LEADING LARGE SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES & PERSPECTIVES Richard Fawcett & Geoff Barton

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LEADING LARGE SCHOOLS:CHALLENGES & PERSPECTIVES

Richard Fawcett& Geoff Barton

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AIMS

To explore the challenges of leading large schools To develop practical problem-solving strategies that

will make an impact on learning To develop a specific school improvement project

for your school and evaluate its impact

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Welcome & Overview

What is distinctive about leading learning in a large school?

Sharing practice & action planning Developing a school-based improvement project Engaging key players

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Session 1:

What’s distinctive in a large school about … Improving teaching & learning Leadership at all levels Communication Evaluating impact?

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Teaching & Learning:

Getting away from the compartmentalisation of subjects, the bunker mentality of faculties

Rejuvenating whole-school approaches, such as literacy

Sharing practice across teachers to move to good and outstanding

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Leadership:

How effective is leadership & management at all levels?

Are you providing training for your leadership team? Are you talent-spotting and developing your future

leaders?

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Communication:

How do you communicate your vision and values? How do you ‘keep the herd moving west’? What are the mechanics of communication and

consultation, and do they work?

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Evaluating impact: In successful schools, leaders recognise that only so

much can be done at once and they have the courage, whatever the pressures, external and internal, to prioritise. They deal with decisions with down-to-earth management efficiency, and, most important of all, they themselves know what constitutes high-quality teaching and educational excellence.Chief Inspector’s Annual Report 1997/98

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Developing a self-evaluation culture

• Good teaching is a set of learnable skills, not a God-given gift

• Performance management is about performance• We should encourage experimentation and occasional

disasters• We should be intolerant of mediocrity• A genuine evaluation culture builds improvement• Real change comes from within

Whole-school culture:Some opening assumptions


Carol FitzGibbon (Durham):

Get data into school life, without necessarily doing anything with it

THREE GURUS


John MacBeath (Cambridge):

“We should measure what we value, not value what we can measure”

THREE GURUS


THREE GURUS

David Reynolds (Exeter):

“Within-school variation”:

Aim to be a ‘high-reliability’ organisation …


Such complex social organizations as air traffic control towers continuously run the risk of disastrous and obviously

unacceptable failure.

The public would heavily discount several thousand consecutive days of efficiently monitoring and controlling the very crowded skies over Chicago or London if two jumbo jets

were to collide over either city.

Through fog, snow, computer-system failures, and nearby tornadoes, in spite of thousands of flights per day in busy skies,

such a collision has never happened above any city, a remarkable level of performance reliability …


… By contrast, in the U.S., one of the most highly educated nations on earth, within any group of 100 students beginning first grade in a particular year, approximately 16 will not have

obtained either their high school diploma or a General Education Development certificate 12-13 years later.

In Britain, just under half of all 16-year-old pupils will not have the benchmark of 5 or more high grade public examination

passes in the national system. Obviously, many nations have even lower levels of educational performance.

Creating a self-evaluation culture:

Tools for school evaluation:

• Student performance data - results, targets, etc

• Staff, parent, governor feedback

• Ethos data

• Questionnaires and focus groups

• Faculty reviews - inc observation sheets

• Self-evaluation

Staff Evaluations …

1 (low/poor)

2 3 4 (high/good)

1 How would you rate the performance of our computer system? È

0 2

5 18

45 56

50 24

2 How helpful has the ICT Support Team been? È

2 2

2 6

29 37

67 55

3 How well have we managed cover? È

2 0

19 30

56 45

23 25

4 How would you rate student behaviour? Í

8 2

26 11

60 78

6 9

5 How visible has the leadership team been?

6 7

27 29

52 46

15 18

6 How would you rate Geoff Barton’s leadership?

2 0

8 5

49 66

41 29

YES NO 7 Has a member of the leadership team visited your tutor group? Í

60 86

40 14

8 Has a member of the leadership team visited one of your lessons? Í

47 59

53 41

9 Are expectations on uniform clear? 93 91

7 9

10 Are our expectations about behaviour clear? Í

82 93

18 7

11 Do you find Monday staff briefings useful?

92 97

8 3

12 Do you find the Barton Bulletin useful?

93 96

7 4

13 Do you find the weekly bulletin useful?

94 98

6 2

14 Do you feel well informed about things that are happening in school? Í

84 98

16 2

15 Do you attend too many meetings? 32 68 16 Do meetings help you to do your job better?

78 22 17 Are curriculum team meetings useful?

98 2 18 Are tutor team meetings useful? 97 3 19 Are support staff briefings useful? 100 0 20 Should we stop selling all unhealthy food and drink?

71 29 21 Next year should tutor time be … Shorter?

