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Strengthening Leadership & Governance through ISP. Norfolk LA GREYFRIARS PRIMARY SCHOOL & REFFLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL. Contextual Information GREYFRIARS. Greyfriars Primary part of first ISP phase in Norfolk and continued systems implemented.
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Strengthening Leadership & Governance through ISP Norfolk LA GREYFRIARS PRIMARY SCHOOL & REFFLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL
Contextual InformationGREYFRIARS • Greyfriars Primary part of first ISP phase in Norfolk and continued systems implemented. • Staff have good understanding of ISP and have a clear focus on improvement. • Part of PLP PSCL programme. • ISP has led to 4 year, year-on-year improvement in standards in English and Maths and 2 year improvement in Science since it was put as part of RAP.
Contextual InformationREFFLEY • Largest primary school in West Norfolk and one of largest in Norfolk as a whole. • Long established head left 3 years ago and replacement left on long term sick 3 months into headship. Very turbulent times for school with much uncertainty. • School placed in NtI April 2006 and successfully came out of it in 2007. • DAWN: Below average social deprivation, many low skilled, low paid jobs, broadly average A* - C at GCSE among adult population. • English 3 year declining attainment trend, Maths yo-yo effect but above Norfolk and National and Science sharp 3 year declining trend. • Mix of staff with many who have been at the school for a significant length of time. • Mixed aspirations and expectations amongst staff. • Attitude to ISP was variable and seen as more work and bureaucracy = against workforce remodelling & Work/Life Balance = Union Card played often!
Barriers to improvement and what needed to change? • Turbulence in SLT but there has been greater stability since appointment of current head and since September 2007 when new DH started. • Attitudes of key staff in school who fought any change being introduced and could be influential. • SL’s not taking responsibility for their subject areas and ensuring other members of team were more accountable. • Knowledge of staff especially around renewed framework planning and planning cross-curricular ISP.
What was done? • Attended RAP introduction meeting and reviews. • Identified support linked to the RAP. • Offered advice on where to find examples of layered targets etc. • Own staff led PDM’s on planning in the renewed framework and planning for cross curricular ISP. • Informal support network between SLT of schools. • Reffley staff attended CPD Autism Conference at own school as need had been identified at an earlier meeting.
How did we know it was successful? • Expectations of SLT around ISP in school has been raised. • ISP profile has been raised in school and there is a feel of ISP as you walk around. • Staff are more confident in use of layered targets in their planning and teaching and have clear focus on raising standards within their work.
How did we know it was successful? • Standards across the whole school are showing improvements. 2008 SATs are expected to be a rise on previous years. • Key staff are more proactive in leading their subject areas and there is now much more accountability. • SLT have a greater understanding of the ISP and its processes and are key drivers to its success. • More of a collaborative feel to the SLT and their work. There is much more of a ‘togetherness’ approach to school improvement. • Data is used effectively to highlight areas that require strengthening and to highlight children for intervention. • Data is showing accelerated learning among the majority of the school population. • Both schools have developed very strong links that could be built upon in the future through sharing of expertise and resources. • Informal support network across schools is now in place for senior leaders.
Positive & Sustainable • For the PSCL role to be a success there has to be 100% acceptance and understanding that the role is a supportive one and not judgmental. Once this has been accepted steps in improvement can be made through the sharing of experiences and good practice. • Collaboration led to strengthening of areas identified for development and raised the overall quality of leadership within both schools.
Positive & Sustainable • Regular rigorous monitoring of ISP is in place and all key staff play an integral role within this. Staff see them as leaders. • Understanding and knowledge of ISP at leadership level has improved greatly through sharing experiences and where possible filling gaps. This is filtering to all staff. • Staff see ISP as a joint responsibility and pupil progress is the key to school improvement work linked to Performance Management. Teaching & Learning has improved as a result.
Benefits Work Two Ways • Leadership at all levels in own school has been improved. • Staff at all schools open to collaborative working and standards are improving. • Own Ofsted stated that, “’We could not have picked a better school than Greyfriars', is one of the many positive comments from parents received by the inspection team. Greyfriars Primary is a good school.” • “The senior leadership team and the governing body have worked well together for these developments and thus leadership and management are very good. It has not been easy to achieve improvements in results quickly, it has required considerable determination to persevere. However, these efforts have paid off; from very low starting points, pupils now make good progress throughout the school.” • As a result of the collaborative approach to the pilot leadership and governance at schools involved has been significantly strengthened.
