Four steps to sustained school improvement: Step 1 Audit

TL;DR

An educational consultant discusses the audit process and improvement journey of a struggling school, emphasizing evidence-based decision making.

Transcript

I'm Jean Grey I'm now an educational consultant before this I was a head teacher for 18 years and Ofsted inspector for nine years when I joined never filled primary school and not English sure in 2009 the school had just gone into special measures and there was massive change to implement I'd like to share with you our journey - outstanding I'll ta... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤕 Former head teacher turned educational consultant shares insights on evidence-based audits and improvement strategies.
• ❓ Importance of accurate evidence collection through activities like developing questionnaires for different stakeholders.
• 🦮 Utilizing tools like lesson observation guides from School Improvement pathways can streamline the audit process.
• 👨‍🏫 Emphasis on understanding school context, leveraging expertise, and not overlooking existing strengths during improvement processes.
• 😯 Collaboration with speech and language therapists can uncover underlying issues impacting student learning.
• 😍 Avoid rushing into solutions without assessing both strengths and weaknesses of the school.
• 🤔 Valuable advice includes not making assumptions, challenging thinking with expertise, and maintaining focus on effective practices.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the former head teacher's background contribute to their success as an educational consultant?

The head teacher's 18 years of experience and insights from being an Ofsted inspector provided valuable perspectives in guiding schools towards improvement strategies through evidence-based practices.

Q: What challenges did the school face during the audit process, and how were they overcome?

The school struggled with behavior issues and lesson engagement until identifying a communication barrier through a speech and language therapist's evaluation, emphasizing the importance of accurate evidence collection and expert collaboration.

Q: How do tools like questionnaires and lesson guides from Oxford Allen's School Improvement pathways assist in the audit process?

These resources save time, provide structure, and ensure the collection of relevant evidence, guiding schools to focus on areas for improvement effectively during audits.

Q: What key advice is shared for schools undergoing improvement journeys?

Schools are advised to understand their context, use accurate evidence, leverage expertise for critical thinking, and maintain focus on existing strengths while addressing weaknesses for successful improvements.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Former head teacher transitions to educational consulting, sharing a school's journey to outstanding status.

• Importance of accurate evidence in audits, using tools like questionnaires and lesson guides from Oxford Allen's School Improvement pathways.

• Emphasis on understanding school context, utilizing expertise, and not overlooking existing strengths during improvement processes.