54 The same?

40 Longer?

6

22 Do you like the sandwiches provided for parents’ evenings?

46 54 23 Do you find assemblies interesting? 81 19

1 (low/poor)

2 3 4 (high/good)

1 How would you rate the performance of our computer system? È

0 2

5 18

45 56

50 24

2 How helpful has the ICT Support Team been? È

2 2

2 6

29 37

67 55

3 How well have we managed cover? È

2 0

19 30

56 45

23 25

4 How would you rate student behaviour? Í

8 2

26 11

60 78

6 9

5 How visible has the leadership team been?

6 7

27 29

52 46

15 18

6 How would you rate Geoff Barton’s leadership?

2 0

8 5

49 66

41 29

YES NO 7 Has a member of the leadership team visited your tutor group? Í

60 86

40 14

8 Has a member of the leadership team visited one of your lessons? Í

47 59

53 41

9 Are expectations on uniform clear? 93 91

7 9

10 Are our expectations about behaviour clear? Í

82 93

18 7

11 Do you find Monday staff briefings useful?

92 97

8 3

12 Do you find the Barton Bulletin useful?

93 96

7 4

13 Do you find the weekly bulletin useful?

94 98

6 2

14 Do you feel well informed about things that are happening in school? Í

84 98

16 2

15 Do you attend too many meetings? 32 68 16 Do meetings help you to do your job better?

78 22 17 Are curriculum team meetings useful?

98 2 18 Are tutor team meetings useful? 97 3 19 Are support staff briefings useful? 100 0 20 Should we stop selling all unhealthy food and drink?

71 29 21 Next year should tutor time be … Shorter?

54 The same?

40 Longer?

6

22 Do you like the sandwiches provided for parents’ evenings?

46 54 23 Do you find assemblies interesting? 81 19

TUTOR GROUP: Do all students have coats off?

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

Are students wearing proper school sweatshirt/polo shirt?

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

Are all students wearing shoes (ie no trainers except with doctors’ notes)?

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

Is jewellery acceptable (ie no facial piercings, no bracelets, only thin metal necklaces)?

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

q Yes q No

Is the tutor …

Talking to students? Signing planners? Taking the register? Doing admin? Other?

Routine monitoring …

Tutor group spot-check

Week beginning 17 / 1 / 5 24 tutor groups were visited

Heads of Year have individual results

YES Do all students have coats off? 79% Are they wearing correct school sweatshirt/polo shirt?

96%

Are they wearing shoes (not trainers)? 100% Is jewellery acceptable? 88% Is the ethos positive and purposeful? 88%

Cover work set on appropriate form Cover work left in staffroom tray Work was clear to follow for you …and for students? Necessary materials were available Lesson objective set Work seemed appropriate Any comments (eg student behaviour / display / clarity of instructions, etc):

Name TG Cover clean*

H-S-A signed

All dates completed

Parent signed last 3 weeks

Tutor signed Last 3 weeks

Letter / hwk boxes used

Homework consistently written in

Comments on homework

No of commendati

ons Liam Askew 9WD No Yes Yes Yes No Occasionally Yes English - none for 4

weeks Bio – none for 5

weeks Tech – none for 4

weeks

67 – but lots without stickers

Leon Brown 9WD No Yes Yes Yes Yes Occasionally Yes Maths – none for 6 weeks

66 - ditto

Simon Crack No Yes No Yes Yes Rarely No Bio – none since November

Hums erratic

18

Planners

Book sampling…

Name Year / Set

Teacher Cover clean Y N

Homework evident

Y N

Homework marked

Y N

Presentation G F P

Types of writing General comments

Kate Elsom HISTORY

9

WD

Y

Y

Y

G

• Thinking • Notes • Extended

Clearly sequenced, challenging, high-level; exemplary feedback –

positive, precise, personal

Thomas Robotham HISTORY

9

WD

Y

Y

Y

G

• Thinking • Notes • Extended

V different ability of student – but same strong

expectations; tangible progress in student’s

work; supportive, positive marking

Chesney Ward? GEOGRAPHY

9

YE

Y

Y

Y

G

• Notes • Exercises

Good positive feedback; evidence of regular

marking; good range of writing

Scott Simpson GEOGRAPHY

9

HS

Y

Y

Not

consistently

G

• Notes • Exercises • Some extended

work

Clear and well-used overall; good to note some

extend worrk; marking appears to end in late Sept

Focus groups run by Governors…

What is it like to be a tutor here?

Good bits of the job: Frustrations: Good Year TeamsGood communication with Year Team Trainees are helpfulRole will be strengthened by learning plans / target-setting days

Lack of timeAmount of adminAlways dealing with the same students

What is it like to be a tutor here?

What impact do you have on students and how do you know?

•Informal feedback from students – eg a disruptive student who admitted privately that he wants to do well•Seeing decreasing number of referral slips•Can feel a sense of progress

How would we improve?

