Where Did SWELL Come From

1
Where Did SWELL Come From?

• Please write down any questions for the q and a
  session (next)
• Apologies for any repetition!

2
COPS GROUP

• The principals of our
• eleven schools have met for many years in a group
  called
• community of practice - COPS

3
EHSAS

• During 2006, our group applied to join the MOE
  Extending High Standards Across Schools
  initiative. The SWELL cluster was born.
• EHSAS clusters are expected to work together to
  achieve something that is not business as
  usual.

4

• SWELL will run for 4 years!
• Collaboration between schools is
• essential and a major aim

5
Our SWELL Aims

• Reduce Disparity
• Raise Achievement
• Increase Engagement
• Track Maths and Reading
• In each school, PD then action research in a
  chosen focus area within one of the key
  competencies
• Authentic Learning
• Participating and Contributing
• Managing Self

6
What Have Principals Done So Far?

• Identified overall SWELL direction, focus and
  intentions
• Leadership and change PD with facilitator
• Devised the SWELL structure principals, lead
  teachers, teachers
• Mapped out assessment methods and a timetable for
  data collection
• Devised a SWELL focus for their school
• Organised events

7
What Have Lead Teachers Done So Far?

• Developed a positive group dynamic and culture
  over several days of SWELL PD
• Devised criteria for baseline and engagement
  questionnaires
• Co-ordinated data collection in their school
• Discussed, questioned, fed back to principals
• Devised a SWELL focus for their school
• Carried out action research pilots

8
What Have Teachers Done So Far?

• Attended SWELL launch drums etc.
• Devised a SWELL focus for their school
• Begun PD around school focus
• Tested PAT Maths or Asttle, STAR
• Surveyed baseline questionnaires

9
Is SWELL just testing and surveys?

• NO! This data collection does
• provide valuable feedback and
• helps us maintain a picture of
• achievement across the cluster
• but

10

• SWELL is really about the focus
• you choose for your school
• along with the PD
• and action research you do around that focus

11
Looking Forward

• In the short term
• Receive a report on achievement in STAR, Maths
  PAT/Asttle in our cluster as a whole
• Receive a report on responses to our baseline
  (key competency) questionnaires from the whole
  cluster
• Receive a report on responses to our baseline
  (key competency) questionnaires from our own
  school
• Hear about 2 action research pilots
• Maintain contact between schools

12
Looking Forward

• In the medium term.
• Schools with similar action research focus areas
  will collaborate
• We will meet together to describe our action
  research projects, celebrate improved achievement
  and reflect on the what went well and what we
  would do differently next time
• We will keep track of maths/reading achievement
• Maintain contact between schools

13
Looking Forward

• In the longer term
• Schools may adopt an approach previously modelled
  by another school in the cluster
• We will keep track of maths/reading achievement
• and.

14

• Collaboration between schools
• to raise achievement
• (in its broadest sense)
• will become the norm!

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