Lancashire Secondary School Improvement Guarantee 2026/2027
Lancashire and non-Lancashire: Secondary, AP and Special Schools/Academies
Welcome to the School Improvement Service Guarantee (SISG / SISLA) 2026/27
Thank you for taking the time to explore our School Improvement Service Guarantee for 2026/27. Our offer builds on Lancashire’s long-standing and trusted model of school improvement, shaped over many years through strong relationships with school leaders and governors.
By joining the SISG / SISLA, you gain access to high quality, bespoke support from experienced advisers, alongside direct links to key Lancashire County Council services including HR, Inclusion, Safeguarding, Finance, and the latest updates from the DfE and Ofsted. We work closely with local and national partners to ensure you receive timely, relevant guidance.
Our advisers bring extensive expertise across all phases, including specialist knowledge in Secondary, SEND and Alternative Provision, offering the right balance of support and challenge to help your school thrive.
We have worked hard to keep costs as low as possible, ensuring they reflect only essential staffing requirements.
| Activity Description | Package A £4360 |
Package B £4799 |
Package C £5495 |
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| 3 visits |
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| HT appraisal |
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| HT and SLT recruitment (one round only, additional will be charged extra) |
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| Staff and student surveys |
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One additional focused school improvement activity*, which could include:
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* Options for 1 or 2 advisors may incur additional costs, to be negotiated with school during the planning of these activities.
"Over the past 18 months, my experience with the SISG programme has been incredibly enriching. The support and resources provided have significantly enhanced our educational initiatives, fostering a more collaborative and innovative environment for both staff and students. The dedication and expertise of the SISG team have been instrumental in driving positive change and achieving our goals of two outstanding OFSTED inspections alongside a plethora of other awards whilst staying child centred. Thank you LCC"
"Bleasdale Special School extends heartfelt thanks to Lancashire County Council for their invaluable support through the SISG programme, which has significantly enhanced our ability to cater to children with special educational needs."
"Bleasdale Special School has achieved OFSTED recognition on two occasions, thanks to the support from Lancashire County Council and the SISG programme. The dedicated team has successfully supported implementation and impact with up-to-date assessment systems like Evidence for Learning, a curriculum tailored to our three pathways—TO BE, TO DO, TO KNOW—and a range of other projects. Thank you."
Headteacher, Bleasdale School
Additional Commissioned Services
All of these school improvement activities are also available to commission as standalone additions (for both SISG or non SISG schools) from the Secondary Advisory Service:
| Activity Description | Description | Associated Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Supervision / Coaching for Headteacher or members of the Senior Leadership Team |
Bespoke, one hour session every half term. | £908 |
| SEND Audit | The audit focuses on 8 education strands: 1. Outcomes for pupils with SEND 2. Leadership of SEND 3. The Quality of T&L for pupils with SEND 4. Working with pupils and parents/carers 5. Assessment and Identification 6. Monitoring, tracking and evaluation 7. The efficient use of resources 8. The quality of SEND provision |
SEND audit one adviser - £908 SEND audit two advisers - £1800 |
| HT appraisal | Preparation, onsite visit and report writing, including interim review documentation. | £545 |
| 1 day school improvement with allocated school advisor | Focusing on an aspect of school improvement aligned with self-evaluation and school improvement planning. | £908 |
| Recruitment | Headteacher and Senior Leadership recruitment | £908 |
| PP Audit | Audit to evaluate how effectively school is using their Pupil Premium funding | £908 |
"Our advisor has a strong understanding of the Local Authority and played a key role in preparing us for a successful Ofsted inspection. Additionally, he has offered valuable support in leadership development. Since the inspection, he has continued to provide ongoing support, including helping to shape the leadership structure as our school continues to grow."
Headteacher, Red Marsh School
Why SISG:
- Named Adviser – A dedicated adviser allocated in agreement with your school to provide tailored support.
- Focused School‑Led Priorities – Each visit follows a common structure, shaped around your school’s specific improvement priorities.
