There is much discussion within education at the moment about what Outstanding means, what it looks like and how it can be achieved. How can the mythical Grade 1 be obtained? Does it still exist anymore? With Ofsted announcing that all settings will be inspected between now and 2025, we are certainly going to find out.
Many settings, specifically those under the previous inspection framework, are keen to identify the steps required to be graded Outstanding. But how can they do this? What steps will they need to take?
Under the EIF, there is clearly a real focus on the learner journey and the experience that students have throughout all aspects of their education. Especially in Further Education, where there are so many strands being tied together (from English and maths to tutorial to work experience to apprenticeships, and beyond), looking at a holistic picture from a student viewpoint is vital to understanding the quality of education on offer.
But so many discussions around education come back to a series of questions about what Outstanding looks like (and how it can be achieved).
Of the many definitions I have heard over the years, one that has stayed with me was one of the simplest: ‘Outstanding just means being Good, everyday’. What was meant by this was that Outstanding was an aspiration that couldn’t be obtained every day as there are too many variables to control (and, at times, tame).
In short; no one can be at their best every single day. It’s not possible, and to try to achieve this is to risk burnout and certainly puts teacher and leader wellbeing at risk.
What else is meant by this statement is that consistency is absolutely key. Achieving a manageable level which allows all students (and teachers) to succeed, and maintaining that level is one of the key components in supporting student achievement.
And this means at all levels: regular CPD; supporting effective teaching; learning and assessment; having the right systems in place so that staff can do their jobs efficiently and also ensuring staff wellbeing and taking care of mindfulness (among many other regular strategies).
This means having an excellent standard for all of the services which feed into the student experience (directly or indirectly). Maintaining an excellent safeguarding provision; learning support assistant team; finance experts; human resources leaders and a recruitment team who are able to respond to the needs of leaders, managers and departments.
Of course, this all makes it sound fairly simple to achieve but clearly, it is not. However, it may not be simple to achieve, but simplicity is key.
Creating frameworks and procedures which give flexibility, meaning everyone in an organisation can perform, is a measure which should be taken to embed simplicity. Allied with clarity of communication, all staff should have a knowledge of key processes, how to carry them out and how and where to seek support if they need it.
Again, this is all made to sound so simple. It’s difficult to get these elements in place, as well as spinning the many plates of Further Education (and dealing with unexpected challenges along the way).
To reflect again on some sage advice, there is often discussion of metrics, key performance indicators and Ofsted measures (and these are all vital to the success of a college), but at times a focus on a college just ‘feeling right’ can also be beneficial.
Does the environment ‘feel’ safe? Does it ‘feel’ like students are engaged? Does the atmosphere across the college site ‘feel’ positive?
Again, none of this means that we should forget the targets and focus points that are currently focused on. So many of the things happening in colleges right now remain key: curriculum planning; timetabling; staff recruitment and staff retention – these remain vital components. However, without consistency, simplicity and clarity of communication, they will all demand more time and workload than they should, and this will directly impact on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the learner experience.
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To achieve simplicity and clarity of communication isn’t easy and this is part of the challenge. Another part of the challenge is maintaining this level when so many variables are in play. Finding the right people is key to this, but (as all successful sports teams do) this generally occurs in cycles, with high-performing staff moving into new roles or to other settings.
So, we are left with a simple message to communicate: consistency is key. Being consistently Good can mean being Outstanding.
About the author
Jonathan Kay
Jonny Kay is Head of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at a college in the North East. He has previously worked as Head of English and maths in FE and as an English teacher and Head of English in Secondary schools. He tweets @jonnykayteacher and his book, 'Improving Maths and English in Further Education: A Practical Guide', is available now.