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I recently published a thought piece on the web with some tips for those leading strategic planning in their schools, which is a term 3 activity for most school leaders. The Ministry has recently changed the format and timeframe of the traditional School Charter, and strategic planning now looks a lot like the approach advocated by Springboard Trust over the last 10 or so years (new guidelines for School Planning and Reporting - Te Whakangārahu Ngātahi). 

These guidelines now require school leaders to think strategically about their future investment in time and resources in initiatives that are going to make a difference, over and above what they are mandated to do as a matter of course. With extremely limited discretionary time, resources and budget this remains a real challenge for most of Tomorrow’s Schools.

With this in mind, the following are a number of the “tips” that I argued were important: 

• “In a context of constrained budgets and staff with limited discretionary time, school strategic planning is as much about identifying what to prioritise, as it is about deciding what to stop doing, or reducing the expenditure of time, energy and resources required”

•  “Each school is unique and the plan is an opportunity to play to your strengths and identify how to further enhance these to benefit your learners and support your teachers”.

I got some immediate feedback about the irrelevance of these suggestions as schools have to “do everything” and there is no discretion to choose not to do a particular set of activities or indeed to enhance what the school is already doing well.

I would like to dig into these helpful observations as I believe this is a misguided response which lies at the heart of a malingering stasis in the school sector which is suffering from a sense of complete “overwhelm” at the moment due to all the changes that have been mandated in addition to all of the mandates that school leaders already are compelled to discharge. 

Without higher order strategic thinking and without the collection and analysis of data and evidence, the stasis will prevail. Instead strategic thinking can help to unlock collective energies to pursue improved learning outcomes, even in the context of significant change and constrained capacity.

Effective strategic planning requires us to consider the following factors:

1. Taking stock of our context and environment, allows us to anticipate what might come down the tracks to directly or indirectly affect our schools and community. The coming election, the relentless use of social media, the teacher shortage, the levels of socio-economic challenge amongst our families are all relevant examples.  

2. Identifying our strengths, constraints, opportunities and risks enable us to maintain and even enhance those elements of our kaupapa that are having a positive impact on learning; as well as reach into the gaps and think creatively about how we might overcome our resourcing, funding and capability gaps and mitigate our risks.

3. Engaging all groups in our school community to deeply understand their aspirations for the school and learners, as well as their potential contributions and levels of engagement so that we shape our plan collaboratively and take our community with us on the change journey;

4. Focusing on a few carefully selected strategic goals (or objectives) OVER and ABOVE the activities that we are mandated to do helps us to channel our constrained capacity for maximum impact on learning. 

5. A three year timeframe is useful as a planning device when crafting the strategies and initiatives that will deliver to these goals, as this allows us to think aspirationally over a multi-year timeframe instead of incrementally on a quarterly basis.

6. Writing success statements (or setting targets) for each strategic goal also enables us to take stock of where we are now (current state) and describe where we want to be at the end of the three year period (future state) and think about bridging the gap between these states.

7. Developing a set of relevant measurements (of both progress and outcomes) and collecting data at the start of the timeline as well as at key milestones during it, is critical to keeping the focus as well as enabling course corrections if things are not going to plan.

8. Finally, keeping the community engaged and informed about progress and celebrating positive outcomes as well as acknowledging when we have not got it quite right, is an ongoing and significant role for school  leadership.

It should be noted that strategic decisions should be based on insightsderived from good data collection and analysis. It is not about being data driven, but rather data informed:

"Organisations that are data informed ensure that their understanding of people, contexts, and other contributing factors influence the decisions that they make” (iQ The RIMPA Quarterly Professionals Magazine | June 2022  p.33) 

This is often a crucial part of the strategic planning process that requires the systematic collection and use of actual data to inform strategic decision making rather than relying on anecdotal stories that might give rise to a possibly misguided sense of reality.

I love working with school leadership teams and boards to help shape the strategic thinking and document strategic aspirations and would be delighted if you would like to contact me (via the Te Kete Hono website) for a further discussion about your school. 

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For reference, here are my original suggestions, which I stand by, as to how best to go about the development of a strategic plan that has buy-in from your community:

1. Involve your board from the beginning to identify what problems need to be solved and what opportunities for improvement should be prioritised.

2. In a context of constrained budgets and staff with limited discretionary time, school strategic planning is as much about identifying what to prioritise, as it is about deciding what to stop doing, or reducing the expenditure of time, energy and resources required

3. Be bold to throw yourselves forward 3 years and envisage what will have changed, and then work backwards from there to plan what needs to happen to achieve those changes.

4. Understand the context in which you are working - using a PEST analysis framework is a useful way of thinking about this

5. Each school is unique and the plan is an opportunity to play to your strengths and identify how to further enhance these to benefit your learners and support your teachers

6. Develop innovative ways to capture voice from your key stakeholder groups - surveys, digital polls, focus groups, student led conferences, whānau hui all present opportunities to understand their aspirations, what they value about the school and what they would like to see improved.

7. It is useful to consider the risks that might derail or diminish the effectiveness of your plan - risk identification is the flip side of strategy development.

8. Keep governance separate from school leadership when strategic planning - the board's role is to articulate outcomes and targets and the leadership team, with its pedagogical expertise, is best placed to identify the work programme to achieve these.Then of course the board should review and approve this programme of work and hold the lead team accountable for its delivery.

