_________ ______ _______Innovative Schools toolkitInitial design and structure – Planning workshop for school leaders

Planning workshop aims

Objective Suggested Approach

To decide how each stakeholder group will be involved

Agree list of stakeholdersConsider list of engagement typesAgree which type of engagement will be employed with each stakeholder group

To produce a plan with dates and deliverables showing when workshops will take place, who will be engaged and how outcomes will be disseminated.

Iterative process – creating a document, discussing it, modification and discussion to finalise the plan.

To verify the plan Circulate the plan widely for comment

• Throughout this project you should not be afraid to ask why?

• All answers should end in improved outcomes for learners.

• The first questions your team have to deal with are

1. Why be an innovative school?

2. What work of others has influenced you?

3. What will our policy framework allow?

4. What are your key messages?

• Then this workshop goes on to put together the plan that will help you realise these aims

Why innovate

• Develop a framework that allows individuals to become passionate about issues that are meaningful for them

• Develop willingness to think differently

• Develop a capacity to get others involved

• Share the understanding that risk and failure are part of the process.

• Become a continuously improving organisation

Why do you want to be an innovative school?

• This section depends upon the range of engagement and pre-preparation of your team

• You will find suggestions for further reading contained within the Microsoft materials

• You will need to investigate the policy restrictions and requirements of your own context to make sure hopes are not raised too high within your school community

Research

• Evidence is that a small number of core messages are likely to add more coherence and provide an ethos to the work

• Example messages may be

– Developing new solutions together with learners

– Every teacher a learner

– If you still have a reason after 3 Whys it works

– Many small ideas change the world

– How does it improve outcomes for learners?

Key messages

• Identify key stakeholders

– Who to invite to workshops

– How to represent those not invited

– How to ensure cross stakeholder engagement

• Debate the framework for innovation

– What national policy is helpful / a barrier

– What capacity issues exist, how to manage anxiety

– What resources and flexibilities are possible

Planning overview

Senior team planning for innovation

National Policy, Social context, history, research,

current capacity

Identify key stakeholders and begin to prepare

representation of these

#1 Introspection

DeliverablesDeliverables

#2 Investigation

6i Workshops6i Workshops

#3 Inclusion

#4 Innovation

#5 Implementation

#6 Insight

Sign off of ideas phase

Innovation delivery Teams

Resources and Priorities

Evaluation of first 6 months

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A whole school culture of innovation

Ideas Sorter

‘BEST’ Vision

Add and/or subtract stakeholder groups required for consultation in your community.

Parents Community leaders Teachers

Learners Student councils Sponsors

Police Destination schools Feeder schools

Local residents Alumni Web community

Local businesses Local government School advisors

Define subsets of any of the above

Local charities Senior Management

Stakeholder landscape

(Dictated or Imposed are not recommended)

Inclusion Practice Explanation

Delegated Responsibility is given to a stakeholder group and their plan is accepted. ( We would be cautious of such an approach)

Co - developed The development of ideas is shared equally. Both parties have equal opportunity to influence the final solution

Consulted and debated

Stakeholders are consulted before a plan is written up then this plan is opened up for debate in an open meeting

Consulted Stakeholders are consulted

Informed Stakeholders are kept informed about the process with no clear way of them becoming involved

Inclusion practices

• Agree which stakeholder groups need to be present in each workshop

• Agree how stakeholders not engaged will be informed of how they are being represented

• Which inclusion practice is best for each stakeholder group.

• Remember that the more involvement by stakeholders the more robust the solution and the greater engagement that can be sustained

Task 1

• Prepare a timetable for the workshops

• Agree the attendees list for each workshop

• Add to the timetable, what outputs will be generated from each workshop and how will they be circulated in time to gain feedback.

• Functional planning is now complete

Task 2

Date Event Participants Outcomes Circulated to

10th Oct Planning workshop SMT Detailed plan Staff, governors, students

17th Oct Invitations sent out for engagement in workshop 1

SMT Invitation in person for stakeholders, invitation to submit for…

Different types of invitations sent to different stakeholder groups

3rd Nov Workshop 1 (???) ‘BEST’ vision statements. + invitation to feedback

All stakeholders

10th Nov Summary of returned comments

Admin Summary document All stakeholders

14th Nov Workshop 2 ??? 3 ideas sorters Public display circulated to???

15th Nov Workshop 3 ??? Multiple plans for different stakeholders

Circulated to ???

23rd Nov Deadline for all workshop 3 responses

Admin Next version of the ideas sorter produced

Public display and circulation to ???

30th Nov Workshop 4 Staff + key reps Innovation teams focussing on areas Invitation for teams? Publication of teams and their project ideas

15th Dec Deadline for responses Admin Overview of teams + plans All stakeholders?

17th Dec Workshop 5 Staff + key reps Final prioritisation and resource plan All stakeholders

5th Jan Launch of projects All Reminders and checks Public recognition

19th Jan Deadline for baseline data SMT Map of starting point Stored for workshop 6

20th June Deadline for review data SMT Map of 6 month point Stored for workshop 6

27th June Workshop 6 Staff + key reps Review of the impact of projects Good news items used as fuel

Example plan

• Check that the content and approach of each of the following workshops is in line with your aims.

