EIP 2 Session 3 PowerPoint presentation (including speaking notes)

Slide 1

Empowering Improvement Project 2

Session 3: Community of learning

Slide 2

Image showing the five core questions:

Question 1 – What is the school’s/organisation’s vision and what informs it?

Question 2 – How is the school/organisation setting about achieving the vision, within its own context?

Question 3 – How does the school/organisation monitor how well it and its learners are doing and how responsive is it to overcoming challenges and barriers?

Question 4 – How does the school/organisation define, celebrate and embed success for all learners?

Question 5 – How is the school/organisation creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a community of learning?

Question 5

How is the school/organisation creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a community of learning?

Speaking notes - To begin we ask you to read the question on the screen - what do you think about when we see this question? What pops into your head?

Slide 3

Image showing the five core questions:

Question 5

How is the school/organisation creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a community of learning?

Speaking notes - So, at the outset we would like to look at these highlighted aspects of the question without jumping straight to the ‘community of learning’ bit.

Think about creating the right conditions.

Think about growing and developing within those conditions.

Slide 4

Image of a row of people with arms around each other’s shoulders and text ‘None of us is as smart as all of us.’ Ken Blanchard

We all have strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has something to give. Everyone in the team is valuable.

When we work together, think together, build on each other’s ideas, and share our time and efforts, everyone’s work life balance improves and the outcomes are better for learners. – and that is what we are all about! - making things better for the learners.

Slide 5

The growth of a community of learning begins in your own school/organisation.

Image of a row of people with arms around each other’s shoulders. Speech bubbles with text: collaboration; communication; continuing to learn together; ethos and culture; relationships.

Speaking notes - But the growth of a community of learning begins within the school/organisation itself, within your own school/organisation community, before it can be developed with other schools/organisations.

Slide 6

The extent to which:

How is the school/organisation creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a community of learning?

The school/organisation encourages the growth and development of a community of learning where collaboration, communication and continuous learning are valued and promoted among learners, staff, parents/carers and the wider community. This may include:

- the ethos, culture and relationshiips for learning;

- supporting professional learning and well-being of staff;

- involvement of the children, including the extent and impact of learner participation;

- building and sustaining partnerships;

- engagement with the local community, including purposeful relationships with business and employers where appropriate; and

- the appropriate use of external support/providers.

Slide 7

Growing a community of learning

A community of learners is a group of people who support one other in their collective and individual learning.

They co-operate and work productively together.

Individually they are motivated and strive to do quality work.

Slide 8

Culture eats strategy for breakfast!

Cartoon image of different sized fish in a row about to eat each one in front with text ‘Culture’ above the largest fish and ‘Strategy’ below the smallest fish.

Peter Drucker, management consultant, educator and author is accredited with coining the phrase: ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’.

Slide 9

Workshop one

How do/can we promote the right conditions for the growth of a community of learning within our school/organisation?

How do we grow a community of learning within our school/organisation?

Image of a person’s hand planting seeds.

Speaking notes - Thinking about our vision and context… what is it we want to see happening in our school/organisation, within each classroom and with relationships at all levels that will allow us to grow as a community of learning?

How can we ensure that we are in an environment that will support learner success?

So, in your groups we’d like you to consider- how do we promote the right conditions for a community of learning and how do we then grow it within our school/setting?

Slide 10

Workshop one

Image of person standing looking at wall with text ‘Feedback’.

Slide 11

Strategies for success

Arming people with their intent
Sharing responsibility/collective ownership
Developing expertise and character
Fostering curiosity, innovation
Encouraging risk taking to improve
Giving time to practise
Connecting and collaborating
Remaining true to your vision and values
Image of book cover ‘Legacy’ by James Kerr.

Speaking notes - At this point we are thinking about the ‘growing and developing’ of an effective staff team and the implications for leaders.

The leaders have a huge role to play in creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a Community of Learning.

