Change Management

Planning and delivering world-class 21st century teaching environments is the greatest challenge facing local authorities and school senior-management teams.

The school curriculum is becoming broader and more flexible while schools are being encouraged to offer a diverse range of provision, often in partnership with the local community and business. More flexible curriculum pathways are needed, particularly for the over-14 age group, as well as an education that matches the talents and aspirations of individuals (personalised learning).

It all adds up to change management on an epic scale. Not only will educators have a major input on the design of 21st century learning spaces, they must also consult with a wide array of stakeholders.

Luckily, there are resources at hand that can help teachers with their new mission. Training programmes and consultants are on hand to support the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) process at all stages.

Local Education Partnerships (LEPs) and architects that work on individual projects will support educational transformation. Change management — of buildings, learning methods, systems and processes — are critical to successful transformation programmes. Strategic consulting, project management and design consultancy helps give schools a customised solution. The National College of School Leadership (NCSL) also offers training to senior managers in the delivery of BSF projects and educational change management.

Among the tasks schools and their partners need to address are:

• Educational visioning — a local plan to draw up a blueprint for the school’s educational mission and how this will be achieved
• Strategy for change — how the BSF will impact on areas such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) personalisation, diversity, inclusion and access and provision for 14–19 year olds
• Outline business case — how the school will deliver a complex programme of change to meet its learning objectives
• ICT innovation — the provision of a flexible and future-proof ICT infrastructure
• Project management – the delivery of the build programme, including a timetable for completion and handover of major works as well as budget control
• Design and property consultancy — working with the architect to ensure that the design is fit for purpose and meets all educational and community needs.

Microsoft’s excellent report on Building Schools for the Future identifies a model of transformation based on two pathways for change, the ‘T’ route and the ‘P’ route. Key stakeholders are asked to assess long-term educational requirements, capabilities and entitlements. The process focuses on the ‘art of the possible’ in terms of educational capabilities and may expand to encompass the broader children’s service and other government agendas.

Senarios and day-in-the-life tools are provided to engage stakeholders and provoke informed debate.

The ‘T’ model of change identifies the teacher as manager and owner of the learning relationship. Teachers identify the content to be learned and the process by which it is delivered. The ‘P’ model is a pupil-centred approach in which children and young people own and manage this relationship. The interests of both sets of stakeholders need to be in alignment in order to develop an inclusive vision for the new school of the future.

Change management involves careful consideration of curriculum developments that are likely to affect the character of schools and their accommodation requirements.

Different types of school will approach the challenges of BSF in different ways. Specialist schools — secondary schools that have developed as centres of excellence in particular fields such as music, sport, languages and science — will want to continue and expand that function. Some schools, for example, will become regional centres with specialist facilities, which can be offered to other schools and the local community. Electronic access to a teacher outside the area can enable the study of minority subjects such as Latin or Japanese.

So what other changes are being incorporated into schools of the future? In the older age group, pupils aged 14–18 are being encouraged to undertake independent research and study and to participate in out-of-school activities such as work experience and enterprise initiatives. In September 2002 vocational GCSEs were introduced, which will encourage more pupils to combine vocational and general study.

Modern apprenticeships in skilled occupations will become increasingly commonplace. Qualifications that count towards apprenticeships could be gained while pupils are still at school. There will be scope for increasing the time available for vocational study within the statutory framework of the national curriculum.

Schools and colleges are now able to offer young people opportunities to study a more diverse range of subjects at post-16 level. These include AS qualifications, designed to foster the take-up of a wider range of subjects in the first year of post-16 study, as well as vocational A-levels replacing advanced GNVQs.

Introduced in 2000, the foundation stage for three- to five-year olds sets out early-learning goals to improve continuity between early-years education and primary schooling. Specially designated Early Excellence Centres are reflecting best practice in early-years education.

Useful websites

National College of School Leadership
www.ncsl.org.uk

BSF Leadership Programme
www.ncsl.org.uk/programmes/bsf/bsf-structure

Educational vision and change
www.microsoft.com/uk/education/schools/bsf

BSF change management
www.tribalgroup.co.uk

ECM Leadership Direct
www.ncsl.org.uk/priorities/priorities-ecmleadershipdirect.cfm?CFID=13576451&CFTOKEN=29321760