Investors in People: Report – June 2009
1. Introduction
This report records the findings from the review of the Ashcombe School (‘The Ashcombe’) against the Investors in People (IIP) standard which took place on 15th June 2009. The Ashcombe was recognised as an Investor in People in 1999 and since then has opted for an annual review against the Standard. In addition to conducting a health check against the core requirements of the Standard, this year the Assessor incorporated some aspects of the ’your choice’ part of the wider IIP framework.
Since the Assessor’s previous visit there had been a number of developments. Some restructuring of the senior management team (SMT) and ‘shifting up’ of responsibilities had taken place (following the sad loss of a senior member of staff) and Acting Assistant Head positions had been made permanent. The other notable development has been the school’s successful application to become a Leadership Partner School.
This was the Assessor’s 6th visit to the school and as with previous visits it was evident that the school remains undeniably committed to investing in its people. Against the above backdrop of change and the traumatic start to the year, The Ashcombe is to be congratulated on its success in retaining its Investors in People recognition. Staff morale is evidently high and people continue to believe that The Ashcombe is a good place to work. A number of factors have contributed to this positive state. Firstly, the wealth of opportunities for development means that people feel they are continually learning and moving forward. The effectiveness of leadership continues to be a major strength and the positive role modelling from the top sets the tone for the school. The evident cohesion and unity of the senior management team means that people have great confidence in senior leaders and their capabilities. Finally, the careful and considered approach to adopting new initiatives means that people are keen to support and buy into change.
2. What went well?
A number of the school’s practices in respect to leading, managing and developing people are exemplary, notably:
Ethos – the school ethos (the Ashcombe ‘approach’) is well understood by the various groups of staff Improvement strategy and planning – school improvement priorities are clearly defined (‘school priorities – Spring 09’) and aligned to Ofsted and SEF where appropriate; it was noted that the school is already planning for the next Ofsted inspection
Keeping people informed – great efforts are taken to keep people informed of developments; a range of communication channels is used including regular meetings at all levels and the weekly newsletter
Structure – the senior management structure, reporting lines, roles and responsibilities are all clearly defined; people know who to go to with issues
Leadership capabilities – there is clarity regarding the desired characteristics of leaders at different levels; the adoption of the ‘characteristics of school leadership’ grid has been helpful in this respect
Leadership and management development – a range of support is provided to develop leadership and management capabilities and coaching is becoming part of the culture e.g. there are regular meetings between senior and middle leaders; development activities outside of school are also encouraged such as mini-secondments for teachers who have ‘stepped up’; there is a culture of encouraging people to try things and ‘dip their toes in the water’
Leadership role modelling – interviewees were complimentary about the effectiveness of leaders; they felt that they command the respect of the children, are approachable, provide a range of development opportunities, are good at picking up on individuals’ interests, conduct thorough lesson observations, have ‘outstanding’ systems and respond well in a crisis
Confidence in senior leaders – the senior management team is seen as cohesive, professional and reliable; the open style of the Head and the high profile he adopts is valued by the staff
Empowerment – there is an empowering culture where people are given the independence to carry out their roles but the support is there if needed
Career development - opportunities for development are transparent and people are encouraged to achieve their full potential; individuals are given the opportunity and actively encouraged to develop their interests within the school but don’t feel pressurised to take on extra responsibilities; the encouragement of mini-secondments is proving particularly effective as a means of providing people with wider experience without them having to move on.
Induction – the programme of training and support for new people is seen as well-paced and effective; NQTs find their mentors very approachable and supportive;
Evaluation of training – the system for evaluating Inset sessions in terms of cost effectiveness and organisation is well-embedded
Continuous improvement – self review and information from external reviews are used to continuously improve practices; SEF is well developed and there is evidence of adopting external best practice e.g. the leadership characteristics grid; the new Ofsted framework is already being reviewed and improvements are continually being made to the school site