9. Measurement of outcomes is now a requirement of the planning process - working out what to measure, how to collect data, and what to aim for is possibly the most challenging part of the process. Remember to establish your baseline in year 1 so that you can identify shifts over the course of the 3 year plan.

10. Things change so the plan needs to be reviewed and adapted at least every year - the anticipated outcomes should not change too much, but the pathway for achieving these could be very different, especially if external factors change dramatically (think Covid).

As an online facilitator for Te Kete Hono Wendy Burne delivers professional development and teacher coaching to schools subscribed to SchoolTalk

Online delivery plays its part in leveling the playing field for professional development opportunities and reaching audiences where location may have once been a barrier. As a facilitator it comes with the challenge of meeting participants through a screen, often with no pre-established connection. Unlike face-to-face communication, it can be difficult in virtual meetings to pick up on non-verbal cues such as body language and gesture. It also does not allow us the time to bond with each other and build formal relationships. 

One may wonder can a facilitator foster meaningful connections online that support individual participants on their professional development journey? Does the change of environment from sharing the same physical location to sharing the same online location limit connection?

Here are some of my take-aways for building a successful connection with participants online :

Remove technology barriers that may prevent people being comfortable

For people to be confident and participate fully they need to feel comfortable. Participants may have varied experience with conferencing platforms. Don’t assume everyone is familiar with your choice of platform. Some may need to be supported to grow their confidence in using the technology:

• Before the session - Share basic information beforehand via email. How to access and use the chosen platform, troubleshooting, etiquette, what to expect and what the back up plan might be used if technical issues arise.

• Waiting Rooms - If using waiting rooms ensure you monitor them regularly. Waiting in cyberspace can be disorienting.

• At the start a session and give a quick reminder explanation of how the platform works and etiquette of an online session, use of mute, sharing, parking spaces etc.

• Always have a backup - If a techical problem occur ensure you have a phone number or email for one contact at the location you are delivering to.

Take time to encourage the personal

Don't rush through a session In a location setting, casual conversations before a session or in break times can help build connections. Online, build rapport by allowing time where conversation can occur casually at the beginning of a session. Encourage the informal.

Ice breakers 

Begin each session with an activity that encourages yourself and participants to share something personal about themselves. This could be related to the topic of the session or something more general. Creating a warm and inclusive environment from the start sets the tone for personal connections.

Plan an inclusive session

Provide opportunities for all participants to share In some situations cross-talking or conversation flow can be a challenge. Encourage everyone to share early on to break the ice. Waiting till later on during a session can produce anxiety for some. Take note of who is sharing, find opportunities to draw those who have not spoken into the conversation.

Plan for small group discussions/ breakout rooms 

Give people a space to speak, plan a range of situations where they may be more comfortable to share. Small group discussions or collaborative activities help provide an intimate setting for people  to share their thoughts, challenges and insights.

One to one sessions/ coaching 

One to one or small group coaching can be a powerful follow up to larger group delivery. They also provide an opportunity to foster a more personal relationship between facilitator and participant.

Send personal emails - with a personal touch

All communication outside of an online PD can support building relationships and help participants feel connected and comfortable. 

Mindset and journey 

Create a safe space where participants explore where their thoughts and assumptions are. This helps build rapport. Staff may be unhappy or resistant to change and be on a journey of change which may feel unsettling. As a facilitator actively listening without judgment, ensuring participants feel heard by acknowledging, paraphrasing what is being shared.

Remember, consistency is key. Building personal connections takes time, so try to incorporate these strategies throughout your professional development journey rather than just as one-time efforts. 

It’s been well-documented that fostering a positive and effective relationship between parents and teachers is crucial for the overall success and well-being of students. Our year 6 daughter has been to two very different schools, and, from a parent's perspective, we have learnt the hard way about how we can help to build better relationships with her school and her teachers. Some things I have learned along the way: 

Be respectful and empathetic - We recognise that teachers have a challenging job and are working to support the development of many students. Being confrontational or placing blame doesn’t solve issues any faster; instead, help to collaborate on problem-solving.

Be approachable -  Let the teachers know that they can reach out to you if necessary, and encourage them to do so. 

Establish open lines of communication from the beginning - Wherever possible, attend meet-the-teacher events, and any other opportunities to discuss progress and needs. Share relevant information about your child's strengths, weaknesses, interests, and challenges.

Stay informed about what the entire school is doing - Sign up for newsletters, emails, or follow social media platforms. Make an effort to read and respond to these updates to show your involvement and interest.

Volunteer or participate in school-related activities and opportunities when possible - We're all busy, but even a small involvement helps to become more familiar with the school environment and staff.

Understand the teacher's expectations for homework, assignments, and classroom behaviour - This helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures that you can support your child's learning at home.  Especially post-Covid, helping to manage behaviours in and out of the classroom has been a hot topic and pain point in many schools.

Encourage learning at home by asking your child about their school day and helping with homework - When teachers see that you're actively involved in your child's education, it can strengthen the parent-teacher relationship.

Express gratitude for the work teachers do - A simple "thank you" note or gesture can go a long way, from both parents and children.

And lastly: Understand that teachers have busy schedules and responsibilities beyond teaching - While it's important to maintain communication, respect their time!