First the SEF now SFVS…
…how many more plates to spin?
Schools face many challenges today not least how to cope with the fallout of recent changes and cuts to budgets; there are clearly many decisions to be made which may significantly impact the school, its staff and students. Potentially all decisions will involve the governing body and it has never been more important that the decisions made must be well informed decisions.
Consider the revised SFVS framework which many schools must complete by the end of March 2012. This revision is intended to reduce the level of complexity associated with its predecessor FMSiS. We might look back and ask ‘what of all our past efforts in FMSiS?’ and look forward and ask ‘what if SFVS changes into something else, perhaps something even bigger and more complex than FMSiS?’
The challenge of catering for the future with regard to SFVS might not in itself be that big an issue. However, if we consider the bigger challenge of how to produce many self-evaluation reports, including whole-school inspections focussing on performance and improvement, then we begin to see how this aspect of school monitoring is akin to [pardon the pun] death by a thousand cuts.
In the past, the public sector, with a more centralised ‘control and management’ resource (now rapidly diminishing) didn’t always call for schools to adopt new ideas and mechanisms that would sustainably support their own operational efficiencies; the net result is that as schools become more independent and self-reliant, they may often lack the necessary ‘tools’ to survive in a challenging environment with regard to provision of coherent management information.
Microsoft Word or Excel (or similar products) will not, without high maintenance, connect your Strategic Development Plan to Performance Management dynamically and will not facilitate an automatic flow of information from your Development Plan to your Self-evaluation Report.
“… This is one of those products that really does deliver what it says on the can and is the first programme I have ever bought that really does significantly reduce my workload.”
Mark Edwards, Headteacher
Shire Oak CE Primary School
Shire Oak CE Primary School
We genuinely believe there is a better way for people on the front line of accountability in schools to manage and reduce this workload:
“Our ability to secure accountability is significantly improved with Bluewave.SWIFT. Previously everything was coming into the Head teacher’s office and never going out.”
John Drake, Headteacher
We also believe there is a consensus developing that any school facing this myriad of challenges over the next few years will only succeed, in relative terms, if they adopt a modern, purpose-built, coherent and future proof approach.
Keith Wright has worked with schools for the past seven years offering front line support and strategic direction.
He is the Managing Director of Bluewave.SWIFT a company specialising in the field of school improvement management
