Effective School Management

Case study from BCLP: networking systems
Enid Fraser, Headteacher of Parkview Community College of Technology
in Barrow, was very keen to investigate and address the dynamics of the
school’s leadership team as a catalyst for improving practice. She also
accepted the role of co-leader of one of the NCSL’s pilot Leadership Learning
Groups. An intensive residential in collaboration with Brathay and John
Byrne, a former Unilever Senior Manager who had also worked with NCSL,
led to a series of individual and group interventions with the leadership
team, facilitated by John. In a parallel initiative, Enid was trained in peer-
coaching skills using the GROW (Goals, Reality, Options, Will) model by
Brathay Consultant Gary Cooke. The activities of the Leadership Learning
Group formed a key element in a successful Networked Learning
Community (NLC) proposal, again with Enid Fraser acting as a prospective
co-leader.
The changes have included the broadening and restructuring of the
senior leadership team, the introduction of peer coaching as a change
management tool, a radical move from a horizontal to a vertical tutor
group system and a very visible commitment to leading change through
networks and partnerships – in the form of BCLP, the Leadership Learning
Group, a Networked Learning Community (the South Cumbria Learning
Innovation Partnership) and an Enterprise Learning Pathfinder Pro-
gramme based on the same membership and core curriculum priorities
(critical skills development) as the NLC.
A further development is the use of collaborative peer coaching by Enid
and the headteachers of the other three Leadership Incentive Grant (LIG)
secondary schools in Barrow as a vehicle for identifying priorities for
change and targets for action. This model uses BCLP staff, trained in peer
coaching, as observers in triads. The observers then provide feedback on
questioning techniques, issues arising and the effectiveness of the
coaching in allowing colleagues being coached to identify key actions and
deadlines relating to priority issues.
In summary, Enid has used a combination of partnership working,
development and application of new skills, redeployment of key staff and
the integrating framework of the NLC’s six levels of learning to generate
worthwhile change through a range of linked strategies:
National College of School Leadership
Networked Learning Community
Six levels of learning (where positive impact is expected to occur)
(1) Pupil/student learning
(2) Adult (initially teaching/non-teaching staff) learning
(3) Leadership learning (at all levels within the organisation)
(4) Within-school learning
(5) School-to-school learning
(6) Network-to-network learning.

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EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
BCLP’s role has been to create opportunities – through co-ordinating and
co-leading in the Leadership Learning Group and NLC bids, developing