DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINED IMPROVEMENT DCSI

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DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINED
IMPROVEMENT (DCSI)

• Mark Hadfield Networked Learning Communities
• Howard Green Consultant, NCSL

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Capacity Theory to Practice

• Developing a Programme for Leadership Teams
• The programme has been designed to stimulate
  strategic thinking, based on a capacity building
  model, that will generate a big idea to secure
  the next stage of the development of your
  Networked Learning Community. It has been piloted
  with over 200 leadership teams from all phases
  and received a very positive independent
  evaluation report from the NFER.

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Capacity A Conceptual Framework
Higher Level Capacities
Organisational
Interpersonal
Personal
External Opportunities
External Opportunities
Baseline Conditions
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Key Components of Programme

• Pre-programme activity, including a review of the
  current quality of team working and learning
  within the leadership team and an analysis to
  answer the questions where are we now in terms
  of capacity building, where are we now as a
  networked learning community?
• Residential workshop (2 days) to generate a big
  idea for further improvement. The main themes at
  the workshop include futures foundations the
  learning school relationships teams leading
  change. There is substantial time available for
  the leadership teams to undertake their own
  thinking, discussion and planning.
• Follow-up support for implementation, over 12 to
  18 months, according to the needs of the school
  and with further learning around the big idea
  using NLCs. One and a half days consultancy are
  included in the costs below. Additional
  consultancy can be provided by negotiation.
• Review Event (1 day) to review progress,
  celebrate success and plan further developments.

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POSSIBLE OUTLINE FOR RESIDENTIAL WORKSHOP

• Session 1 Futures Thinking The Transformation
  Agenda
• Look at key social trends and the changing face
  of education, how schools will operate in the
  future and the implications for leadership and
  the leadership team. Fitness for purpose are you
  a leadership team for todays or tomorrows
  school?
• Session 2 Foundations
• Where are we as a Networked Learning Community?
  Are we in a fit state to tackle the
  transformation agenda? Are the basics secure? Are
  we asking the right questions of the right
  people?
• The role of self-review/self evaluation, what
  mechanisms are currently in place, quality of
  evidence produced, how is it used, does it meet
  the changing agenda?
• Role of the leadership team in this process, who
  holds the evidence, how is it shared and acted
  on, communicated to others?

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• Session 3 The Learning School
• The extent to which current organisational
  structures
• support or prevent collaboration creating
  opportunities to share ideas and observe others
• encourage experimentation and take risks by
  reducing the anxiety of failing
• prioritise adult learning
• create an enquiry culture and build intellectual
  capital
• enable people to recognise their knowledge gaps
  and then to tackle them
• create trust.
• Session 4 Relationships and Teams
• Personal/Interpersonal Capacities, including
  team building, building social capital, emotional
  Intelligence and Fullan on Relationships. The
  challenge of distributed leadership. The
  leadership team as role models.

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• Session 5 Leading Change
• Leadership as the integrating component of the
  capacity model. The importance of leadership as
  well as management and what we understand by
  distributed leadership.
• The session will take as its focus learning
  teaching, scaffolded around what it means to be a
  Professional Learning Community the changes
  needed and how these might be affected.
  Activities will focus on awareness within
  leadership teams about where high quality
  teaching and learning is to be found within their
  schools how to get a buzz going among staff
  about improving the quality of teaching and
  learning action planning for the future.
• Session 6 Action planning
• the Big Idea and continuing support. The use
  of existing networks, e.g. EiC and LEA
  headteacher/ deputy/assistant head networks, and
  possible new strategies, e.g. peer mentoring, to
  support the implementation of our plans. Ongoing
  involvement with the NCSL.
• Session 7 Level Five Leadership
• An uplifting look at the very best in leadership
  and management practice, Collins qualities of
  great teams and organisations.

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Alternative Models

• Two models of uptake
• Working with the Strategic Leadership Group from
  a network (5-8 people)
• Working with the leadership teams from all the
  schools in a network (up to 35 people)

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Key Features of the Process

• Enabling schools to
• become learning communities where adult learning
  results in the creation and sharing of knowledge
  about learning and teaching so that pupils learn
  and achieve more effectively
• understand change and plan for medium and long
  term change, taking into account the current
  state of the school, the needs of the future and
  revisiting values, vision and priorities
• focus on the quality of relationships and team
  working, both within the school and across the
  network
• implement models of distributed leadership within
  a coherent framework for strategic planning and
  implementation.

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Resourcing

• Networks will pay for the cost of cover and their
  residential expenses, including travel.
• The NLC will meet the cost of the consultants and
  the facilitators.
• Each member of the programme would have to commit
  to the residential, follow up days and review
  day. (Minimum four and a half days)