Based on my most recent work with schools in East Oxford, I have seen a huge opportunity to improve the coordination and collaboration between, and across schools in the city. There are too many loose ends, and those threads need picking up, before local provision falls further apart. I would like to find a way to do this exciting work for the city I live in, and have a few suggestions to see this happen.
I have tried to find ways to change the quality of education in the city in the past (See ONSchool) , and have developed a great network of those who care about the issues around the quality of provision in the city. Yet, I have still been shocked to find just how isolated our local schools have become from each other!
For example, while almost all schools are changing their curriculum for September, there has been almost no sharing or collaboration on this huge effort. I could list the issues I have spotted and have worked on for St Francis (around CPD, Assessment, resource planning, staffing). I am sure these are not surprising to anyone working in schools.
What has shocked me is the extent to which without an LA able to support collaboration, divided political will between City and County councils (of different political hues), Academy trusts seeking internal priorities, most schools have been left to themselves and failed to forge effective links to help each other. While some are successfully facing down challenges and making huge successes for their children and communities, there is still not enough sharing of good practice across the City.
I would like to help change that. I am well placed, and have the skills and the energy. But more than that, this is coming from the classroom upwards – rather than being led from ‘above’.
Following a major piece of curriculum review work, at St Francis, (see here) I have recently focussed on creating links between the school, staff and children at St Francis out to the local community and other schools. The common key drivers are the move to a Storytelling based curriculum, and taking learning ‘Beyond the Classroom’.
Apart from changing the ‘What’ we teach, we want to change ‘How” we teach. To change pedagogy as well as curriculum, we need to work and learn collaboratively, otherwise all the hard work to change teaching and learning will risk not be sustained.
I have spoken to SLT at Larkrise, St. Christopher’s, and East Oxford (incoming) – to find ways to link our schools around the following:
- Buddying up staff to support planning
- Evolving assessment practices (avoiding a new system for each school!)
- Develop and extend CPD opportunities
- Encourage an evidence based practice approach
- Linking to other educational provision (independent schools, local services, universities)
- Improving external communication about learning
I have also begun work on a resource to support Beyond the Classroom work, and set up a regular TeachMeet, to support staff networking. Local heads and deputies have responded really well to this, BUT this is not (yet) a coordinated piece of work.
The Isis Partnership of schools in East Oxford has floundered of late, many people privately admitting that it struggles to find relevance and direction. Yet, this is the perfect vehicle for collaboration. What is missing is clear coordination, toward positive change. Individual school leaders are doing great work, but there a missing ingredient to support them
I would like to be that added factor. This post is a direct statement of intent – but also a call for change. I know, given current financial and political realities, that there is unlikely to be a ‘job’ waiting for me – but hope that with a bit of innovation, I can find a way to continue my work.
I am talking to those who could make this happen, and hope that, as we head towards a ‘Middle Tier’ in education, I can be useful to the development of a local solution to support the families of Oxford, and to enable better coordination in our local schools.
