Excelsior: To aim higher, To pursue excellence.

28 April 2025

Having spent a decade leading schools in large Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), I embarked on the next phase of my career with Excelsior, a MAT of 8 schools across Birmingham and Dudley.

My role as Director of Education for the Trust meant I’d be leading multiple schools in key areas such as school improvement and monitoring and evaluation; and would be held to account on such things as pupil outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning. I felt I was ready for this, indeed I expected this.

From the outset however, I felt that Excelsior may do things differently. As part of the recruitment process I was asked to complete a psycho-metric test, followed by a Warner Interview. On the interview day itself, there were no ‘real’ interview questions. It seemed I was being asked to explain the meaning of the three artefacts I had been asked to bring in instead


Anyway, all went well, it was a truly memorable experience where I felt I learned an awful lot.

The learning has continued since



be it during our executive meetings about our ‘swim lanes’ or our ‘Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals’, or indeed where we evaluative our thinking on the Rockefeller Habit of the quarter.

I am now used to our daily huddles that form a key part of our communication rhythm, reflecting on such things as:

Are pupils our customers? Are pupil outcomes our profit?

But it hasn’t come easy, things don’t I often find, when you are not used to working in new and unique ways. But I very much welcome this. For us at Excelsior, a shared language around our swim lanes of ‘high grade’, ‘reputation’ or ‘innovation’ permeate through the executive team in a way that really help one reflect on the purpose of one’s work and day ahead

The culture canvas that hangs over our ‘war room’ table could feel corporate and detached from those we are leading in schools, yet in truth, it hangs over us to inspire us to do the best job we can for the young (and old!) people that we serve.

MATs are a business. A business that has to hold itself to account against the Nolan Principles like any other ethical and high performing business would.

But now two terms into my new role, Excelsior feels different.

And special.

 

Darren King

Director of Education

Excelsior Multi Academy Trust

May 2025