1. Growing great schools. What has the most impact?
Joanna Hall HMI
Deputy Director Schools
26 January Whole Education Conference

2. Ofsted findings: key messages
Leadership
Culture: high aspirations, valuing professional expertise
and challenging myths
Bespoke staff development including a focus on high quality teaching
Working in partnerships
Succession planning: knowing staff aspirations, identifying talent and seeking opportunities
26 January 2017 Whole Education Conference

3. Leadership and culture
Establishing and sustaining a culture of high aspirations, everyone having the chance to realise their aspirations.
A culture where:
voice of staff and pupils shapes development
staff are actively involved in developing the school, valued
communication and collaboration is strong, sustainable and not reactive
leaders value professional expertise of staff - teachers owning their practice without being asked to do ‘things for Ofsted’
leaders are confident to challenge each other if myths emerge
leaders are united in common purpose and understand fully their roles and responsibilities.
27 January 2017 Whole Education Conference

4. Leadership of teaching
Annual Report 2014/15:
‘It is good leadership, and particularity good leadership of teaching and learning, that makes the biggest difference to school and college standards.’
Determined focus on leading high quality teaching with secure, not erratic, leadership
Leaders have an accurate understanding of standards across the school and target action where it is needed the most
Helping teachers with curriculum planning has positive impact on teaching – developing subject knowledge
Taking difficult decisions where teaching is weak and developing competence and confidence of middle leaders to lead teaching
27 January 2017 Whole Education Conference

5. Leadership of staff development
Professional development for all - bespoke, timely
Leaders have strong evaluative skills to target professional development to short-term issues as well as planning longer-term development opportunities
Autonomy and accountability are equally important.
Annual Report 2015/16: Secondary school improvement
In the schools that were found to have improved, there was a very clear pattern of improved teaching because leaders had focused on continuous bespoke professional development.
Investment in highly personalised training, feedback and assessment of the quality of teaching was beneficial. Senior leaders understood clearly what staff needed to improve their teaching.
27 January 2017 Whole Education Conference

6. Leadership and building capacity
Recognising and nurturing talent - if a teacher has an interest in moving to middle leadership, what opportunities exist for them to learn more about the step up to middle leadership?
Staff development as a priority to develop the next generation of leaders
A commitment to mentoring new leaders – not assuming they know how to do the job well
Good induction processes – from NQT to a new role in leadership
Sharing good leadership practice within and beyond the school
In the system – succession planning at school, local and regional level
27 January 2017 Whole Education Conference

7. Leadership and building capacity
7 strong MATs:
Strategy for identifying and growing leaders
A strategy for retention and development
Identifying potential leaders early on in their careers
Rapid response to giving opportunities for developing leadership skills
Structured coaching and mentoring from experienced headteachers, shadowing opportunity and secondments.
Bespoke leadership and executive leadership programmes
27 January 2017 Whole Education Conference

8. Leadership: working in partnerships
Tackling challenges in teacher recruitment – doing things differently – how?
Recognising the importance of working with other schools, notably to access opportunities for staff development and access teacher training provision
Positive impact of external sources of support, including multi-academy trusts, teaching school alliances, local authorities and informal partnerships with local schools - and what about beyond schools?
Working with employers, colleges, HEIs, UTCs, special schools
27 January 2017 Whole Education Conference