Supporting School Transformation

Let's Talk About Your School's Challenges

How effective is your school?
Do you want to improve any or all aspects of the school?
Do you need to develop individual leaders or your overall leadership of the school?
Are you overwhelmed with the number of tasks you need to complete?
Are you under pressure from governors, OFSTED, Local Authority or Trust?

We support schools and their leaders with all aspects of school improvement and leadership development.

Critical Insights from Unique Perspectives

Our support is based on sound up-to-date research evidence and a practical knowledge of 'what works' in school Improvement. Our approach is always underpinned by a deep commitment to social justice, academic rigour and creative problem-solving.

Dr Phil Cross

Dr Phil Cross is an independent education, research, and leadership consultant, specialising in school improvement, supporting school leaders, school evaluation techniques, staff training, curriculum-design, timetabling, and strategic planning. He is an experienced Headteacher with 15 years of successful leadership in especially challenging urban secondary schools and is an experienced teacher of mathematics and statistics. He has undertaken extensive research in the fields of school improvement, school effectiveness, and the statistical analysis of school data. His doctoral and post-doctoral research has centered on the multivariate analysis of student perceptions and developing a framework for transforming schools.

The Importance of Proactive School Leadership

The purpose of our work is to encourage leaders and other colleagues to be on the 'front foot' and to enable them to take greater control of their professional situation within what has become an increasingly confusing and contradictory accountability system.

In providing high quality support, we always work alongside people. Getting to know the context in which individual schools operate is key to shaping our tailored advice and professional guidance on how to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Your Go-To Resource for School Success

Getting to know our research-informed Dynamic School Transformation Framework is central to our support for schools. Our book of the same name documents all aspects of the support we provide within a single text.

Hear What Fellow Leaders Are Saying

"a richly detailed and authoritative guide to the ongoing work of school improvement" and "essential reading for headteachers and school leaders at any stage of their career, with serious learning to be gained throughout".
"a rare and refreshingly practical guide to raising attainment".
"empowers leaders to move beyond Ofsted-defined models of success and to cultivate school-improvement strategies that are grounded in critical professional experience, and forward-thinking leadership".

Discover Our Helpful Tools and Strategies

Further information about the tools and strategies contained in the Dynamic School Transformation Framework can be found d here:

EXAMINING YOUR SCHOOL CONTEXT

The School Through the Eyes of its Stakeholders

We can support a comprehensive analysis of students’ and other stakeholders' perceptions of the school using a peer-reviewed questionnaire, triangulated with focus group interviews. Where possible we survey the opinions of ALL students, staff and parents. The responses are rigorously analysed to statistically identify school strengths and areas for improvement. Clients receive a detailed report of the findings and conclusions, together with recommendations on how the findings can support sustained and continuous improvement.

HIGH IMPACT LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES

Action & Budget Planning

We can advise school leaders on how to construct strategic development plans and annual management plans that cover all operational aspects of the school, including: directed time calculations; on-line calendars and scheduling of all critical tasks and events in the school year. We can streamline the construction of action plans based on extensive school improvement knowledge of what high-impact strategies can best used to secure rapid and sustainable improvement and high standards. We also provide advice on how best to monitor and objectively evaluate new initiatives. We also provide practical support and guidance on constructing budget plans and monitoring their implementation using a specially-designed spreadsheet tool developed for this very purpose.

ANALYSING DATA

A Six-Step Approach

Our approach to analysing data draws together the crucial elements of data storytelling and a step-by-step approach that involves:

Step I:

Posing the right questions and hypotheses.

Step II:

Choose a sample and gather data.

Step III:

Organise, clean, and present the data,

Step IV:

Summarise, visualise and analyse the data.

Step V:

Interpret the findings from the analysis.

Step VI:

Communicate findings as part of School Story.

questions are categorised into those requiring: a univariate analysis; exploration of relationships; comparison between distributions and data reduction. An aide-memoire is provided to outline the types of statistical tests required to answer questions typical questions asked by and of school leaders in each category. sample dataset is introduced, which is used in later modules to provide model solutions and worked examples that employ extracts of R-code provided to assist those new to this approach. An introduction to the use of the statistical package R is provided.

DATA STORYTELLING

Documenting the School Transformation Journey

Chapter 12 of 'Leading Dynamic School Transformation' describes how all the individual components of the Framework combine to support the creation and maintenance of a ‘School Story’ that accurately charts the school’s improvement journey.

The template provided offers a transparent model of leadership in which all the processes described become part of the way the school is led and managed. Importantly, the ‘School Story’ offers a single method of communication with governors and, by delegating the completion of sections to other senior leaders, can be used by Headteachers to hold their senior staff to account in a collegiate manner.

The chapter also considers the implications of the dynamic School Transformation Framework for the training and development of school leaders.

RESOURCE SHOP

A One-Stop Shop Guide to School Transformation

At the heart of our support for schools lies our comprehensive book 'Leading Dynamic School Transformation'. This one-stop resource documents a unique approach to leading and managing schools based on over 46 years school leadership experience and academic research.

ARTICLES AND EVENTS

ENGAGING WITH PUPIL’S PERCEPTIONS

Research has shown that regular and systematic surveys of student views about their school are the most accurate and effective way of not only identifying how well the school is performing but also what areas could and should be improved. Students ‘lived experiences’ of their school are therefore crucial and so it follows that their views must be central to evaluations of school effectiveness.

I have been extensively researching the role that students can play in school improvement for the past 30 years and have developed a unique and rigorous approach to gathering, analysing and understanding student perceptions. The methodology employed is based upon my doctoral and postdoctoral research and is therefore peer-reviewed.

The following information is provided for those Headteachers and School Leaders who are interested in knowing more about how we can support school improvement by providing a unique multivariate analysis of the perceptions of all students.

How We Help You Put the Framework into Action

Organise presentations, conferences, and staff training sessions based on all aspects of the framework.
Provide the tools and templates described in the book, together with our 'how to' guides, via the resources shop in this website.
Undertake bespoke school improvement projects, leadership training, and/or reviews of the current school context.
Analyse your data for you or provide support with the teaching of mathematics and statistics.