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Redesigning Schooling

Sue Williamson urges education professionals to collaborate in redesigning the education system for world-class excellence. SSAT, with school leaders, works on this ambitious mission, seeking input from all stakeholders.

Redesigning Schooling Pamphlets
Case Studies
Redesigning Shcooling in Action

Pamphlets

Redesigning Schooling – A Vision for education – beyond five-year policy cycles

This ambitious pamphlet envisions a new paradigm for education, promoting high equity, high quality, and learner agency. It follows 25 years in a teacher's life, inspiring others to share their visions for 2040.

Redesigning Schooling – 10: What the new professionalism means for England

Sue Williamson's pamphlet advocates for uniting and uplifting the teaching profession. emphasising the need for a new professionalism, fostering strong human capital, and attracting the best educators for the future.

Redesigning Schooling – 9: Collaboration and networking

Collaboration and networking are crucial to the Redesigning Schooling agenda, enabling schools to overcome challenges and bring about positive change together. Practical implications and benefits need clearer understanding.

Redesigning Schooling – 8: Principled assessment design

Schools face the challenge of transitioning from the current levels of achievement to the new national curriculum. It's an opportunity to design a tailored assessment system that suits each school.

Redesigning Schooling – 7: Professional accountability

Dr. Peter Matthews argues that accountability is principally an intrinsic part of professionalism in a self-improving school system, although proportionate external accountability measures are unavoidable in highly autonomous, publicly funded schools.

Redesigning Schooling – 6: Engaging parents: why and how

Parental engagement matters for educational performance. Some parents entrust their child to teachers, while others seek a partnership to support their child's learning journey.

Redesigning Schooling – 5: Student impact in the redesigned school

Student impact is vital in SSAT's Redesigning Schooling campaign. Engaging all stakeholders, especially students, leads to meaningful student voice and leadership. This pamphlet explores formal ways to involve students in their learning experiences and school management.

Redesigning Schooling – 4: Working with stakeholders

In 'Working with Stakeholders', Peter Chambers explores how employers, sponsors, FE/HE institutions, and the community shape education for the 21st century, emphasising holistic development.

Redesigning Schooling – 3: Principled curriculum design

Dylan Wiliam highlights the rapid changes in education, offering seven principles for effective, collaborative curriculum design in schools, based on collective expertise.

Redesigning Schooling – 2: What kind of teaching for what kind of learning?

Professors Guy Claxton and Bill Lucas address essential questions about desired learning outcomes, teaching methods, and leadership. Their work calls for urgent education system redesign.

Redesigning Schooling – 1: Why change is needed

6. The Academy of Central Bedfordshire: Free-school partnership sets out to improve the outcomes for vulnerable students

Headteachers from 10 upper schools in Central Bedfordshire, along with middle school heads, collaborated with the local authority to offer a visionary approach supporting students previously attending the pupil referral unit.

5. The Ascent multi-academy trust: Special schools combine to offer an ambitious range of services

The case study explores the journey of four secondary special schools in Tyne and Wear forming the Ascent MAT to maintain autonomy, uphold professional standards, and advance special education in the region.

4. The Baverstock Academy: Where teaching and learning applies to everyone, all the time

This Baverstock Academy case study shows how teachers working collaboratively and reflectively can better fulfil their aspirations as professionals, as well as improve student outcomes.

3. Hadley Learning Community: Learning community means more than school

At Hadley Learning Community community engagement is an essential ingredient in children’s education and responsibility is shared widely among staff, pupils and the community.

2. Hasmonean High School: Building a culture of independent learning and critical thinking

This case study explores Hasmonean High School's innovative approach to education, highlighting its emphasis on moral leadership, stakeholder engagement, inclusive practices, and the cultivation of effective learning behaviours in a diverse student body.

1. Ossett Academy: Where collaboration between equals can make the difference

Explore the innovative educational strategies at Ossett Academy, where equal collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and a nurturing learning climate promote diversity and inclusion for impactful student development.

The new professionalism: Fostering collaboration, always learning

Bay House School's case study showcases their professional learning philosophy: keep teaching and learning (the core business) at centre stage and pursue the following steps: Research > Innovate with practical ideas > Share back (and repeat).

Courageous leadership for professional accountability: Assessing quality of teaching without grading lessons

This case study from Uplands Community College highlights the development of an approach to observing lessons that does not involve grading and seeks to build a culture of collaborative professional learning.

Courageous leadership for professional accountability: Peer to peer challenge and support

This case study details the Manchester Challenge to Support Partnership, a collaborative initiative of four Manchester primary schools, focusing on mutual support, leadership, and improved educational outcomes.

