Celebrating Collaboration: Our first in-person whole-trust Staff INSET day event
On Monday 2nd September, The Rivers CofE Academy Trust witnessed a historic gathering as all 750+ staff members convened in person for the first time. The INSET day, aptly titled "One Family, One Journey: An Extraordinary Education for Every Pupil", was a celebration of a decade of our trust’s success and a pivotal moment for unveiling our Rivers 2030 strategy.
A Warm Welcome and Inspiring Beginnings
The day began with a welcome from our CEO, Matt Meckin, who set the tone with an engaging video that charted the trust's journey over the past ten years. This was followed by a touching performance by The Rivers Choir, comprised of pupils from each school, who sang three heartfelt songs, including a special original piece celebrating the trust's spirit.
Watch The Rivers Choir: One Family On Journey_ Staff INSET day 2024
Unveiling Our Mission and Vision
Matt Meckin introduced our new mission statement: ‘extraordinary education, extraordinary people, extraordinary futures’. Our refreshed vision aims to empower pupils through exceptional education, fostering their lifelong learning and potential. With a focus on respectful relationships, discovering talents, and sparking aspiration, we are committed to helping every pupil flourish and contribute positively to society.
Extraordinary Education
Matt then outlined three key anchors for achieving extraordinary education; Excellent Teaching and Provision, High-Quality Support for Vulnerable Pupils and Exceptional Enrichment.
Joe Lindley further elaborated on our enrichment focus with the ‘My Extraordinary Experiences’ initiative, which highlights 20 key experiences for pupils before graduation.
Insights and Inspiration from Guest Speakers
Our day continued with thought-provoking insights from Serdar Ferit, CEO of Lyfta, who demonstrated the power of storytelling in building rich cultural capital. Following a break, Matt outlined key anchors for achieving extraordinary people, which included our ‘10 for 10’ staff benefits. Tom Partridge, Scott Holdaway, and Holly Lashford took to the stage to share their remarkable journeys with Rivers.
Catherine Atkinson then outlined our plans for professional learning, ensuring our commitment to ongoing staff development.
Extraordinary Futures
After lunch, we turned our attention to the third and final strand of our Rivers 2030 strategy, Extraordinary Futures, which focused on sustainable environments, digital innovation, and growth and partnerships. Susanna Taylor highlighted the trust’s investments supporting this vision.
John Jones and Matt Warne, from RGS Worcester, delivered our second keynote and shared their insights on AI in education, debunking myths and offering practical ideas for integrating AI into our school life.
A Moving Conclusion
The day concluded with an inspiring keynote from Jaz Ampaw-Farr, an award-winning speaker whose deeply moving and humorous story encouraged us all to be everyday heroes and recognise our successes. Her words provided a motivational end to an extraordinary day filled with inspirational stories from extraordinary people.
A Unified Vision for the Next Decade
The day left staff feeling inspired and excited about the future. The opportunity to gather all 750 staff members in one room fostered a powerful sense of belonging and unity. Together, we are poised to embark on the next decade driven by our shared commitment to providing an extraordinary education for every child.
Here’s to an incredible journey ahead as we continue to work together to achieve our vision and make a lasting impact on the lives of our pupils.