The problem: inconsistent appreciation fuelling disengagement
Retaining staff is crucial to their mission: “We don’t manufacture anything other than excellent students that go on and transform the world,” explains Richard.
The Trust launched Mo in early 2025 and is already seeing impressive results.
Before Mo, recognition was fragmented across LAT. While some academies had developed strong local approaches, others had little to none. Internal survey data clearly showed that staff often felt appreciated within their immediate teams, but this appreciation didn’t consistently extend to their wider academy or the Trust as a whole.
“Staff were experiencing recognition as a postcode lottery. That was contributing to feelings of being undervalued, especially in high-pressure roles. Over time, that could have led to disengagement, weaker culture, and increased turnover.”
Richard Taylor Deputy CEO, Leigh Academies Trust
Recognition was also identified as one of the three key drivers of retention in LAT’s internal strategy, a finding supported by half a million data points and national research by the Education Endowment Foundation.
The solution: a simple platform for strategic goals
LAT’s new “Stay and Grow” strategy aimed to prioritise relational trust and culture-building across all its schools. To support this ambitious goal and deliver consistent, values-led recognition at scale, Mo was the clear choice.
“It needed to be visible, consistent and fair. The peer-to-peer element was probably the most important. We wanted something simple that would reach all our people. No matter what role they’re in or where they’re based.”
Richard Taylor Deputy CEO, Leigh Academies Trust
Mo is now integrated Trust-wide, not only underpinning daily culture but also becoming central to LAT’s high-profile annual awards evening. “We chose Mo to manage the nomination process for our awards because it was integrated into our recognition platform,” says Richard. “Compared to what we’d used in the past, it was much better.”
Embedding a New Rhythm of Recognition
The launch of Mo sparked immediate and positive behavioural change across the Trust. “It’s created a step change in how we talk about recognition,” says Richard.
“It’s now part of our daily rhythm, not just a once-a-year awards event. Staff are sharing more, leaders are engaging in visible appreciation, and we’re seeing higher levels of recognition activity than we expected, especially from support staff and middle leaders.”
Richard Taylor Deputy CEO, Leigh Academies Trust
Public moments on Mo have brought much-needed visibility to previously unsung contributions. “One great example was a Facilities Manager receiving dozens of messages after resolving an issue. That level of appreciation just wouldn’t have happened before.”
From Siloed Thanks to System-Wide Visibility
Prior to Mo, appreciation often remained private or confined to individual teams. Now, recognition is far more connected and consistent across LAT’s 33 geographically dispersed academies.
“We call it ‘LAT moments’,” Richard explains. “It gives us such a simple way to recognise colleagues in real time. It’s not the reason people go above and beyond, but it shapes how that effort is seen and valued across the organisation.”
Mo has genuinely become a cultural connector for staff. “It’s like an internal social media platform,” says one LAT team member. “You get to know people that you wouldn’t have necessarily interacted with or spoken to before.”
Another staff member adds, “Mo is the social media of the school. It brings people together. It allows you to celebrate each other in a very secure way.”
Celebration at scale and strategic retention
LAT has seamlessly embedded Mo into its formal LAT Awards process, utilising the platform to drive nominations across the Trust. This integration has clearly yielded positive results. “We’ve seen improvements across the Trust,” explains Richard. “We’ve brought people together as a community.”
In 2025, LAT received an impressive 75 more nominations than the previous year. As one award winner put it during the celebration: “It’s made all those years of working before I retired actually feel amazing.”
While it’s “still early,” Richard notes, “initial signs are promising. We’re tracking retention data and the picture looks good so far.” LAT’s next Leigh Voice survey takes place in November and is expected to show significant movement in key engagement measures.
“Mo has helped us shift recognition from a ‘nice to have’ into a strategic tool.”
Richard Taylor Deputy CEO, Leigh Academies Trust
When asked if he’d recommend Mo, Richard’s recommendation is unequivocal: “Yes. The biggest reason is its simplicity. It’s easy to launch, easy to use, and it works.”
His favourite feature underscores its cultural impact: “The values tagging. It links day-to-day behaviour to what we stand for as an organisation. That’s been powerful in reinforcing our culture and giving leaders a practical way to lead through values.”
See how Mo could work for your team
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