Courageous leadership for professional accountability: Distributive leadership of teaching and learning

Canons High School's case study exemplifies an innovative, staff-led pedagogical transformation, emphasising professional learning, accountability, and principled curriculum design, leading to improved teaching quality and student outcomes.

Courageous leadership for professional accountability: Lesson observation with grades

Bridgwater College Academy's case study showcases its innovative shift from grading lessons to empowering teachers through self-assessment, collaboration, and development, leading to enhanced teaching quality and student outcomes.

Courageous leadership for professional accountability: Developing an innovative culture of learning

Faced with a judgement of ‘requires improvement’ Acklam Grange School made significant changes to develop consistent approaches to teaching alongside collaborative and innovative approaches to professional learning.

Principled assessment design: Life beyond levels at KS3

This case study explores Shenley Brook End School’s innovative shift to an ASK-based assessment system, focusing on attitudes, skills, and knowledge, thereby transforming their educational approach and learning climate.

Principled assessment design: Feedback to inform learning – Kingsford Community School

Explore how Kingsford Community School revolutionised marking and feedback, engaging students with dialogic methods and practical tools, enhancing learning outcomes.

Principled assessment design: Assessment without levels – Grazebrook Primary School

Grazebrook Primary's approach to assessment without levels reflects the importance of depth of understanding within a framework to measure progress based on expected levels of achievement in each school year.

Principled assessment design: Assessment in maths to inform planning

This case study explores Eggar's School's development of the use of fine-detailed assessment and feedback to drive standards of teaching and learning and lead to better outcomes.

Principled assessment design: Assessment without levels – Durrington High School

Durrington High School's case study presents an innovative KS3 assessment model, focusing on knowledge and skill mastery. It emphasises formative feedback and high standards to inspire student excellence.

Principled assessment design: Feedback to inform learning – Bethnal Green Academy

This case study explores Bethnal Green Academy's use of ‘book looks’ to ensure a consistent, whole-school approach to marking and feedback that impacts on the learning and progress of all students.

Principled curriculum design: Coherence and relevance through ‘Dynamics Days’

St Mary's Catholic Academy in Blackpool innovates with 'Dynamic Days,' integrating holistic, project-based learning into its curriculum, enhancing student engagement and wellbeing through diverse, ethos-driven educational experiences.

Principled curriculum design: Defining the butterfly, a mastery approach for subject discipline

This case study highlights Huntington School's new approach to curriculum design that places deep learning in the central concepts, ideas, key knowledge and skills of the curriculum as an important driver for pedagogy and assessment.

Principled curriculum design: A futures-oriented personalised curriculum

This case study explores Essa Academy's principled approaches to curriculum design and delivery that genuinely meet the needs of the students and community the school serves.

Principled curriculum design: Constructing the personalised curriculum at KS4

Discover Canons High School's journey in reshaping KS4 education through a personalised curriculum, blending academic rigour with enrichment, and impacting student wellbeing and academic success.

Principled curriculum design: Using SOLO as a framework for developing and assessing KS3 learning

This case study from Canons High School illustrates an innovative approach in KS3 education using SOLO Taxonomy, prioritising mastery and in-depth learning over traditional content-focused methods.

Principled curriculum design: Content and language integrated learning for subject discipline, breadth and rigour

Bohunt School's case study explores its pioneering CLIL approach, enhancing language proficiency and academic skills, resulting in notable student performance and development in secondary education.

Teaching for learning: Students as leaders; peer tutoring to enhance learning and progress

This case study from The Weald School explores the school's extensive use of peer tutoring which has had a significant impact in enhancing learning and intervention to ensure progress.

Teaching for learning: Ambitious use of space and time to enhance learning

Although a new build school with bespoke facilities, UCL Academy has utilised the key findings of learning research to inform the design and pedagogy within the spaces, the principles of which could be considered in more traditional settings.

Teaching for learning: Use of time and space to enhance learning

The Sirius Academy case study exemplifies transformative educational strategies in Hull, East Yorkshire, focusing on extended lessons and dynamic spaces to significantly improve learning, inclusivity, and student-teacher relationships.

Teaching for learning: Students as leaders and co-constructors

Discover Ormiston Venture Academy's innovative student leadership model in our case study. It explores transformative practices in student engagement and the positive impact on the school's environment and culture.

Teaching for learning: The use of SOLE to develop digital literacy and enquiry skills

Greenfield Community College's case study delves into the transformative SOLE approach in education, fostering student-led enquiry, digital literacy, and a collaborative learning environment for enhanced educational outcomes.

Teaching for learning: Students, leaders and entrepreneurs

Devonport High School for Boys integrates entrepreneurship into its curriculum, fostering real-world skills and enhancing student prospects in a rapidly changing professional landscape.

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