•Year 12 mentoring can be inconsistent – role of mentors not always clear – but principle of them is good•Small minority – importance of planners not recognised by students/parents

What are the key ingredients in an effective tutor?

•Know and care about students in their tutor groups•See monitoring and target-setting as a core part of their job•Understand the need to work with students on skills beyond the classroom – emotions, motivation, social skills, courtesy, how to speak appropriately in difficult circumstances•Are well organised and manage time well•Listen actively•Pay attention to small details – courtesy, thanks, etc•Treat poor behaviour as simply a choice and good behaviour as a characteristic•Apologise when they do something wrong or inappropriate•Catch students being good far more than they catch them getting it wrong•Have genuine interest in students’ lives and experiences

Heads of Year …

1 Do you feel supported in your work within the Faculty?

very mostly not very not at all

2 Do you feel supported in your work within the school as a whole?


3 Do you feel that there is a clear vision within the Faculty?


4 Do you feel involved in the development of the Faculty?


5 What currently impedes your work? 6 What should be the Faculty’s main priority over the coming year?

Faculty reviews

Always Usually Sometimes Never 1. My teaching approaches and planning have taken account of the presence of TAs

2. The work of TAs has encouraged student independence in my classroom

3. TAs working in my classes have ensured that students remained engaged throughout the lesson

4. TAs have been encouraged to offer feedback to me about classroom arrangements

5. I know and have taken account of the curriculum strengths of TAs

6. TAs have been involved in the planning of specific lessons

7. I have hade the opportunity to meet outside the classroom with TAs who work in my classroom

8. TAs have contributed positively to the management of the class

9. I have been pleased with the work of TAs in my class

10. I am aware of the special needs of the student(s) who have been supported by TAs

Student Evaluations …

1 Do you enjoy being at school?

2 Do you feel proud of being at this school?

3 Do you think behaviour here is good?

4 Are our expectations about behaviour clear?

5 Are our expectations about uniform clear?

6 Do you feel you are treated with respect?

7 Do we give enough praise and encouragement?

Never Rarely Mostly Always 13 25 53 9

Never Rarely Mostly Always 10 18 67 5

Yes No 69 31

Yes No 86 14

Yes No 78 22

Yes No 65 35

Yes No 49 51

Yes No 74 26

Student …

1 What grade did you get in English? ®English Literature? ®

2 Think of all the subjects you studied last year. Circle one of the numbers below to show where you would place English in a rank order of the subjects you studied

1 (high) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (low) 3 Without naming teachers, please name ONE thing you liked most about English lessons 4 Without naming teachers, please name ONE thing you liked least about them 5 Looking back, how did you feel about your usual group for English for …

(a) getting on with other people? (liked it a lot) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (liked it a little)

(b) learning effectively?

(liked it a lot) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (liked it a little)

Attitudes to learning

Of all the ways the teacher gets you to learn about things which do you enjoy the most?

• Activities – not writing, nothing intimidating. More discussion, needs to be variety (maths now = all from books)

• Biology = copy from board – don’t even read it • VA Ki in French to analyse own learning • If teachers drone on = some of us don’t have the attention span • Unfairness about time given to complete coursework ie some = meet deadlines. Others = 3 months

late so have extra 3 months to work on it • Too many tests in short space of time • Would help if dif ferent subject teachers could talk to each other so we do not get all coursework

assignments at the same time. Of all the ways the teacher gets you to learn about things, which do you enjoy least?

• Vague questions that you don’t know what it means • I think we should be setted for English because it could be more challenging too long on one piece

of work would be helpful, disruptive people were in difficult group • Humanities – go round and round in circles because don’t have specialist teachers. Spend time

trying to manage behaviour

Student perception interviews Year 9 4 girls 4 boys Sets: 1 4 2 3 1 3 2 Rank order: 8 7 3 3 9 3 10 3 What do you like about MFL lessons? What activities do you enjoy? Why?

• Fun, like ICT interactive whiteboard, playing games, practical and group work What activities do you not enjoy? Why? What do you find difficult? What would help?

• Tests – some are useful and some are not • Practical lessons are good • Don’t li ke teachers constantly talking in French. I get behind and de-motivated • Don’t li ke having to speak in front of the class – feel under pressure and worried • Panic when asked to speak and don’t know how

How do you learn best? What helps you learn in other lessons?

• Objectives are sometimes set – but doesn’t make any diff erence • I li ke to have some group work and some formal writing • Reinforcing the talking with writing rather than just talking and then moving on and talking

some more • Group work • Games • When behaviour is good. Behaviour is good in languages

How do you feel during MFL lessons? What makes you feel this way?

