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Strategic planning

Being Strategic: a guide for boards and leaders

An annual cycle for schools and trusts creating, monitoring and reviewing their strategy.

Guidance
01/07/2025
someone lookin at overseeing vision reports

Being Strategic is a guide to strategy development for those leading and governing in schools and multi academy trusts (MATs).

The guide explains how strategic priorities are identified, resourced and monitored. It also gives useful advice on:

  • vision setting
  • self-evaluation and risk assessment
  • communicating the strategy to stakeholders
  • creating the right culture for the strategy to succeed

Being Strategic provides a framework for governing boards and leaders to refer to throughout the year and, in particular, as part of an annual conference or ‘away day’.

There are two versions of the guide: one for single schools, single academy trusts and federations, and one for trust boards and leaders in a MAT which is focused on developing a strategy for the MAT as a single organisation.

A strategy document template is also available to download.

Being Strategic for single schools

PDF download

Being Strategic for MATs

PDF download

Strategy document template

MS Word download

Being Strategic is a collaboration between the National Governance Association (NGA), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the National Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).

We hope that the guide serves as a valuable resource for governing boards and executive leaders to develop, monitor and communicate their strategy within an annual cycle.

Facilitation of board strategy days

NGA’s team of knowledgeable and experienced governance consultants can facilitate your board's strategy day. Your consultant will liaise with your school or trust to ensure that the purpose of the event is clear and that expected outcomes are defined.

Find out more

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