Task Group Model for School to School Support and Challenge
Five highly acclaimed training sessions available for all Warwickshire headteachers were recently held across the County between May 15th and 24th. The training was led by Ed Carter, an independent Leadership Consultant, who has for the past eighteen months developed a very successful Task Group model for school improvement in a number of local authorities, following very successful headship experience. He is commissioned by Warwickshire and currently chairs Task Groups in the south and central districts of the county.
The government’s drive is towards system leadership and school to school challenge and support. In Warwickshire it is intended that this model is developed by all schools themselves from September, using local consortia arrangements. Already Ofsted inspectors are asking where schools are receiving their challenge and support from.
In preparation for September, training sessions were offered to headteachers to broaden the understanding of how effective Task Groups have been in Warwickshire in offering challenge and support to schools to improve their Ofsted judgements. While in the first instance the target group were schools that require improvement, delegates overwhelmingly agreed that the model explored in the sessions has something for every school who wishes to improve.
Over 50 headteachers attended the sessions. Feedback from each session was very positive. Several delegates had personally experienced the Task Group process in their own schools, and were highly supportive of the process and the way in which this has helped their schools move forward.
What the sessions covered
A central theme of the training sessions was to promote the understanding that there is an expectation for schools to adopt a challenge and support model across all consortia or groups of schools, and to consider how all headteachers will participate, engage and take this forward.
The first part of each session explored the rationale for the training:
- A highly successful model of challenge and support that schools could develop
- Helping headteachers understand the need for challenge and support
- Understanding the need to fully engage
- That support comes through challenge, and that it is the school and its leaders that are responsible for achieving improvements
The agenda was given a detailed explanation: the reasons why each section had been chosen, the reasons for school leaders and others to decide who should attend, and the protocols surrounding the meeting itself.
In essence, the Task Group itself is a discussion around the Ofsted framework, helping the school to understand where it is in relation to the grade descriptors, having the evidence to support its self- evaluation, and then setting actions arising from discussion to help the school to secure its evidence base in preparation for inspection. Actions are completed, progress against the school’s improvement issues is made, and the risk of not being good or outstanding reduces as a result.
The second part explored the model in detail. Each agenda item, based on the Ofsted Inspection Framework areas, was examined, and an insight was given as to the range of questions the Chair needs to ask to help the school move forward.
The role of the Task Group Chair
Crucially, some headteachers are less inclined to carry out this process with other schools for many reasons. The training emphasised that as Chair of these meetings you are not there to:
- Solve the school’s problems for them
- Provide answers
- Carry out the improvements
You are there as Chair to:
- Ask questions to unlock the school’s thinking (90+% questions, less than 10% advice)
- Act as a consultant and not a headteacher
- Help the school to securely know where they are, and help them to secure they need to substantiate their judgement
The Task Group process is a highly successful model that has benefited both primary and secondary schools, whether they require improvement, are good or outstanding. The track record of success is unquestionable: this model has the facility to improve any school over time and reduce the risk of not being good or outstanding.
As the drive and expectation towards system leadership develops, the challenge for all school leaders is for all headteachers in a consortium or group of schools, to be engaged in a process of challenge and support with other headteachers and their schools.
Ed Carter – contact details
Ed Carter is an independent Leadership Consultant and is happy to support Warwickshire consortia and schools in the drive for improvement. His contact details are: mailto:ejccarter@gmail.com
Thank you to Ed Carter for contributing this article.