This involves schools in the SLA investigating an area of joint interest and implementing change in each home school.
These groups include senior leaders, middle leaders and classroom teachers sharing practice and applying research to their areas of responsibility, trialling new approaches to improve and refine before implementing whole school change. In the past this has included: GD reading, writing scaffolds, feedback and marking.
Members meet regularly across the SLA hub where focused discussions are an excellent opportunity for CPD for teachers to develop their practice. Action Research is a cost-effective method of developing teachers own pedagogies across schools rather than just in house. Action Research is a core effective method of developing teachers, pedagogies and improving their confidence and ownership of the new learning.
This involves a collaboration of middle and senior leaders working together to share best practices on key projects and future changes in education across schools.
When implementing changes in school, this allows for reflection on current practices and an opportunity for professional dialogue which involves critical questions and sharing of lessons learnt.
Members involved will meet regularly for at least one academic year to share openly on practices within their own schools. If requested, practice can be observed across schools to prompt discussion and reflection.
Examples of Sharing Practices and Approach (SPA) in the SLA:
- Supervision of Staff Working with Pupils with SEND/High Needs
- New to English
- Attendance
- Writing
- Coaching conversations/ Peer to Peer Coaching
This involves leaders from a hub school offering peer challenge in a variety of ways.
Data Challenge
This involves verifying key lines of enquiry from data. Hub leaders analyse data and then meet with school to discuss trends and implications for key groups and subjects. Open discussion leads to critical questions being asked and Key Lines of Enquiry being confirmed.
SLT Effectiveness Challenge
This involves a Head Teacher observing a SLT meeting to prompt the Headteacher to reflect on the effectiveness of their meetings and further improve elements of these. The observing Headteacher will challenge and feedback observations which may not be obvious to the school’s Headteacher.
SLA Peer Review
This involves a review around a specific Line of Enquiry already identified as a priority. The aim of this is to give fresh eyes to further improve whole school change. This critical-friend approach approach allows the SLT to better understand the strengths and areas of improvement.
Peer Reviews are followed up with a check-in visit to discuss progress.
Moderation
This comprises of moderation across schools within year groups to verify standards.
Governors
Governors attend other hub school Governor meetings to observe and reflect on own practice.