In just 14 months, our school went from being judged “good”, to special measures, and back again.

Personally, this led to a loss of confidence in the inspection system. It also damaged the reputation of the school. Collectively, it dented morale, although we never lost pride or belief in what we were doing. So, as a staff, how did we not derail entirely? How did we not just survive this turbulent era in the school’s history, but actually find ourselves thriving?

One line manager tentatively suggested, “Perhaps trust is the key”. There are now a multitude of ways that a culture of trust is being re-established in the school: the introduction of a democratic and distributed leadership model; a wider range of staff leading their own initiatives; staff ownership of their continuing professional development; and greater links with other schools and professional bodies, to name but a few. We were also lucky enough to be given supportive guidance from a fantastic inspector, who helped us define a clear sense of direction and ensured we never became complacent.

One thing that really epitomises our return to a culture of trust and autonomy is the introduction of lesson study as a model of classroom observation.

Effective verbal feedback

We have recently completed our first pilot of this approach, in which triads of teachers collaboratively planned, taught, observed and analysed learning and teaching in research lessons. It gave back control to our teachers and empowered them; that has been key to us moving on from our Ofsted experience.

What did we discover in these lessons? Findings have been interesting. One triad, looking at student resilience, avoided the current trend of advocating growth mindset in schools through motivational posters and assemblies, as it was felt that this might mislead students. While an absence of effort virtually guarantees failure, more effort is not necessarily a guarantee of success.

Instead, the intervention was based on Martin and Marsh’s research into academic buoyancy and the triad focused their attention on the impact of teacher feedback. Findings showed that, for these students, feedback was particularly effective when delivered verbally, although further questions were raised about the best ways to increase student self-efficacy.

A sense of belonging seems to promote a sense of achievement

A further triad examined the effect of setting personal targets for students, finding again that specific verbal feedback directly related to assessment objectives seems to be more impactful than merely offering reassurance.

Our final triad’s lesson study reiterated the importance of setting clear and specific goals, as they investigated using reflection points to aid student progress.

Some interesting trends are emerging from the initial pilot. The power of positive teacher-student interaction seems to be key: students who feel supported by their teachers appear less likely to be alienated and disengaged from their work; a sense of belonging seems to promote a sense of achievement. A further benefit of the process is the close focus on authentic student voice, putting students at the forefront of planning and reflection, thereby ensuring the students have joint ownership of their learning.

The collaborative nature of lesson study is also popular with staff: it relies on teacher professionalism, and offers respectful challenge and support from peers.

Development over surveillance

The process of lesson study is not without its detractors and we are not naïve enough to think that lesson study is the answer. As an evaluative process it is time-consuming; for it to be carried out properly, it must be underpinned by theory and research. It is helpful that I am studying for a professional doctorate: my course is driven by practical research tasks and gives me a good understanding of the complexity of educational issues. It is also improving my research literacy, so that I can support others who don’t necessarily have the time to engage with or assimilate the scale of reading that is required.

But the beauty of the lesson-study process is that it prioritises development over surveillance and contains an element of measuring effectiveness - there must be demonstrable impact on progress and attainment, while teachers remain at the centre of planning, teaching and evaluation. We are using accessible summaries of research, such as the Education Endowment Foundation’s toolkit, to ensure that we avoid poor proxies for learning and we are focusing on teacher learning to improve teacher quality.

It has been empowering - and that has been paramount in enabling us to thrive. Our current education system can feel stifling when it discourages individual initiative by encouraging conformity and control. It can be worse when you are put in special measures. Undertaking research is a way for teachers to take increased responsibility for their actions; it is a method of returning teachers’ self-worth. After our Ofsted rollercoaster, we really needed that.

Julie Smith is a middle leader and teacher of English and Latin at Wyedean School in Gloucestershire