Slide 12

Image of book cover ‘Collective Efficacy’ by Jenni Donohoo.

When a school staff shares the belief that through their collective actions they can positively influence learner outcomes, learner achievement increases.

Slide 13

Team work

Vision/purpose

Collective efficacy (team work)

Image of a group of people pushing a huge snowball.

Slide 14

Developing your community of learning

How is the school/organisation creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a community of learning?

Speaking notes - Moving on…..and having considered the right conditions for the growth of a community of learning, we now consider the development of the community of learning.

Slide 15

Developing a Community of Learning

Developing links with:

Parents
Outside agencies
Local business
Local community
Other schools/organisations
Shared Education opportunities for schools
Enhancing the learner voice

Slide 16

Workshop Two

What benefits can you envisage, or have you seen, coming from effective partnership between schools or with other organisations?

Speaking notes - Workshop two.

Having reflected on the community of learning that exists within and around your own school/organisation, we will now consider how you feel you could (or already do) contribute to and learn from wider partnerships.

What benefits can you envisage or have you seen coming from effective partnership working between schools or with other organisations?

In particular, consider how these partnerships ultimately benefit the learners.

Slide 17

Workshop Two

Image of person standing looking at wall with text ‘Feedback’.

Slide 18

Recognising a successful community of learning.

Slide 19

School 1

…has spent time developing relationships at all levels. They have developed the capacity of staff within the school, raising standards in learning and teaching which is reflected in the outcomes for children and young people across the board. They work very effectively with outside agencies and in partnership with parents to benefit the children and young people.

They have established a cluster with two other schools that are also ready for partnership.

The cluster has shared values, a clear vision and creates opportunities for staff professional development for teachers and classroom assistants.

Collectively their work impacts positively on the outcomes for learners, leadership and provision.

Slide 20

School 2

Following on from a gap identified through self-evaluation:

This school has worked to develop teamwork within their own school. They are working to develop a shared understanding of effective teaching and learning while developing an inclusive environment. As part of this work, they have begun to exploit links with parents and outside agencies to impact positively on the children and young people and build capacity within the school.

As they develop, they will evaluate and review their policy, practice and procedure. Over the next year or two they will begin to collaborate more fully with other schools with a view to forming meaningful partnerships.

Speaking notes - Schools 1 & 2. Both examples of effective practice within their individual context. Next, we’re going to take time to reflect on what stage your school/organisation is at.

Slide 21

Reflection

Vision and values
Ethos, culture and relationships
Communication, collaboration and continuous learning
Parents and wider community
Outside agencies, other schools and phases

Image of a person’s hand planting seeds.

Speaking notes - We ask you now to reflect on your own starting point-

Listen to these questions and reflect on where you think your school is at.

Have we established a shared vision and values?

Do we need to reflect on and grow the ethos and culture of relationships within our classrooms and among staff? Is this our starting point?

Are we seeking out opportunities for communication, collaboration and continuous learning together? Is this our starting point?

How do we engage and harness the potential of parents, outside agencies and the wider community and develop the capacity of staff to strengthen our community of learning and impact positively on the outcomes for the children and young people? Could this be our starting point?

Where is there potential for meaningful communication, collaboration and continuous learning with other schools, phases, and organisations? Is this our starting point and if so,

have we got the expertise we need within to take this forward and if not, how can we find it to get us started?

Slide 22

Reflection

Whatever our starting point, it is important to reflect on our vision and consider how creating the right conditions for the growth and development of a community of learning can help us get there.

Image of a person’s hand planting seeds.

Slide 23

Embedding success through leadership

Leaders…

Establish a shared and coherent vision.
Identify and work to remove barriers.
Maintain a focus on Teaching and Learning.
Provide excellent professional development for all.
Have high expectations.
Know what’s happening.
Listen.
Eencourage risk taking.
Build teams.
Implement and monitor.
Celebrate success.
Support professional growth at all levels.
Understand their context and use assessment and other information to set priorities and measure impact.