Professor David Hopkins HSBC Chair of International Leadership

1. “Building Capacity forSchool Transformation in theNorthern Metropolitan Region”Presentation at the Northern RegionAchievement Improvement Zones Meeting for PrincipalsWednesday, 20th February 2008 Professor David HopkinsHSBC Chair of International Leadership

2. Agenda Design Timetable SEO and Principal Roles and Interface Handbook SIG Training SIG – Phase One Planning – focus and success criteria Nature of Staff Development Importance Culture Change

3. The Design of the Programme Improving Achievement Assessment for learning Literacy and numeracy Classroom management Pedagogy - effective teaching practice Regular training for all staff Intensive training for 75 teachers from each network School change agents School leadership Peer training

4. KNOWLEDGE UTILISATION PRIORITISATION AND PLANNING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GROUP AND LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM LITERACY TEACHING BEHAVIOUR NETWORKING POWERFUL STUDENT LEARNING PEDAGOGY NUMERACY ASSESSMENT STAFF DEVELOPMENT DATA

5. NMR Achievement Improvement Zone Timetable • September 2007 – June 2008: Phase One: Establishing the Process • July 2008 – December 2008: Phase Two: Going Whole School • January 2009 onwards: Phase Three: Sustaining Momentum

6. Building Capacity for School Improvement – The Handbook for Northern Region Schools • Module 1 – The Big Picture of School Improvement • Module 2 – A School Improvement Model • Module 3 – Building Capacity for School Improvement • Module 4 – Generic Teaching and Learning Strategies • Module 5 – System Leadership and System Transformation

7. Building Capacity for School Improvement • School improvement group and leadership • Prioritisation, planning and phasing • Use of data and enquiry • Whole school staff development • Knowledge utilisation • Networking and innovation

8. The School Improvement Group Programme • David Hopkins Feb - Establishing the SIG & Staff Development Groups - Monitoring Progress • Team March - Planning and Prioritization - Monitoring Progress • David Hopkins May - Model of Teaching & Learning - Monitoring Progress • Team July - Enquiry & Data use - Monitoring Progress • David Hopkins Sept - Knowledge utilization & Networking - Monitoring Progress • SEO’s & Project - Planning for 2009 Co-ordinator

9. A Three Phase Strategy for School Improvement Phase One: Establishing the Process Phase Two: Going Whole School Phase Three: Sustaining Momentum

10. Phase One: Establishing the Process Commitment to the School Improvement Approach Selection of Learning Leaders and School Improvement Group Enquiring into the Strengths and Weaknesses of the School Designing the Whole School Programme Seeding the Whole School Approach

11. The School Improvement Group The school improvement group is essentially a temporary membership system focused specifically upon enquiry and development. This temporary membership system brings together teachers (and support staff) from a variety of departments within the school, with a range of ages or experience and from a cross-section of roles to work together in a status-free collaborative learning context. One teacher has described it as the educational equivalent of a research and development group.

12. Phase 1 - Uncertainty about focus School Improvement Group feeling its way What is School Improvement? What is the role of the SIG group? How can the SIG work best together as a group? Initial reliance on established ways of working Initial reliance on existing structures Initial reliance on key personnel/leaders within the cadre Start to collect data and share it Uncertainty about the theory Where is it all going? It’s hard to make things happen.

13. Preparing for School Improvement Pre-conditions School Level Preparations Unifying Focus Means • Commitment to School Improvement • General consensus on values • Understanding of key principles • Shared values • A mandate from staff • Leadership potential • Identification of change agents • Willingness to make structural changes • Capacity for improvement Improvement Theme - An enquiry into Teaching and Learning School Improvement Strategy

14. Planning Proforma An example of a School Development Plan

15. Structuring Staff Development Workshop Understanding of Key Ideas and Principles Modelling and Demonstration Practice in Non-threatening Situations Workplace Immediate and Sustained Practice Collaboration and Peer Coaching Reflection and Action Research

16. Processes of School Improvement The ‘journey of school improvement’ A clear reform narrative is created, and seen by staff to be consistently applied, with: a vision and urgency that translates into clear principles for action. Organizing the key strategies Improvement activities are selected and linked together strategically; supported by robust and highly reliable school systems with clear SMT roles in key areas. Professional learning at the heart of the process Improvement strategy informs CPD; knowledge is gained, verified & refined by staff to underpin improvement; networking is used to manage risk and discipline practice. Cultures are changed and developed Professional ethos and values that supports capacity building are initiated, implemented and institutionalized, so that a culture of disciplined action replaces excessive control.

17. Professor David Hopkins HSBC Chair in International Leadership