- Wellbeing Commitment – Active promotion of wellbeing for all members of the school community.
- Year‑Round Support – Ongoing telephone and email support, with cover provided during adviser absence.
- Ofsted Support – Guidance throughout inspection, including discussions with inspectors and attending feedback.
- Crisis & Challenge Support – Assistance with critical incidents, emergency situations, and complex issues such as capability or complaints.
- Leadership Capacity – Support in brokering interim senior leaders when needed.
- Visit Records – Clear, shared documentation to support your improvement journey.
- Pupil & Staff Voice – Support to gather meaningful stakeholder views to inform targeted improvement.
- LSIP Access – Lancashire School Information Profile (where applicable).
- Recruitment Support – Full governance support for headteacher, deputy and assistant headteacher recruitment (Packages B, C or commissioned).
- Pastoral Support – Wellbeing and professional support for school leaders facing local and national pressures.
- System‑Wide Connections – Brokering access to local and national support networks, associations, and trusts.
- Diocesan Partnership – Coordinated work with diocesan colleagues where relevant.
- Internal Expertise – Access to wider Lancashire services and specialist teams.
- Curriculum Support – Termly virtual subject consultancy (English, maths and science) for curriculum leaders in Special Schools/PRUs.
- Early Years Updates – Relevant termly briefings (where appropriate).
- Regular Communication – A termly bulletin with updates from the service and wider sector.
- Resource Area – Access to shared best‑practice resources, with opportunities for your school to contribute.
"The support we have received from our Local Authority advisor has been nothing short of exceptional. His expert knowledge, strategic insights, and commitment to student outcomes have been invaluable in helping our schools thrive. The advisor has empowered our leadership team to make informed decisions that benefit both our staff and students. Our relationship with the LA advisor has been collaborative and built on mutual respect. They have worked closely with me, as the Executive Headteacher, Heads of School, and my leadership team, offering insights and suggestions while always respecting our school’s vision and direction. His approach has been both constructive and encouraging, fostering a strong sense of partnership that has empowered us to make meaningful improvements."
Headteacher, Hope High School/ The Rose
Lancashire Education Strategy:
The School Improvement Service Guarantee (SISG / SISLA) is fully aligned with the Lancashire Way Education Strategy (2025-2028), ensuring that the priorities set out for children and young people are actively supported in schools. The ambition of the strategy is to make school unmissable, to nurture every child’s strengths, and to ensure that Lancashire is a place where all children feel welcome, happy, and able to succeed. Through high quality advice, coordinated challenge, and bespoke guidance, the SISG helps schools translate the strategy’s aims into effective practice- strengthening leadership, improving outcomes and promoting excellence across Lancashire’s education system.
"Our school advisor has been an invaluable asset in terms of the support he has provided.
He knows and understands our school and uses this understanding to work proactively within our school development planning and delivery. He has advised on self-evaluation and provided valuable guidance around the curriculum.
Our advisor is always available for formal and informal support, to lend an ear and to provide a wider perspective when one is needed.
He is respected and trusted by myself and the other PRU Heads. He understands the challenges we face and we appreciate that he has taken the time to get to know us personally and also as a collective."
Headteacher, Shaftesbury High School
Our Guarantee
A Service That Cares and Is Always There
Our SISG/SISLA offer builds upon the well-established model of School Improvement in Lancashire which has grown and developed over the years in response to feedback from our schools. The professional relationship between an adviser, school leaders and governors ensures a detailed knowledge and understanding of individual schools, which then informs bespoke support and challenge.
Bespoke to Your School
This brochure outlines a core offer, but all of our support will be tailored to you and your school.
Wide Ranging Support and Challenge
As a Service, we know our schools well. We are skilled in identifying appropriate challenge, support and opportunities to enable all our schools to be self- managing in responding to local and national developments. Our close working relationship with other LA services, such as HR, Inclusion, Safeguarding and Finance, ensures we are informed of the latest developments within these areas.
