Scaffolding school accountability and development with EASE

Many teachers, school leaders, parents and educators have raised their voices following the death of primary headteacher Ruth Perry. They join Ruth’s family in expressing concerns and calling for a pause in inspections and a radical change to the inspection regime.  The concerns of the profession are now being widely reported, for example by Yorkshire Bylines. Despite Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, acknowledging that there is a ‘culture of fear’ regarding inspections and conceding that some changes would be made concerns remain that this is an insufficient response. 

No one is arguing against a system which regularly ensures that members of school communities (staff and young people) are safe from harm but with regards to safeguarding it is regularity which needs stepping up.  Beyond this need I have been reflecting on what an alternative to the current inspection system might look like.  At this stage I am not thinking significantly about who should hold the equivalent positions of the current inspectors, but rather what the tone and purpose of an alternative could be. My thinking has alighted on the concept of EASE.  
So, what does EASE as my acronym stand for and why might this model be a step in the right direction? These are my ideas to date; they are not fully fledged, and they remain untested other than through a few responses to the original idea on Twitter.

E = ENQUIRE
To understand the characteristics of a school it is important to take time to explore them.  This can be focused through the lens of questions and the stance of curiosity. To enquire is to seek information and to be open to what one finds. Questions framing an enquiry are usually a balance of open and closed questions.  Imagine an opportunity for a school leader to respond to questions such as “How do you allow children in this setting to gain a sense of identity and pride?”, “What data do you have to show that wellbeing is a priority in this setting?” “How do you know that vulnerable children are making sustained progress and how has that been achieved?” and “What has been the most powerful recent partnership between parents and carers with the school and what is its legacy?” 

A = APPRECIATION
It is valuable to know how schools differ from each other and how they are rooted in context to best serve and shape their communities. A small primary school with mixed year classes is very different to a four-form entry primary let alone a secondary school with 2000 students. Using the enquiry approach to explore how a school, college or pre-school setting is perceived could give voice those who are impacted by the school, including children and young people, parents, staff, community members and local employees. Appreciating and sharing the cultures, practices and characteristics of schools which make them unique and successful would feel like an acknowledgment of their realities and an authentic celebration of what they are achieving. It would also begin to create a rich tapestry of documented evidence about the qualities of contemporary educational settings. Think what an amazing national resource that could be.

S = SUPPORT
Most education leaders know how they want to develop their setting and know what barriers to change there are internally and externally.  Sometimes pursuing a line of enquiry allows them to recognise additional gaps and opportunities and hearing the voices of others in the community undoubtedly provides opportunities for learning, reflecting and decision making.  Being able to seek help, guidance and advice should be a positive attribute in the school system. Knowing that those people involved in holding schools to account can also advocate for their development, offer genuine support or signpost routes for improvement should be a given. Being a learning organisation and growing and contributing to a thriving education system which does the same should be at the heart of the societal purpose of schools. 

E = EMPOWER
Teachers and leaders actively deepen their professional insights and understanding and strive to strengthen their teaching, leading and pastoral repertoires when they feel respected and trusted and are adequately resourced to do so. Their learning and development are supported when creativity, contextual adaptation and problem-solving is encouraged, where the diversity of talents within the profession are acknowledged and built on and where there is a strong sense of belonging and co-ownership.  The time, resource and effort given to holding schools to account and celebrating their contributions and achievements should be fuel which energises educators and enables them and their students to flourish. Empowering educators should be the aim of scaffolding school accountability and development.

To conclude, I acknowledge the need for the quality of educational provision, learning outcomes and children and young people’s wellbeing in schools to be recognised and reported. However, I see no value in that being undertaken through a process which loads stress and distress onto the school community, and which is done urgently rather than with due consideration over time, or which feeds a system whereby rank ordering schools and using blunt tools for labelling them is the brutal result.  

EASE is not only my acronym as outlined above but is also one of the components of Nancy Kline’s Thinking Environment.  In essence it proposes that to create the conditions for ‘best thinking’ we need to create psychological safety and offer freedom from internal rush or competition. To me this seems highly relevant in this discussion.  Imagine education as a system which creates the space for everyone involved to their ‘best thinking’ and to bring that together to build capacity which allows our schools to really meet their potential in creating the best possible futures for children and young people.