The School Effect

What do we know now about school improvement?

• The inheritance at the school

• Expectations of the school– Social housing schools– Crossroads schools– Leafy suburban schools

The importance of Context: place

When Schools first made a difference

• Michael Rutter et al: ‘Fifteen Thousand Hours’.• Peter Mortimore et al: ‘School Matters’.• HMI: ‘Ten Good Schools’.

• Finding out more about the verbs of ‘school improvement’.

An example of a map for school improvement?

• -leading creatively and courageously

• -managing creatively and effectively

• -reviewing creatively

• -developing creative staff

• -focusing on teaching, learning, assessing

• -creating an environment fit for learning

• -involving parents and community creatively

• -involving pupils creatively

• MORAL PURPOSE• UNDERSTANDING CHANGE• RELATIONSHIP BUILDING• KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND SHARING• COHERENCE MAKING

• Encircled by ENERGY ENTHUSIASM and HOPE

• Backed by EXTERNAL and INTERNAL COMMITMENT

• Michael Fullan

Some general qualities of leadership – not context bound

• Success not Failure• Multi-faceted and limitless not general

inherited and predictable• Inclusive not exclusive• Ipsative and formative not comparative and

normative• Lifelong not once and for all

Courageous Leadership: the need for Values/Beliefs/Prejudices

• Delegation

• Time

• Understanding Change

Skills of Courageous Leadership

Nine Levels of Delegation1. Look into this problem. Give me all the facts. I will decided what to do

2. Let me know the alternative available with the pros and cons of each. I will decide what to select

3. Let me know the criteria for your recommendation, which alternatives you have identified and which one appears best to you with any risk identified. I will make the decision

4. Recommend a course of action for my approval

5. Let me know what you intend to do. Delay action until I approve

6. Let me know what you intend to do. Do it unless I say not to

7. Take action. Let me know what you did. Let me know how it turns out

8. Take action. Communicate with me only if your action is unsuccessful

9. Take action. No further communication with me is necessary

MANAGING COMPLEX CHANGEMANAGING COMPLEX CHANGE

VISION SKILLS INCENTIVES RESOURCES ACTIONPLAN

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+ ++

+

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= CHANGE

SKILLS INCENTIVES RESOURCES ACTIONPLAN

=

VISION INCENTIVES RESOURCES ACTIONPLAN =

VISION SKILLS RESOURCES ACTIONPLAN =

VISION SKILLS INCENTIVES ACTIONPLAN =

VISION SKILLS INCENTIVES RESOURCES =

CONFUSION

ANXIETY

+

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RESISTANCE

FRUSTRATION

TREADMILL

Adapted from Knoster, T (1991) Presentation at TASH Conference, Washington DC(Adapted by Knoster from Enterprise Group Ltd)

• Understanding of context

• A theory (map) of school improvement

• The subtleties of communication

• The use of language

Four underpinning elements of cultural change

• The right people…

• In the right place….

• Doing the right things….

• At the right time

Complemented by having….

Creative Staff Development

• Responsibility

• Permitting Circumstances

• New Experiences

• Respect

You know you are in a good school when….

• Teachers TALK about teaching

• Teachers OBSERVE each other teach

• Teachers plan, organise and evaluate TOGETHER

• Teachers teach each other

You know you are in a good school..

• Staff TALK about learning

• Staff OBSERVE another’s working practices

• Staff plan, organise and evaluate TOGETHER

• Staff teach each other

Creative Review

• Confirm

• Adjust

• Transform

Impact Analysis

• High Effort / High Impact

• High Effort / Low Impact

• Low Effort / Low Impact

• Low Effort / High Impact

Five Essential Foundations

• Data and information rich

• Shared Values

• Language

• Always a Journey not a Destination

• A Commitment to partnerships and collaboration

compliance philosophy

small matters

quiet life

embodied, real learningone offs, special events

exercising trudge

A futures learning outlook for schools?

big questions

A route to freedom

• Experiences

• Two Timetables

• Education of the mind and the spirit

• Avoiding isolation and finding allies

Partnership Questions

• Purposes?• Budget?• Who leads on what?• Success criteria?• Review dates?• Expediter?• Internal ownership?

• Unwarranted optimism

• Regard crisis as the norm and complexity as fun

• A bottomless well of intellectual curiosity

• A complete absence of paranoia or self-pity

What a courageous leader must have

Making the best of Ofsted

• Inspectors are of variable quality

• The value of triads

• Knowing your data and weaknesses

• Playing Dutch Admirals