Could do better
Improvement planning holds the key to raising standards, but many schools fail to take a rigorous enough approach to this crucial area, says Keith Wright. Here, he sets out a strategy for instilling this discipline into school life.
British international schools are under greater pressure than ever before to provide the best possible education for their students. Competition for places is intense and if these schools don’t perform academically, they won’t attract new cohorts of students.
High performance isn’t an issue for many British international schools. But it will be much more difficult for these institutions to maintain their standards in the future if they don’t effectively manage school improvement processes – activities such as staff CPD, performance appraisal and development planning, that help individual staff members perform to the best of their abilities.
No school leader would argue that the tracking and management of school improvement processes that help staff aren’t just as important as tracking pupil progress. If school leaders have a clear view of what’s happening in these areas, they can make sure everybody plays a part in reaching school development targets. It also means that leaders can identify which staff members need more professional support and everyone gets recognition for their contribution. The result is a better-run school in which pupils prosper...read more
