Since Lockdown in March, the whole world has been forced to fundamentally reflect and re-evaluate on every level imaginable. Established processes have gone by the wayside. Existing routines have been brought into sharp focus. In the world of education, learning and teaching has been transformed in ways we had not anticipated.
This article covers the challenges now faced by schools and the opportunities for transformational teaching and learning.
Over the coming weeks we will explore each of these challenges in turn. The aim of this approach is to encourage focused discussion on key issues currently facing schools and collaboratively identify opportunities to support each other.
We know the benefits of robust whole school self evaluation.
These include:
- Helping us reflect on the effectiveness of our school provision
- Supporting wider leadership development
- Informing school improvement thinking
- Helping clarify where best to focus improvement work
- Supporting governors in gaining a secure sense of school ambition and current effectiveness
We also know the difficulties, which may include:
- Lack of coherent understanding amongst colleagues
- Simply seeing self-evaluation as a box ticking exercise
- The process not bringing about change
- Lack of time to ensure a robust evidence base develops
Given the current fragility of schooling, how do we continue we carry out effective and robust whole self-evaluation?
We have all been teaching and learning in different ways for most of this year. One thing has become clear over the last six months…
There will be no such thing as “back to normal.” We have a unique opportunity to innovate and create a “new” normal.
In order to meet the needs of pupils learning remotely, schools have had to fundamentally change what they do, how they do it and when they need to do it. Many schools are strategically questioning why they do certain things, daily routines and administrative processes; and how the curriculum (in its widest sense) is delivered.
We need to consider how to identify and harness the unique ways in which our own local communities learn best – both in school and out. Many schools have reported on having to modify everyday routines that they are now very keen to retain.
Subjects leaders will want to think carefully about how they check out the curriculum offer in their subject. With varying degrees of routine schooling over the past few months, what activities will leaders carry out to gain such intelligence? This may involve looking closely at the subject domain, considering where and when best to teach knowledge. Teachers have exploited the vast array of opportunities to deliver subjects in more engaging ways. They have learnt to share and draw from other teachers’ expertise online. Online content, by its nature, has the potential to be highly visual, highly engaging and inherently dynamic and adaptive.
Technology allows teachers to deliver the curriculum in ways that appeal to pupils with different preferred learning styles. Remote learning and technology has empowered pupils. Pupils have found themselves shifting away from a passive mode where they were historically content consumers to a more active mode where they are now content producers.
School leaders who are committed to embracing and integrating new ways of learning know that it fundamentally influences the progress pupils make through the curriculum. We must continue to be ambitious for the young people we teach. If we can articulate this we have a standard by which we can measure our effectiveness.
We may need to redefine the purposes of our evaluation work. With pupils learning in and out of school, there may well need to be more frequent attention given to safeguarding aspects.
Leaders might want to look more forensically at how well pupils are gaining subject knowledge and making progress through the curriculum as critical thinkers and independent learners. This is simply because we currently have little influence over what information pupils are being exposed to; what they determine to be robust and true; and how pupils acquire knowledge.
Often, we underpin our evaluative approach with the Education Inspection Framework (EIF). It is underpinned by pertinent research both domestically and globally. The personal development aspect of provision might be at the forefront of our thinking as we consider and reflect on everyone’s mental health and well-being.
Another important consideration is how we use this time to empower colleagues. To what extent are our leaders both competent and confident in monitoring and evaluating? How can schools use technology and systems – not just to ensure consistency when gathering evidence, but also to encourage efficiency and ensure a work-life balance?
At this time, it is more important than ever to take ownership of school self evaluation work. With the lack of examination results’ information, we will want to ensure a broad and secure evidence base. We can use this to inform our conversations about which aspects of school provision are going well and where we need to improve further.
We have every reason to embrace and redefine a new normal; bring about meaningful change in our schools and local communities.
If foxes have learnt to adapt and seek out new opportunities in the High Street, should we not follow their lead?
Here at Schoolweave, we would love to hear your thoughts about this and how you are reflecting on your whole school self evaluation practice currently. So please do get in touch!
To find out in more detail about what we’re up to with regard to self evaluation have a look at this brief 30 second video . Click here