All leaders want to ensure high-quality teaching and learning in their schools. However, there are many methods and debates about how to make this happen. At Big Education, we believe in empowering teachers and staff by using a bottom-up approach to drive their own development and learning. We want to make an accountability system which is ‘done with’ not ‘done to’.  We want to move away from over-monitoring and a heavy handed ‘Ofsted’ style approach.

At our three schools (School21, Surrey Square and School360) we are re-thinking accountability systems and processes. Our leaders want to have an accurate view of the school, but we also want staff to take pride in their development, be open about what they need to work on and take ownership of their own development.

To move to a Big Education, we need schools with a new culture. We need dialogue, which is honest and open and non-judgemental. We need teachers to become craftspeople to offer a big education. We need to move away from a culture of doing things just because they have been told to do it. We need a simple, but profound shift, teachers telling leaders about their practice, not vice versa.

This course is a case-study based course. You will hear of three different approaches we are using. There will be an honest discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of each approach as well as a change to reflect how these approaches may be implemented in your own setting.