Step 3: Strengthen What Works
Last week we started talking about the 4 step procedure that Marell Consulting Limited uses to promote excellence in schools. This is the third step.
After identifying something that is working really well at your school, celebrate first of course. Staff and pupils will want to know that something at their school is working really well. But after that let's take action to strengthen it. How?
Find the secret sauce
Why is it working so well? How exactly did we do it? Here I am not suggesting that you are not organised or intentional with your procedures and that anything good will have come about by accident. No. It’s just that sometimes something great can come about as a result of actions that were aimed at achieving something else so take the time to find out exactly how the positive outcome was achieved.
Standardise practice
When you have a clear picture of the strategy used to make something work well, ensure that those steps are followed across the school. Share good practice, support staff to learn and practice it until they are able to implement it consistently. Develop systems that others can follow to reproduce the winning strategy.
Throw it back in the cycle
Why? To ensure that it continues to work well. To find out if it could be even better. To take into account the fact that the winning strategy which makes it work so well can be impacted by changes in pupil cohorts, changes in staff and leadership, changes in legislation and statutory guidance.