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Forms of Influence
indirect influences | three strategies | structures and systems | distributed leadership | personalised learning

Structures and Systems

How do school structures and systems make a difference to the quality of learning and teaching?

The following structures and systems stand out as ones common to most of the heads and leaders we have consulted or researched:

• planning processes - for lesson, units of work, periods of time, individuals and groups of pupils, classes and years
• target setting -for individuals, groups, classes, years, key stages and the whole school
• communication systems - especially meetings
• monitoring systems - analysing and using pupil learning data and observing classrooms and providing feedback
• roles and responsibilities of leaders - including mentoring & coaching
• policies for learning, teaching and assessment and marking

Separately, but mostly together, these structures and systems ensure the school is an open organisation where everyone is familiar with one another’s role, responsibilities and achievements.

Classrooms will not be private places, but venues visited by colleagues looking to develop themselves and to play a part in developing others.

Indeed, classrooms should be seen as learning centres for staff. This is because teachers are learners and by visiting other rooms we can all learn more about our own approaches in the light of what others do.