Final task

Objective Suggested Approach

Establishing the framework for innovation.

Presentation to outline the methodology that will be used in the workshop for innovation and envisioning

Develop 3 clear long term vision statements in each themed area. These will be called the ‘BEST’ vision

Small group discussions in which delegates share their aspirations for the future of education in each of the main “Connected Education Framework” themes: Learning, Teaching, Connected Learning Community, Managing the Institution.

Discuss and agree the ‘BEST vision statements.

Individuals prioritise statements and whole group agree final version

Workshop 1: Creating a shared vision

Objective Suggested ApproachTo Review the ‘BEST’ outcomes and the feedback from stakeholders received

Provide printed copies of the ‘BEST’ outcomes and take delegates through these to make sure they are remembered and to include delegates who may not have been present for workshop 1. Provide copies of the comments received from stakeholders since workshop 1

To introduce ‘Ideas Sorters’ and stress the need to capture and sort everyone’s ideas

Problems are solved by ideas and these ideas should involve lots of people. Pre-prepare three ‘ideas sorter’ posters, one for each learner ‘BEST’ statements as a way of categorising these ideas.

To provide a framework for considering case studies and applying them to the local context

An iterative process of exposure to case studies, discussion and group debate to explore issues and current strengths

Case studies are valuable but must be prioritised, sequenced and in line with your vision

Case studies are added as post-its or code references to the three posters. Groups and the wider group debate the value of each case study and why it should be placed on the poster.

Workshop 2: Exploring best practice case studies

Objective Suggested Approach

To Review the 3 ‘Ideas sorters’ from the last workshop

Provide printed copies of the current posters OR provide full scale versions of the posters to review. Remind about the approach and give some specific examples.

To raise awareness of the range of stakeholders and their involvement

Identify the kinds of engagements verses the stakeholders who have engaged with them. Small group analysis

To propose gaps in the stakeholder map and suggest ways in which this could be addressed

Small and larger group discussions

To design stakeholder engagements The concept of a ‘Call for ideas’ is used as the basis of a wider engagement to endorse the plan. Delegates design engagements around this ideas hunt.

To implement stakeholder engagements

As planned above but with the outcome by next workshop that there is a mandate to continue

Workshop 3: Stakeholder analysis and engagement

Objective Suggested ApproachCreate innovation teams which have…

– A common purpose

– A built in self review mechanism

– Feedback from learners

– Four innovative ideas

Position one of the ‘Learner Outcomes’ posters in each corner of the room and invite delegates to choose the one they would most like to contribute towards.

Ask individuals to address groups by each poster and describe what they would like to be involved in so that groups can form.

Groups return to tables and with large poster paper work through the steps of forming an innovation team.

To set the first team task and establish working practices

Teams prepare a short presentation regarding how they will operate..

To share practice ideas Teams will give their brief presentations to the whole group so there is shared awareness and produce their key messages for wider stakeholder distribution.

Workshop 4: Project creation and planning

Objective Suggested ApproachTo appreciate the need for co-ordinated and combined action in order to effect transformation

Presentation of analogies with symphonies and pyramid building together with examples from earlier workshops so that the link is made between schools innovation and power of combined and co-ordinated action.

To identify the functional requirements of the innovations planned.

Consider the difference between functional and technical requirements. Maintain the educational focus mainly linked to learner outcomes. Split into cross team groups and write up requirements.

To create a resource plan for ICT requirements in support of the school’s innovation programme

Present further layers of complexity and use these as a way of changing the priorities of different required technologies. Identify which additional functions are needed to address other themes

To provide an action plan which sequences reporting on successes and the injection of new resources. To launch this.

Use the whole group to piece together the key milestones in the coming two years in terms of resources and achievement of projects.

Workshop 5: Project implementation, Tracking and Management

Objective Suggested ApproachSix to twelve months after the projects have begun – a chance to recap and evaluate effectiveness.

A review of the 6i process is provided as well as a reminder of the journey so far taken. An overview of the day is provided

To share practice and inspire continued development

Innovation teams present their progress to date providing evidence based outcomes of impact and relating their work to the original student outcomes required.

To tighten evaluation processes and improve learner focussed outcomes

Teams volunteer for hotseating exercises. One hotseat is conducted in front of the whole group to illustrate then groups break up with no more than one member of an innovation team in each group. Volunteers in each group are hotseated.

To review the plan of action for the coming months

Groups discuss the plan and how on-track the school is. Suggestions are made and modifications requested where necessary. These are brought back to whole school discussion before thanks and close.

Workshop 6: Evaluation and Measurement Process

• You have taken the first step towards increasing the capacity of your school to innovate and continuously improve outcomes for all learners.

Good luck!

• Original content by Dan Buckley through a collaboration between Microsoft, Imagine Education, Education Impact and Cambridge Education.

Credits