EdisonLearning has worked with numerous schools over a three year partnership built upon five strands that reflect this key finding.
- Through the Leadership strand we develop clarity of vision, distributed leadership, effective teamworking and the leadership skills of every staff member.
- The Learning Environment strand focuses on the systematic development of a strong set of shared values throughout the school community: values that become evident in relationships, behaviours and artefacts.
- Pedagogy & Curriculum enables schools to have a shared language to describe good and outstanding teaching and to equip young people with the Core Learning Skills they need to become lifelong learners and good citizens.
- Assessment for Learning ensures the responsive and effective use of assessment data to guide global improvement, focused intervention and the development of day-to-day classroom practices.
- Student and Family Support helps schools to create contexts for learning that work for everyone, engage parents effectively and use resources well to support learners with additional needs.
The work in the strands interweave and amplify the impact of one another, for example through the creation of Achievement Teams and student led Termly Learning Conferences, whose success draws on aspects of all the strands.
Schools usually work with two skilled Achievement Advisers who come to know the school and staff exceptionally well. They support the school through Academy Days where new content is explored & planning takes place and Development Days which support key staff in the practicalities of following through their plans. Very often the partnership works within a network of schools with the Academy Days bringing together people in similar roles.
While the Partnership’s aim to ensure sustainable success, the foci in the first year are usually weighted toward addressing school’s immediate concerns, for example the performance of the next cohort to take high stake assessments.
* Bryk, S., Bender Sebring P., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S. and Easton, J. (2010) Organizing Schools for Improvement- Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
