For school leaders, balancing strategic priorities is never simple. The newly published National School Trust Report 2025 reveals that improving the quality of education ranks as the second-highest priority for trusts across the country (58%), just behind financial sustainability (64%).
The 2025 National School Trust Report highlights improving the quality of education as the second-highest priority for trusts nationwide.
This finding underlines what many in education already know: while budgets, estates, and governance matter, the classroom remains the beating heart of a school. Yet for senior leaders, with their wide-ranging responsibilities, keeping teaching and learning front and centre can be a real challenge.
As Peter Hughes, CEO of the Mossbourne Federation, said in a recent SIMS webinar – “A school is only as good as what happens in the classroom.”
At Mossbourne, teaching and learning isn’t just a strategic goal — it’s woven into the fabric of daily practice.
Practical strategies to prioritise teaching and learning
So, how can trusts and schools ensure that teaching and learning remains the top priority? Here are some of the approaches shared by Mossbourne that other schools may find valuable:
Teaching and learning first: Monday SLT briefings begin with a focus on teaching and learning data.
Feedback culture: Every leader gives at least one piece of feedback per week.
Shared language: A common vocabulary around teaching and learning has been embedded across the trust.
Protected time: Teachers and leaders are given time to give and receive feedback, even though protecting contact time is costly.
CPD pathways: Weekly after-school CPD sessions include both generic training and bespoke pathways.
Measuring what matters: The frequency and quality of feedback — and teaching quality itself — are measured. What gets measured, matters.
Rapid IT response: If an IT issue disrupts teaching, the IT team treat it as a teaching and learning emergency.
Recruitment alignment: Candidates are told at interview that teaching and learning is the top priority, with regular feedback provided.
Parity for TAs: Teaching Assistants also receive regular feedback.
Efficiency checks: Leaders continually review systems and routines to remove unnecessary workload.
Leaders in the classroom: All trust leaders with teaching qualifications still teach.
These strategies highlight a simple truth: if you want to improve pupil outcomes, you need to prioritise classroom practice by investing time, embedding culture, and refining systems.
Why this matters for school improvement
Whether you’re leading a single school or a multi-academy trust, focusing on teaching and learning pays dividends. A strong feedback culture, high-quality CPD, and efficient systems not only improve lessons but also strengthen teacher development and retention.
At ProgressTeaching, we see this reflected daily. Our platform is designed to help schools embed a culture of feedback, streamline lesson observations, and ensure that teacher development drives school improvement.
Final Thoughts
Financial pressures and competing priorities will always exist. But as the 2025 Trust Report shows, improving the quality of education must remain the central mission. Schools like Mossbourne demonstrate that with the right structures, feedback culture, and leadership commitment, teaching and learning can remain at the top of the agenda.
If you’d like to explore more on the leadership decisions that shape school improvement, read our follow-up blog: A hard lesson in leadership we won’t repeat.