How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better

The 3 Dimensions to crafting and implementing and improvement journey

1. Assess current performance level• Measure pupil outcomes – decide if current level is

poor, fair, good, great or excellent2. Select interventions: • Decide what the system needs to do in order to

raise student outcomes – guided by its performance level and specific challenges

3. Adapt to context:• Tailor leadership style and tactics to the history,

culture, politics, structure of the school system

Sustaining the system’s improvement journey over the long term3 ways have been identified:

• By establishing collaborative practices• By developing the mediating layer between the

schools and the centre• By architecting tomorrow’s leadership

Each aspect is interconnected and an integral part of the system pedagogy

Journeys of school improvement: it’s a system thing not a single thing

Getting to fair: improving literacy and numeracy

Fair to good improvement journeys emphasise getting the system foundations in place

Good to great improvement journeys emphasise shaping the professional

Great to excellent improvement journeys emphasise learning through peers and innovation

[McKinsey and Company]

Broad phases of leadership success: the journey of one Primary School [Ten Strong Claims, NCSL]

System foundations

Ownership and responsibility

Vision and values Non-negotiables Defining teaching and learning: leading by example Infrastructure improvement/re-configuration

Data and accountability Relentless focus on monitoring and evaluation Distributing leadership Persisting with teaching and learning

Developing creativity Everyone a leaderShaping the professional

Raising the calibre of existing teachers/leaders Involving the community

Peer-led learning Self-evaluation

Self-challenge Internal collaborationOfsted 2007

SM  

Ofsted 2011 Outstanding

 

Ofsted 2008 Good

 

Governors Headteacher Senior leadership

Middle leadership

Getting a handle on the accountability chain

Poor to Fair Fair to Good Good to Great Great to UnstoppableDirectional/Central control Inclusion Creativity Innovation

Top led and well-controlled Top led, middle implement Middle led, top quality assures Internally driven and quality assuredDetailed calendar of monitoring activities focused on teaching and learning – aligned to an instructional vision

Detailed calendar of monitoring activities focused on teaching and learning – now embedded 

Detailed calendar of monitoring activities focused on teaching and learning – embedded and customised

Detailed calendar of monitoring activities focused on teaching and learning – more engagement with other schools or external partners

Audit and identify position: teaching and learning profile, outcomes, book looks, planning, environments 

Evidence base broadens to includePupil voice/school councilParent surveysStaff surveys

Evidence base broadens to includePupil voice/school councilParent surveysStaff surveys

Pupils are part of evaluating their learning

Establish and impose a monitoring framework which reflects the core requirements of acceptable performance for teaching and learning, planning, books, pupil progress meetings • Literacy• Numeracy 

Regular and sharp monitoring of all aspects of teaching and learning Strengths and areas for development identified and then used to promote improvement in other subjects …..

Wide range of monitoring activities which are differentiated, carried out by middle leaders and quality assured by senior managers, within the school’s agreed framework  Strengths and areas for development identified and then used to promote improvement in other subjects ….. 

Teachers accurately evaluate their own performance, quality assured by senior line managers  Learning communities Use of other models …. All individuals demonstrate responsibility for improving teaching – led at all levels

Intervention led/recovery based teaching

Most children are making progress with QFT

QFT widespread and established: more focused/targeted individual work

New teaching approaches; new pedagogies; new curricular

Impact: there is compliance in practice across the school and from this consistency is grown 

Impact: standards rise, progress rates improve,  

Impact: gaps narrow, progress rates improve, personalised learning experiences are developing

Impact: gaps narrow, progress rates improve, personalised learning experiences for all; staff have ownership

Monitoring – McKinsey journeys