There are three points of focus that I’m taking during my school visit programme:

1. Self-evaluation;
2. Distributive Leadership; and
3. Learning tasks.

I’m going out to Kingsmeadow Primary School tomorrow. HT Donald McGillivray sent me a paper which outlines how they know their school and how leadership is distributed right across the school.

It’s really helpful to get this kind of detail.

Self Evaluation – How I Know My School

• SINATRA planning tool– regular access and written comments
• Teacher’s PET tracking tool – regular access and feedback at…..
• Target meetings and mgt/staff discussions. Review of assessment info.
• Team leaders report back at…..
• Management meetings – fortnightly
• Staff Meetings – monthly
• Support staff meetings
• ASL review meetings: attend, read minutes,etc
• Jotter moderation and comment
• Surveys – pupils, staff, parents
• Peer and management classroom observation and….
• ED&R – tying the above into the process
• Area meetings – participation/minutes
• Involvement with parents via Parent Council and informally
• Involvement in curriculum development – take the lead, eg, “Radiowaves.”
• Annual whole school audit
• Main author of development plan, drawing together from staff input and other sources
• Ensuring continuous review of development plan via set-piece meetings and other activities contained within CAT calendar
• Management team class involvement: timetabled, other than observation
• Walking about and being seen

Leadership – How Distributive Leadership is Developed and Promoted

 Staff

• Staff encouraged to, and do, take leadership roles in development plan priorities
• “Team Leaders” a feature at each stage, with PTs having a major leadership role for their year group/area
• Staff   rotate chair all staff meetings and have right of access to agenda setting
• Area meetings on CAT calendar allow staff to share issues and resolve problems by themselves
• Collegiate planning at each stage is firmly embedded as a means of developing collective responsibility for learning and teaching [on CAT calendar]
• School Advisory Group, made up from staff representing each stage, manage all ASL resources
• Staff  have complete management of the school fund
•  Staff all have their own budget for purchasing educational materials[ not texts]
• Peer observations are a feature where staff agree a focus for class observation with another teacher who then carries this out and gives feedback
• Timetabling for the session  is devolved to a staff group….with…..
• RCCT being agreed and delivered within this same context

Pupils

• Prefect system in place, covering: playground, wet weather, library, computer suite,etc
• PLPs allow some pupil control over their own learning
• Existence of School Parliament, Executive Group, Pupil Council, Green Team, Health Group – pupils actively participate in all of these.  Membership via electoral process
• School Bank run by pupils
• House system in place with House Captains elected by pupils
• Reward system that allows house points to be accumulated …and, also….
• Personal success celebrated via award of certificates  – weekly, termly sessionally
• Development of an enterprising culture via much of the above, as well as curricular, class-based activities that promote enterprise
• Pupils run assemblies under the direction of the teacher
• Golden Rules allow children to develop responsibility for self and others
• Inclusion allows opportunities for pupils to be responsible for supporting /assisting other children [ wheelchair bound, Down’s Syndrome, etc]
• Children teach other children [Radiowaves,etc] in order to pass on information/skills
• In class, pupil peer/pair assessment is developing