- Bored – 1 student - Interested – 1 student - Enjoy – 1 student - Tired – 1 student - Don’t know – 4 students

Consensus from interviews - languages is “ok” but not a subject which students would wish to choose to take further. Group consensus that about 30% of the lessons are enjoyable. Most students preferred languages in the Middle School – more practical, games, etc

Enthusiasm of teacherFunGood class controlNo disruptive studentsPractical activitiesTeacher interested in the subjectSitting with a friendClear instructions and expectations

What for you is the most important ingredient in a good lesson?

Talk less and let us get on with workTeaching us techniques for learning and revisingPractice papersExplain things clearlyAcknowledge different kinds of learnersPraise usBasic ideas about how to do thingsProviding lunchtime sessionsTeach me in a way that I understand

What do teachers do that helps you to learn well?

Longer breaksMore tripsDon’t give coursework at the end of termTougher line on disruptive studentsMore guidance with courseworkStop giving detentions for trivial reasonsSmarter uniformRegular teacher evaluations by studentsClone Mr GreenBe more relaxed about uniform and jewellery New headteacherHotline to support students who are strugglingShorter lessonsBus to NewmarketLonger lessonsFewer questionnaires!Don’t have such high expectations of students

What one thing would you do to improve this school?

Parent Evaluations …

Strongly agree

Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

Don’t know

1 My child likes school 43 50% - 7% - 2 My child is making good progress

57% 36% 7% - -

3 Students behave well 23% 57% 14% - 7% 4 My child is not bullied or harassed at school

22% 64% - 6% 6%

5 Teaching is good 29% 64% - - 7% 6 I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on

23% 50% 27% - -

7 I feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem or complaint

23% 57% 20% - -

8 Staff expect my child to work hard and do his or her best

50% 50% - - -

9 The school is led and managed well

50% 43% - - 7%

10 Staff treat my child fairly 23% 69% - - 8% 11 The school seeks the views of parents and takes account of their suggestions and concerns

7% 67% 13% 13%

PARENTS’ E VENING FEEDBACK We would welcome your feedback about this evening. Please hand this slip to

students at the Reception desk in the Foundation Room 1 I have found the evening:

o very informative o mostly informative o slightly informative o not informative 2 The organisation was

o excellent o good o fair o poor 3 Two key messages were given by

o all teachers o most teachers o few teachers o no teachers Any other comments?:

The essential skills of good teachers

What do you think are the 3 most important ingredients of good teachers / tutors …?

Communication & Staff Development

• Establish expectations based on school evaluation

• Build into school systems - observation sheets, performance management, Faculty reviews

• Build differentiated training around them

• Add self-evaluation opportunities

• Lessons from Finland!

Reading Writing Speaking & listening Use layout and language to make texts accessible –

eg white space, typographical features,

summaries, bullets, short paragraphs

Be clear and explicit about the conventions

of the writing you expect from students – eg audience, purpose,

layout, key words and phrases, level of

formality

Using a variety of groupings for structured

talk – pairs, same-sex, friendship, triads, ability

groups

Using a range of strategies to support students’

reading – eg reading aloud, key words and glossaries,

word banks, display, paired reading, talking about texts

before answering

Providing assessment criteria and models of appropriate text types

Setting objectives for talk and providing language

models – eg level of formality, key words and

phrases

Spelling – marking no more than 3-5 key

spellings per work, writing the correct spelling in the

margin with the error identified; students putting these into spelling pages in

the middle of exercise books; using starters /

word games / mnemonics / display / rules / words

within words to support students’ spelling

Using shared composition to show students how to write

Providing alternatives to traditional Q&A

approaches – eg open questions, thinking time, big questions, no-hands, paired consultation time,

dealing with answers, prompts, answer starters

Eg:

Essential

Literacy

Managing the Talent

• What training and development do you give your Leadership Team?

• Who are your stars of 1-5 years? What are you doing for them?

• Is subject & pastoral leadership really the way forward? Don’t schools actually need flexible project managers?

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Reflection & discussion

What do you agree / disagree with? What are the implications for you and your school?

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Action-planning

What aspect of your school are frustrated by? What kind of intervention might make a difference? What could you do in the next 5 weeks to make an

impact?

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Developing an improvement project What do you need to do? Who do you need to involve? What will be the early signs of impact?

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Project ideas …

Engaging support staff to recognise their impact on T&L Giving School Council have a focus on T&L Using summer term gained time effectively Using feedback from different cohorts to evaluate

effectiveness Developing a middle leadership development

programme

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Engaging Stakeholders

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Engaging Stakeholders

Governors: what are they good for? Students: what do you change as a result of their

feedback? Support staff: what role do they play in school

improvement? Parents: do you want anything from them apart

from support (and money)?

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www.geoffbarton.co.uk/teacher_resources(Number 43)

http://www.geoffbarton.co.uk/teacher_resources

Documents

LEADING LARGE SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES & PERSPECTIVES Richard Fawcett & Geoff Barton