This approach - what we call an inside-out model of school improvement - eschews both top-down and ‘à la carte’ approaches, in favour of a whole-school improvement strategy designed to address the learning needs of all students in a particular school. 1
Consistency and high expectations are the lubricants for such integrated whole-school strategies. Some thought also needs to be given to how the school organises itself to become what is commonly being called ‘a professional learning community’.
This, as we have seen, involves teachers not just planning together, but also observing each other and gathering formative data on the impact of the various strategies on student learning. School improvement from the inside–out occurs where individual program elements combine to create a comprehensive strategy that is both systemic and purposeful.
The basic generic or default approach described here is amenable to adaptation to context, as well as laying the basis for differential approaches to school improvement.
The school improvement strategy described below was developed as part of the Improving the Quality of Education for All.2 The model not only focuses on improving student behaviour, learning and attainment, but also pays attention to teacher and school development.
Although the approach was originally developed some thirty years ago, it has been refined over time and adapted to changing circumstances, particularly in relation to Curiosity and Powerful Learning.3 The reason it has so much applicability to inside–out working, is that it is based on a belief that to advance achievement for all students it is necessary to address not only the learning of individual teachers, but also the organisational capacity of the school.