Primary School Improvement

Our mission is to support, strengthen and champion the 183 Catholic primary schools across the Archdiocese by providing evidence-informed guidance, high-quality professional development, and responsive school improvement support.

We work alongside headteachers, governors, teachers and support staff to ensure every child receives an excellent, inclusive and deeply rooted Catholic education.

Through our experienced School Improvement Partners and our links with reputable national organisations, we help schools stay aligned with current DfE expectations, Ofsted reforms and the evolving educational landscape.

— Primary School Improvement Team
Archdiocese of Liverpool

About us

We are committed to supporting high-quality Catholic education across our 183 primary schools by ensuring leaders and staff receive timely, evidence-informed and mission-aligned guidance. Working across all eight local authorities, our highly experienced School Improvement Partners (SIPs) provide professional challenge, coaching and strategic support rooted in current national frameworks.

Our work reflects recent DfE curriculum developments, strengthened statutory safeguarding guidance, and Ofsted’s renewed Education Inspection Framework. These national changes emphasise curriculum coherence, inclusion, attendance, online safety, digital literacy and sustainability — all of which shape our school improvement priorities.

Leading this work, Ged Preston and Dave Smith oversee the Primary School Improvement offer for the Archdiocese, ensuring our support is strategic, collaborative, coherent and mission‑driven. Sandra provides coordination and organisational oversight for all training, events and subscriptions, helping schools access high‑quality professional development and timely guidance throughout the year.

Services

Our annual Trust Membership offers schools discounted access to key educational subscriptions such as National College, Compliance Management, SeeSaw and FFT, alongside a wide range of free events, training and CPD opportunities delivered throughout the year, with priority access to centrally coordinated support. Many schools choose to complement this with optional SIP support, providing a blend of in-school visits and evidence-informed guidance from experienced headteachers and specialist consultants.

Non-Archdiocesan schools may attend CPD events at £100 per delegate, and any enquiries can be directed to Sandra at s.martin@rcaol.org.uk.

Secondary School Improvement

We are a family of 36 Catholic secondary schools and sixth form colleges across the archdiocese. Collegiality is at the heart of all that we do. Our team alongside our schools aspire to support each other with expertise, resources and leadership development with the wellbeing and success of our pupils at the centre of all of our work.

Secondary School Improvement is a mission‑driven partnership, rooted in Gospel values. We work collaboratively with our colleges, schools and Trusts to strengthen leadership, improve teaching and learning, and to raise achievement for allpupils. Through high‑quality professional development, system leadership and peer‑to‑peer school reviews, we bring colleagues together to share best practice and build collective capacity.

Our work is shaped by evidence, reflection and mutual accountability, enabling schools to know themselves well, improve withconfidence and be fully prepared for external verification, including Ofsted, while remaining faithful to the mission and purpose of Catholic education.

Developing a strong core of school and college leaders with effective distributive leadership models and the capacity to support other schools.
Facilitating professional development to raise achievement and standards across our schools.
Supporting schools in preparation for inspection.
Promoting engagement in the development of innovative systems and pedagogical approaches to support the young people in the care of our schools and colleges across the Archdiocese.
Providing a comprehensive peer-to-peer professional learning pathway, from early career teachers through to senior leadership.

This will be achieved through:

Promoting the Catholic ethos, mission and core purpose of the improvement network.
Facilitating high quality Professioanl Learning opportunities through expert speakers, shared expertise from our family of schools and collaboration across all levels of leadership
Completing school-based reviews that highlight strengths and areas for improvement, which are led by qualified Ofsted Inspectors or specialist advisors alongside school leaders from across the archdiocesan family of schools. These reviews will focus on various aspects of school life including attendance, behaviour, safehguarding, careers curriculum & teaching as well as subject based reviews.
Sharing and creating policies and best practice across schools.
Coordinating and evaluating events and improvement activities for students, teachers and leaders.

Secondary School Improvement Team:

Our annual Trust Membership offers schools discounted access to key educational subscriptions such as National College, Compliance Management, PupilProgress.com and FFT, alongside a wide range of free events, training and CPD opportunities delivered throughout the year, with priority access to centrally coordinated support. Many schools choose to complement this with optional SIP support, providing a blend of in-school visits and evidence-informed guidance from experienced headteachers and specialist consultants.