Please note: Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) is now Lift Schools, this post may reference the name of the trust at time of posting.
Off the back of the AET Principals’ Conference in Birmingham last month, we recently published two blogs exploring the theme from the conference ‘Sustainable Excellence’. In the final blog of this three part series, Nabila Jiwa, Principal of Richmond Park Academy, explores what sustainable excellence looks like in practice in the context of her school.
The Principals’ Conference. A room full of energy drained with the weight of the collective responsibility of 4 x 90; a feat not achieved by any academy trust, or group of schools. Ever.
Witnessing the shift from terrified Principals; each trying to ascertain what miraculous prayer they would need to do to move their individual school to this goal, to the promise of what this goal could mean for their students, their students’ lives, and their students’ futures was remarkable.
Then came hope, excitement, but most importantly seeds of collaboration.
AET 490 after all is not a goal for one school or one Principal, it sits on the shoulders of everyone together and it is only in this spirit that it can be achieved. Sustainable excellence, at its heart, is the intentional commitment to ensure an excellent education for students, in every classroom, every day. But how do we break down this, albeit inspiring, vision down to a clear mechanism of success for schools?
In our London network, we have spoken extensively about capacity givers and capacity takers. The recognition that success, or good practice, in our own schools is insufficient as our collective goals can only be achieved by meaningful collaboration has become more than apparent.
We have discussed the strengths and challenges of our individual schools. Some, in our network, are stronger at certain facets, for example, attendance, teaching, and leadership development. The question now shifts to how we leverage this power of network to strengthen and lift all of our schools to greater heights.
This is certainly the goal of our network over the coming months and years.
And it is not an easy one. As Principals, we are notoriously egotistical and focused on our own patch. After all, this is somewhat reasonable as we are judged not by the Trust goals but by local goals: Ofsted and data tables to name just two that loom large in leaders’ minds. The shift therefore to look beyond this is not easy, or comfortable. But it is vital if we are truly bought into our collective responsibility.
For me, the shift from tokenistic collaboration to meaningful collaboration is a leadership goal for next academic year. We have discussed instructional leadership as an integral mechanism for the improvement of teaching in our schools. The practice of giving time, precise feedback and the culture of incisive change is undisputed.
The principles of this, however, can be applied to our interactions with one another too. Do I spend enough time with other Principals? Is precise feedback given mutually? Do I share, meaningfully, when something has gone well? Do I ask for help when others are doing something better? Do my capacity givers give enough time to their counterparts in other schools? How do we foster and encourage this? Instructional leadership needs to be applied at all levels moving forward.
And this does not, and cannot, sit solely with Principals in schools. Whilst it must start here, the aim to embed this throughout the school fabric is essential. When the most beautiful, inspiring, and challenging scheme of work is created on Photosynthesis, sharing this to benefit other students, at other schools, must become the norm for this system change to work. This will take time; however, its importance is unparalleled.
The goal has been set, the mechanics are forming, and new heights will be reached. The time for change is now. I, for one, am ready.
Σχόλια