In an insightful critique, American researchers Bryk et al highlighted a significant issue concerning education reform that targets school improvement - that the layering of reforms can complicate rather than improve educational outcomes.

This is a particular risk, they argue, for disadvantaged students, and can exacerbate educational inequalities.

As we navigate the aftermath of the pandemic, funding, staffing and estates challenges, and the potential changes an election year might bring, it’s more important than ever to ensure that policy is joined up. There simply isn’t the bandwidth in the system to cope with policymakers getting it wrong.

Beyond the urgent priorities

At the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), we strongly believe there are system priorities that governments of any variety should address with urgency, such as the recruitment and retention crisis, funding and services around schools. We stand by this.

But we also recognise that policymakers, especially during the approach to an election, will inevitably talk about “school standards” and there will be debates about how to support improvements in the quality of education in the classroom.

To be clear, resolving the issues mentioned above - such as recruitment and retention - is central to this aim. But politicians will want to say more than this, too.

This is reflected, for example, in Labour’s recent mission statements that suggest the establishment of regional school improvement teams.

Our latest paper addresses this topic by proposing a school improvement architecture that is coherent, proportionate and attuned to avoiding unintended consequences. If policymakers are going to head into the territory of school improvement, here are some principles we think they’ll find helpful.

‘Intelligent’ accountability

Our first principle is about the concept of “intelligent” accountability. This is more than just a catchphrase; it represents a significant shift in how we view and implement accountability.

We advocate for a system that offers clarity and insight into school quality without creating an environment of anxiety and instability.

Importantly, we also argue that accountability and school improvement should be complementary, yet distinct. They are undertaken by different actors in the system. Ofsted inspects. Government regulates. Schools and trusts do improvement.

Some have suggested that now is the right time to introduce trust inspections. Perhaps, but this requires careful consideration to avoid the layering of policy that Bryk et al warn against.

We tentatively suggest one way that such inspections could add value is by exploring a trust’s school improvement capacity.

But there is a significant amount of work and research to do before policy charges into this space. With Ofsted working now to reduce the burden of inspection, policymakers must tread lightly and thoughtfully.

Proportionate approach to regulation and intervention

We champion a proportionate approach to regulation and intervention. We broadly agree with a recent Institute for Public Policy Research paper, which argued that we need “softer” levers of intervention in addition to existing “hard” interventions, such as moving a school to a different trust.

Both have a role to play in the system, but we must use each in the right situation.

This is not about being lenient on educational quality; rather, it’s about adopting a smart, context-sensitive and supportive approach to improvement. Interventions must be tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of each school or trust, ensuring that they are proportionate and effective.

Organisational improvement capacity: shifting the focus

Another principle we advocate is a move away from the traditional view that school improvement is done by individuals, towards an understanding that improvement capacity is an attribute of organisations.

Bringing a whole organisation to bear allows for the deeper and more sustained application of capacity. This is a different conception from previous government support arrangements, such as the National Leaders of Education programme.

This is not to say that individuals don’t hold the knowledge, experience and attributes to bring about improvement. Rather we are saying that, when building or commissioning school improvement relationships, we should seek to do so at the organisational level so that talented people have more tools, and colleagues, to assist them.

It’s possible to see a version of Labour’s regional school improvement teams proposal that aligns with this idea. The system doesn’t need “hit squads” of civil servant advisers to be dropped into schools, but there might be value in developing a better regional understanding of where improvement capacity resides, supporting deep and sustained improvement relationships between organisations.

So for us, regional improvement teams - if they are established in the future - are a slim and efficient matchmaking team, not the hands-on deliverers of school improvement.

Transformative potential of networks and partnerships

Finally, more can be done to facilitate the creation and sharing of professional knowledge. This is where networks and partnerships can be really powerful.

These partnerships are not an alternative to growing effective trusts - they lack the clear lines of governance and accountability that are baked into such organisations - but if done well, they can be incredibly powerful at supporting the flow of knowledge and aligning action on shared priorities at a local or national level.

There are few panaceas in school improvement. It’s hard and complex work, and it’s best done by the professionals working in schools and trusts. We’ll be trying to understand more about that at our CST School Improvement Conference in Birmingham in April. Policymakers can support us all by making the architecture that surrounds and supports school improvement coherent, proportionate and effective.

Steve Rollett is deputy chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts

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