Teach Secondary - Issue 14.6

dialogue, shared problem- solving and the recognition of expertise already present within the school. A school will be more effective when good practice is shared and utilised in a more consistent way. Utilising the expert teachers already within a school will help to support any improvement efforts by building on that school’s existing strengths. This approach can also remove dependency on a small number of teachers and foster a culture of shared excellence, thus making it a more cost-effective way of supplementing a professional development programme. Cultivating excellence A further benefit of appreciative inquiry is its promotion of sustainable, values-driven change. Narrative is important in schools. Using appreciative inquiry can help shift your own narrative from one of ‘fixing underperformance’ to one of ‘cultivating excellence’. For teachers, this can have a significant impact on their motivation and how valued they feel. It promotes a developmental approach, rather than one in which ‘accountability’ becomes synonymous with ‘culpability’. Amid times of change – whether responding to inspection feedback, rethinking curriculums or improving student outcomes – appreciative inquiry can be a constructive and empowering model. Finally, at a time when rates of teacher burnout remain at record highs, appreciative inquiry offers a solution to the persistent issues of demoralisation and apathy. Centring professional conversations on ‘value’, ‘contribution’ and ‘collaboration’ helps foster a sense of purpose and belonging. When staff feel recognised for their strengths, and can see themselves as part of shaping change, their levels of motivation and commitment to the school – both factors closely linked to teacher retention – will often increase. This also aligns with broader goals around equity and representation, where shared ownership of improvement can reveal hidden strengths in school communities. And yet, while appreciative inquiry promotes positivity, it mustn’t be misused to mask genuine issues or avoid having difficult conversations. The strength of the approach lies in how it reframes problems as opportunities for growth, but it certainly shouldn’t become a mechanism for denial or complacency. Build and enhance For appreciative inquiry to be truly effective, it ought to be paired with rigorous evaluation and a commitment to honest reflection. This will ensure that any identified challenges aren’t ignored, but rather explored through a lens of possibility, empowering stakeholders to address them constructively within a strengths-based dialogue. Appreciative inquiry is fast becoming a core feature of forward-thinking approaches to school improvement –most notably the Laboratory Schools movement. Far from disempowering staff, it celebrates the various strengths that all practitioners bring to the workplace. In doing so, it builds and enhances, adding to what’s already there, rather than diminishing and disengaging staff. It offers a sustainable and ethical approach to school improvement – one which canmake staff and students alike become more active participants within their learning communities. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Geoff Baker is a Professor of Education and Craig Lomas a Senior Lecturer in Education, both at the University of Bolton, and both former senior secondary school leaders EMBEDDING APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY 1 TRAIN STAFF, BUILD AWARENESS At a whole school session, introduce the appreciative inquiry framework to staff. Then have colleagues question each other about what their best day at the school was and why, and what conditions needed to be in place to make that best day possible. 2 CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO CELEBRATE SUCCESS Try opening future staff meeting with colleagues by sharing success stories. You could also create platforms for parents to share their own positives when visiting the school for parents evenings, and provide a facility for doing this via email or other electronic means. 3 HOWWELL IS YOUR PERFORMANCE REVIEW CYCLEWORKING? Change the purpose and methodology of your performance management process away from just identifying deficits, to also exploring what’s working well and how existing strengths can be built on. 4 PLACE APPRECIATIVE INQUIRYATTHE FRONT AND CENTRE Rather than having your central school improvement efforts focus on looking for negatives, try identifying any particular areas where the school has grown, or find out what’s energising the school at that particular moment. 5 CONSIDER THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Communicate the appreciative inquiry framework to your students, then provide curriculum opportunities for them to reflect upon themselves and identify strengths that they can develop further. 59 teachwire.net/secondary S C H O O L I M P R O V E M E N T