INSET Model

Professional development with purpose.

Most schools work with five INSET days. At Trinity, we have built eight into the year.

We made that choice because meaningful collaboration needs time. Time for colleagues to step away from the everyday, work with others, develop their thinking and focus on what will make a difference back in their schools.

Three of those days are delivered Trust-wide, bringing colleagues together across schools, phases, subjects and professional areas. The remaining days stay with individual schools, giving them protected time to focus on their own priorities and context.

These additional days have enabled leaders across key areas, curriculum teams, and support services to come together, both in person and online, to benefit from shared training, professional dialogue, collective experience, and collaborative problem-solving.

These days have been intentionally built into the Trust calendar to support and strengthen our grassroots model of school improvement. While many Trusts operate through large central teams that direct curriculum, assessment, policy, and implementation, we’re committed to a different approach.

We believe that the leaders within our schools are experts in their own contexts, and we are passionate about developing a culture rooted in openness, collaboration, autonomy, and shared ownership.

Our grassroots model is the mechanism through which we nurture this culture — one where leaders are empowered to shape the direction of their academy or team while working collectively for the benefit of all.

Some of the strongest expertise in Trinity already exists within our schools.

Our INSET model gives that expertise somewhere to travel.

Colleagues come together across schools, phases, subjects and professional areas to share what works, explore common challenges and learn from different perspectives.

Rooted in practice.

Professional learning starts with the realities of schools, classrooms and teams, keeping development relevant to the challenges and opportunities colleagues encounter every day.

Expertise shared.

We create opportunities for colleagues to contribute what they know and benefit from expertise across different schools, phases, subjects and specialisms.

Time to think.

Good development needs space. INSET gives colleagues protected time to reflect, explore ideas, ask questions and consider how learning applies to their own practice.

Shaped together.

Our approach is not about solutions being handed down from the centre. Colleagues work together to develop, test and strengthen practice.

Development for everyone.

Professional learning shouldn’t be limited to one role or stage of a career. Our model creates opportunities for colleagues across teaching, leadership, pastoral and professional services.

Connected across Trinity.

The relationships built through INSET continue beyond the day itself, making it easier for people to collaborate, solve problems and share what works.

SPARKE gives everyone a voice

Our Trinity SPARKE creates a platform for ideas, experience and expertise from across the Trust to be shared more widely.

Through the SPARKE Journal and our wider SPARKE offer, colleagues can contribute their thinking, reflect on practice, share research or tell the story of something that is making a difference in their school or team.

TrinityFest

TrinityFest brings colleagues together from across our schools for a day of professional learning, collaboration and shared expertise.

Many of the sessions are led by Trinity colleagues themselves, creating an opportunity for people to open up their practice, share what they have learned and start conversations with colleagues they may not usually work alongside.