Teach Secondary Issue 14.7

‘uniformity’. The strongest schools respect inter-subject distinctions, while also holding firm to their broader mission. They avoid the extremes of both laissez-faire autonomy on the one hand, and stifling prescription on the other. 4. Culture is crafted, not assumed Perhaps the most striking commonality is culture. In high-performing schools, behaviour isn’t left to chance, or to the whims of individual teachers. Expectations are crystal clear, taught explicitly and reinforced consistently. But it goes deeper than rules. These schools nurture positive attitudes. Pupils believe in the value of learning, teachers feel supported and parents see the school as a partner. This culture doesn’t emerge overnight, but is built deliberately, day after day, through small acts of modelling, communication and reinforcement. As we note in the book, the most successful leaders over- communicate their purpose. They make sure that no one – be they a teacher, parent or student – is left guessing about the values that matter. Why thismatters now It’s tempting to see these themes as obvious. Who wouldn’t want a sense of purpose, ambition and coherence contributing to a positive culture at their school? Yet visiting hundreds of schools shows just how fragile these markers of success can be. A single change in leadership, one rushed initiative or an over- correction in the face of external pressures can tip the balance. Before you know it, workload balloons. Behaviour slips. Curriculum coherence unravels. Suddenly, the swan’s graceful glide gives way to a frantic paddling that can barely keep the school afloat. This is why we argue that the real secret to improvement is deliberate action : knowing what you want to achieve, acting purposefully and then checking whether it’s working. The best schools don’t chase fads. They do the hard, steady work of improvement. Acelebration, not a checklist One of our aims in writing HowDo They Do It? was to challenge the narrative that school improvement is a grim, compliance-driven business. What we saw in classrooms and corridors across the country was something far more hopeful that entailed creativity, care and the sight of communities striving together. Yes, schools face immense pressures – funding challenges, recruitment crises, political churn. Yet despite this, every day millions of children will experience places of genuine magic. Schools where teachers and leaders are making something greater than the sum of its parts. Our book is both a celebration of that magic and a practical guide to sustaining it. It’s structured around the broad themes of the Education Inspection Framework – not because inspection is the goal, but because doing so provides a useful lens through which to reflect on purpose, quality, culture and leadership. We hope it gives teachers and leaders the same inspiration we’ve found from visiting so many schools; that improvement is possible, that good practice is abundant, and that deliberate, thoughtful action canmake all the difference. Final thoughts If there’s one thing hundreds of school visits have taught us, it is this – success isn’t a mystery . It doesn’t come from gimmicks or chance. It comes from clarity, coherence and consistency sustained over time. The schools that embody this aren’t just ‘Good’ in Ofsted terms. They’re schools where pupils thrive, ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark and Zoe Enser were both teachers and school leaders, ex-HMIs in Ofsted’s Curriculum Unit and now co-authors of How Do They Do It? Learning Lessons from Amazing Teachers, Leaders and Schools (Crown House, £16.99) LESSONS FOR LEADERS AND TEACHERS So what can schools take fromall this?We would offer three practical reflections: Interrogate your purpose. Can every member of staff articulate what the school is trying to achieve? Does your curriculummatch that purpose, or is it weighed down with legacy content? Raise ambition, but sequence it. Ask whether each stage of your curriculum gives pupils the knowledge and practice they need for the next. Avoid both re-treading old ground and leaping too far ahead. Build culture deliberately. Don’t assume shared values, but instead teach them. Model them. Reinforce them. Make sure your behaviour systems and professional development align with them. These aren’t quick wins, but they are sustainable markers of success. staff feel valued and communities can flourish. That is what we celebrate in HowDo They Do It? And that is what we hope every school, in its own context and with its own challenges, can work towards. 23 teachwire.net/secondary S C H O O L I M P R O V E M E N T