Unparalleled Expertise
Our team of advisers are highly skilled and have substantial experience in all aspects of education. They will empower and enable schools to deliver the very best outcomes for all pupils. Our team of advisors includes specialisms in Secondary, SEND and Alternative Provision, with a diverse range of expertise, and a flexible way of working to better meet your needs.
"The support of our advisor in school is invaluable, not only for keeping abreast of current local and national issues and in order to appropriately prepare for inspection but in so many more ways. The flexibility to steer the agenda and discussion to areas that I am prioritising has proven invaluable in the last two years. I have been able to move forward with addressing attendance, whole school improvement and succession planning as a result. In addition, I know he is always at the end of a phone or email should I want advice or support with any issues I am facing. The network of support available through him and his knowledge of expertise in the local authority is excellent. In addition, our school has benefitted from bespoke subject specific advice for our new Head of Maths and new schemes of work in our Science department.
I couldn't imagine managing without the SISG."
Headteacher, Alder Grange
Continue or Start your Relationship with Lancashire
Choose your package for a full year Lancashire School Improvement Service Guarantee (SISG) or non-Lancashire School Improvement Service Level Agreement (SISLA). If you wish to continue with your SISG/SISLA then there is no need to do anything, you will automatically be re-enrolled onto your current package.
Our advisory team are happy to discuss your experiences and requirements, so that your package is the perfect fit:
Elaine Cluet, Senior School Adviser and Head of Governor Services, 01772 532755, elaine.cluet@lancashire.gov.uk
Jonathan Marsh, School Adviser, 01772 516166, jonathan.marsh@lancashire.gov.uk
Gary Whiting, School Adviser, 01772 516166, gary.whiting@lancashire.gov.uk
Shaun Jukes, School Adviser, 01772795749, Shaun.Jukes@lancashire.gov.uk
General enquiries, 01257 516166, advisory.support@lancashire.gov.uk
If you would like specific elements of the SISG, but not a full package, please contact a member of our team.
"The support we receive from Lancashire advisory service continues to be excellent. Over the last 3 years, we have commissioned a number of external audits via the advisory service in areas such as English, mathematics, science and SEND. Without exception, the audits were bespoke, meeting our needs and current improvement priorities. Most importantly, the engagement with such processes have contributed to enhanced provision in these areas. Supported by the highly productive work carried out with our advisor during this time, we feel strongly that the service not only meets our needs, but knows and understands our school well. Our experience of all the work carried out with the service has been positive."
Headteacher, Corpus Christi Catholic High School
Terms and Conditions - Lancashire Schools, SISG (School Improvement Service Guarantee)
If in the event your adviser is unavailable, we guarantee to provide you with an immediate substitute, with another named adviser or associate adviser. If you no longer wish to renew your SISG, then we ask that you inform us via email advisory.support@lancashire.gov.uk and via the portal no less than three months before the renewal due date. We reserve the right to withdraw any SISG product/ package at any time, but will provide a notice period of at least 28 days.
The cost of the SISG is non-refundable for the year in which it is taken out. However, any school subject to an Academy Order due to an Ofsted inspection outcome should contact their senior adviser for the area to discuss the future of their SISG contract.
If you have any complaints about the quality of service you receive against the SISG, please make direct contract with a Senior Adviser, who will seek to resolve this.
Terms and Conditions - non-Lancashire Schools, SISLA (School Improvement Service Level Agreement)
If in the event your adviser is unavailable, we guarantee to provide you with an immediate substitute, with another named adviser or associate adviser. If you no longer wish to renew your SISLA, then we ask that you inform us via email advisory.support@lancashire.gov.uk and via the portal no less than three months before the renewal due date. We reserve the right to withdraw any SISLA product/package at any time, but will provide a notice period of at least 28 days.
The cost of the SISLA is non-refundable for the year in which it is taken out.
If you have any complaints about the quality of service you receive against the SISLA, please make direct contract with a Senior Adviser, who will seek to resolve this.