Mutual structured visits to each others’ schools
From September 2007 onwards, 30 middle and senior leaders from Swindon Ten schools are engaging in a programme of mutual structured visits to each others’ schools. These Enquiry Walk methodologies are technically simple - just a walk through a school - but socially complex. The challenge is to bring a rigour which ensures the outcome is both celebratory of the work of the host environment whilst providing some insight which might inform future practice.
The Enquiry Walk methodologies are built upon a set of principles of learning. These are underpinning processes of teaching and learning which allow all participants - walkers and those ‘walked upon’ - to have a shared common understanding of those processes.
We aim to build local capacity for conducting Enquiry Walks:
- to support self-evaluation through peer review
- to stimulate new insights through a fresh pair of eyes
- to allow learning to travel between schools
Enquiry Walks among Swindon Ten schools
| Date | Host | Partner | Focus |
| 16 Nov 2007 | Nythe Primary | Lainesmead Primary | |
| 19 Nov 2007 | Lainesmead | Nythe |
TARGET SETTING |
| 27 Nov 2007 | Moredon | Penhill | ENJOY AND ACHIEVE To what extent does the school promote the enjoy and achieve aspect of the ECM agenda and what IMPACT does it have on the children? |
| 28 Nov 2007 | Dorcan | Nova Hreod | POSITIVE REWARD SYSTEM To what extent does the positive reward system impact on learning and attitudes? |
| 13 Feb 2008 | Churchfields | Greendown | ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING To what extent are students aware of their levels/grades? To what extent is formative marking used to inform students on how to improve? |
Capacity Building
Swindon Ten is working with Ronnie Woods of Enquire to adapt the tool to our local purposes, such as:
- Scanning ahead – developing a picture of how things are at the moment, what there is to build upon and where the focus of development might begin.
- Transferring practice – through reciprocal walks creating opportunities for colleagues to learn from one another’s practice and consider what it might mean for their own practice.
- Peer review – inviting an outside view upon the outcomes of self review, moderating that process and providing opportunity to consider future direction.
