Ian Taylor

Associate Director of 490, Lift Schools

Ian is a senior leader at Lift Schools, where he leads the trust’s flagship 490 vision across 59 schools. One of the longest serving trust leaders in the country, he has worked within the trust since 2009, focusing on sustained school improvement through high quality leadership and teaching. His work is grounded in the intelligent use of data and insights to sharpen performance, including quantifying education debt at both school and pupil level to inform precise provision. He has supported some of the country’s most challenging schools and is deeply committed to improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. At the core of his approach is a belief in the twin importance of strong character and secure knowledge. He sees education as a source of hope, opening up opportunities that many young people may not otherwise see in their daily lives.

1 Workshop series two

How to significantly improve reading at scale: a Lift Schools case study

Reading sits at the heart of pupils’ life chances, shaping access to the curriculum, future study and the opportunities available beyond school. This workshop offers a practical case study of how Lift Schools has driven significant improvement in reading at scale. It will share the steps taken to build a coherent, trust wide approach, the impact achieved to date, and the challenges that remain. Focusing on implementation over theory, the session will set out the practical actions taken at each stage, from defining the problem through to embedding consistent practice across schools. It will also share the most recent learning as the work continues to evolve, providing clear and actionable insights for leaders seeking to secure strong reading outcomes at scale.