skills required and revision tips for each test.

Directorate and Service Plans are an integral part of the Council’s strategic planning processes. We understand the need for plans to be aligned to Corporate priorities and to be focused with clear targets for delivery. If plans are to be meaningful, they need to be owned by those delivering the service and we can work with teams to prepare and evaluate plans, to develop processes which ensure priorities are delivered on time and to budget and link this with performance management processes.

Large scale projects and events demand robust leadership and management processes to ensure they are delivered on time and to budget. Our team has extensive experience of leading, managing and facilitating major projects over extended periods of time from inception to completion. We have experience of planning and delivering projects and organising high profile events such as conferences for Headteachers, International Study Visits, community and stakeholder events and innovative projects to engage young people in service design and development of facilities.

As experienced Senior Leaders in schools and Senior Children’s Services Officers, we appreciate the critical role that Governors play within our education system. In order to ensure that they are well placed to meet the demands and accountabilities placed upon them, we are able to offer a range of services.

Increasing numbers of schools, organisations and individuals recognise the value of coaching and mentoring in the development of performance and in helping individuals to meet challenges head on; allowing them to build capacity in themselves and their organisation. Today's leader needs to develop skills that motivate individuals and teams to excel - and key among these skills is coaching and mentoring. These can be powerful and enabling tools for development and performance. Developing a coaching and mentoring culture can support staff retention; workforce development, conflict resolution and change management. These services offer a vehicle for analysis, reflection and action that ultimately enables the individual to achieve success. We are accredited through the Charted Management Institute (CMI) to work with individuals or groups as required.

With our extensive experience of local authority work including that gained through the Building Schools for the Future Programme in England and the 21st Century Schools Programme in Wales, we have substantial knowledge of pupil forecasting, pupil place planning and school organisation reviews. We appreciate the importance of linking school organisation and capital investment to the Children’s Services agenda and regeneration initiatives.

We have experience of working at a senior level in local authorities with Directors and senior managers. We can provide support for Interim post holders through periods of uncertainty assisting them to deliver services seamlessly through times of change. We also have first-hand experience of managing reorganisation in local government guiding senior officers and staff through the process of change.

There are occasions when schools find that a colleague is leaving and there is a gap between that point and the appointment of a new member of staff. During this interim period responsibilities still need to be fulfilled and tasks completed. This can place an extra burden on other staff particularly at leadership level if the member of staff who is leaving is a member of the middle and senior leader teams. There may also be occasions when there is a requirement for a specific project to be undertaken, implemented and managed over a specific time period with clear outcomes.

People resources are our greatest asset and SDI (Strength Deployment Inventory) is an effective tool in improving and strengthening the communication and the personal effectiveness of individuals and teams within organisations. c2a learning is qualified in facilitating the use of SDI, which is used by many organisations in identifying individual and team strengths and dynamics. Based around recognising our personal and professional Motivational Value System (MVS), SDI supports staff development in providing a framework and language in which we can identify and evaluate what motivates us as individuals and how our priorities change in the face of opposition or conflict. SDI is easy to use and interpret leading to effective and practical application for use in the workplace.

c2a learning can help to strengthen relationships and build strong teams to effect improvement within schools and academies. Through our Belbin accreditation, we are well placed to help you understand Belbin Theory and apply it to the workplace. Belbin Team Role Theory was developed in the 1970s by Dr Meredith Belbin and his research team at Henley Management College; the theory is used in thousands of organisations across the world today. Schools and academies can benefit from departments, working parties or whole staff taking part in Belbin training to build successful teams.