Features of Highly Effective Schools 1
The Leadership Strand The implementation of the Leadership strand ensures that leadership at all levels has a clear vision of excellence for all, which is built on a set of values shared by the whole school community. Leaders will gain the knowledge, insight and understanding to enable them to realise their vision systematically and tenaciously, ensuring that the daily life of the school does not distract from the long term aims, strategy and accountability of everyone in a leadership role. Clear vision, values and outcomes are consistently articulated and reflect a collective focus on learning and achievement Distributed leadership is evident throughout the school with clearly defined roles and responsibilities and effective delegation School teams are designed around cohorts of learners and the team meeting cycle allows for dedicated time to plan for and respond to learners needs Meetings are organised with clear roles and responsibilities, make use of EdisonLearning Tools for Effective Teamwork and solution planning techniques and lead to action that impacts on learners achievement School leaders have an accurate and detailed knowledge of the quality of teaching and learning, maintained by systematic and effective monitoring and evaluation of planning, teaching, pupil data and work scrutiny which informs the school improvement planning process The school s improvement plan has measurable objectives, actions and accountabilities that are clearly articulated, systematically reviewed and linked directly to the vision and values Communication systems enable all members of the school community to understand the school s strengths and weaknesses, what needs to be improved and how they contribute to this process A high accountability culture ensures that the efforts and successes of staff, governors and learners are recognised and valued Leaders within the school are adept at managing change and developing the overall capacity of staff Achievement data is used by leaders to form a view of teacher effectiveness and teacher accountability 2
The Learning Environment Strand The implementation of the Four Components of the Learning Environment Strand underpins the remaining EdisonLearning Design Strands and drives a culture of high expectations and achievement. The ethos of the school is revisited and enhanced by identifying a set of Core Values, chosen in consultation with all stakeholders in the school. These in turn inform a Community Code that defines expectations and behaviours. In addition, schools develop spaces that are more conducive to learning and develop structures that ensure the centrality of Learner Voice. The final component of this strand supports schools to make best use of opportunities to learn through experiencing the world locally, nationally and globally. The school has a fully embedded set of shared Core Values which are consistently reflected in the language, attitudes and behaviours of every member of the school community A school wide Community Code, explicitly connected to the Core Values, is intentionally implemented and underpins positive behaviour within the school Spaces are organised to effectively support a variety of learning needs and pedagogical approaches. Schools develop inspirational, adaptable and dynamic environments that are owned by learners and reflect their diversity Displays demonstrate and support the learning process, learners progress and achievement Staff understand and value the importance of learner voice and demonstrate their commitment to it resulting in high levels of learner involvement and ownership. Learners are actively engaged and participate in decision making processes that influence learning provision. Learner Voice has high status, evident through a range of forums that provide democratic active partnership between students, staff and other stakeholders The school has a defined menu of entitlement for all learners which broadens learners horizons and aspirations, provides enrichment and extends curriculum beyond the classroom 3
The Assessment for Learning Strand The implementation of the Assessment for Learning strand ensures two things: first, that data systems and their processes work with fluency and efficiency so that all stakeholders in a school can use them effectively to impact on learner outcomes; second, that data and other information about students is used effectively in classrooms to shape and develop learning so that all learners can make great progress. For the first, teams work to ensure the system is fit for purpose, and that data is collected systematically, and is accurate, relevant and timely. For the second, teams work to ensure that data is used to shape learner outcomes, learners own sense of progress, and classroom practices. School leaders ensure that achievement data is systematically collected and reviewed in order to identify priorities across the school and the data flow drives the schedule of meetings at all levels Teams e.g. EdisonLearning Achievement Teams use assessment data to identify and share best pedagogical practices and evaluate the impact of their implementation Achievement data for subgroups of learners is closely monitored by senior and middle leaders and drives changes to pedagogical practice Teachers are skilled in assessing achievement and set challenging goals differentiated for individual learners needs Achievement data is used consistently by senior leaders to form a view of teacher effectiveness and teacher accountability Achievement is expressed in learner-friendly language, which enables teachers to share objectives and formative feedback and learners to articulate their next steps in learning and share these with their parents/carers Learners use self and peer assessment strategies to reinforce their understanding of the next steps in their own learning 4
The Pedagogy and Curriculum Strand The Pedagogy and Curriculum strand is about the quality of content that teachers deliver in classrooms, and their methodologies of delivery. It builds on the systems and processes of Leadership, the rich data of Assessment for Learning, and the four components of the Learning Environment. By doing so, it refines teachers core practices, develops their pedagogical skills by embedding a systematic model of planning for outcomes, and ensures that students develop a common core of life skills that increase their independence, intellectual fluency, and social and personal skills. School leaders and staff have a clear and common understanding of the key competencies that teachers need for effective teaching, and use these to inform their school improvement processes Teachers consistently use an explicit planning framework to deliver lessons to address learners knowledge, understanding and skills. Teachers plan for learner engagement and independence Teachers, supported by subject leaders, deploy subject knowledge, understanding and skills effectively in the classroom to secure good or better progress for all learners School staff have a good understanding of the skills needed for learners to be successful in their learning e.g. EdisonLearning Core Learning Skills and are adept at embedding these in pedagogical methods and across the curriculum Teachers are exemplary in developing learners numeracy and literacy skills across the curriculum Teachers provide accurate, specific, and timely feedback for improvement, with opportunities for learner response, so that progress is consistently good or better Learners experience a rigorous, relevant and coherent curriculum that is designed to achieve successful outcomes A targeted approach is used for providing professional development for individuals, teams and staff in response to evaluation outcomes Teachers regularly observe each other, share good practice, provide peer coaching to improve pedagogical understanding Staff evaluate and develop their own and others practice based on a clear understanding of what constitutes good and outstanding teaching and learning 5
The Student and Family Support The implementation of the Student and Family Support Strand ensures that schools organise provision to enable every learner to achieve. Structures, Systems and Teams ensure support is effectively built-in rather than bolted-on creating a continuum of support from Universal Entitlement to specialist interventions for the most vulnerable learners. Effective support for everyone encourages an active and collaborative partnership with parents/carers. The school uses a model of Universal Entitlement to meet the diverse needs of learners and provides well-targeted interventions when the data identifies the need for additional support Teams e.g. EdisonLearning Achievement Teams meet regularly to discuss, plan and review how they meet the needs of all learners Staff are supported in solution planning by a school based learner support team e.g. EdisonLearning SAFS Team to overcome 'learning challenges' presented by particular learners Learners have effective dialogues with a key adult who uses mentoring techniques to support their learning and help them to prepare for their learning conferences e.g. EdisonLearning Termly Learning Conferences The school systematically uses support from external agencies to build the skills and knowledge of staff to better support a wide range of learning needs The regularly scheduled learning conferences e.g. Termly Learning Conferences are led by the learners to review specific learning progress, set future goals and plan support. They are enhanced by specialist input from the SAFS Team and external agencies, as required The school uses innovative approaches to engage families from all sections of the school community in order to improve learners' achievements 6