High Storrs School

1
High Storrs School

• Building Schools for the Future
• -Towards Transformation
• PfS Change Management Seminar
• 1st October 2008
• Michael Chapman
• Headteacher

2
Context

• Multicultural comprehensive with 1,600 students
• High Performing Status with dual specialism
• Lead school in a Leading Edge Partnership
• Grade 2 listed Art Deco building circa 1932 in
  poor state of repair and not fit for purpose
• Climate of innovation and strong professional
  culture that is both a strength and a barrier
• 27 million BSF project as key catalyst for
  change, despite current high performance.

3
BSF and transformation

• Given current high performance, why seek to
  change in such a fundamental way?
• BSF is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we
  owe it to future generations of learners to get
  this right in terms of design flexibility.
• Schools must innovate to move forward. Resting on
  laurels is never an option.
• Fundamentally, moving school performance to the
  next level must involve more than incremental
  tinkering.
• BSF is a major catalyst for pedagogical change if
  led in a challenging way.

4
BSF and transformation

• Determination to use BSF as catalyst for change
• Recognition that BSF is not about school
  buildings per se but is about transformation of
  learning
• Determination that learning and teaching would
  drive BSF design. We did not want a 21st Century
  Art Deco building.
• Significant contractual delays with BSF in
  Sheffield were helpful in terms of articulation
  of our vision. I think a minimum of 18 months is
  required
• An ambitious transformational path was agreed
  that would, in turn, directly inform BSF design.
• School context, values and aspirations
• Curriculum review Radical and visionary
• Pastoral Review Schools Within Schools
• Leadership Team Major restructure
• Radical TLR restructuring In progress
• Refocusing of Governance
• Budgetary imperatives

5
BSF and transformation of learning

• Our BSF vision started with the curriculum and
  learning
• Major work on revised Curriculum Principles
  linked to personalisation. Student voice, staff
  and parent involvement
• Recognition that true personalisation must
  involve stage not age
• Thorough and contemporaneous review of all three
  Key Stages of the curriculum resulted in
• Two year Key Stage 3 with options in Y8
• Radical pathways with mixed age learning from Y9
  onwards
• International Baccalaureate Diploma in the Sixth
  Form

6
BSF and transformation of learning

• At the same time as our curriculum audit
• Thorough review of pastoral structure resulting
  in the introduction of four Vertical Houses and
  mixed-age tutor groups Communities within a
  Learning Community
• Radical revision of the Leadership Team and
  Governance, partly to create capacity to lead and
  manage BSF
• Radical TLR model to address in-school variation
  and facilitate the delivery of the new curriculum
  vision. No Heads of Subject and five
  multidisciplinary teams
• Radical new Performance Management strategy based
  around professional (pedagogical) dialogue

7
BSF and transformation of learning

• Student voice was key in the design of the new
  curriculum. Suspended timetable days and wider
  ongoing involvement.
• Transformational vision communicated in its
  entirety to key stakeholders regularly to retain
  confidence
• ONLY AT THIS STAGE DID WE BEGIN TO ENGAGE WITH
  THE BSF DESIGN DIALOGUE.
• Our design brief was written for BSF partners
  with learning, and not buildings, at its heart.
  Space Relationship Diagram was key
• At every stage since, we have refused to
  compromise on key learning principles in our
  visionary design.
• New build designed around learning needs and not
  a mock Art Deco extension. Radical design

8
BSF and transformation of learning

• Key messages
• To get this right it is hugely time consuming at
  school level and new leadership structures to
  create capacity are required. Project Management
  is pivotal.
• The relationship with, and the quality of, the
  project architects is pivotal to success. They
  must engage with the learning vision.
• A robust transformational learning vision should
  be a prerequisite to acceptance of BSF
  submissions on a school-by-school basis,
  otherwise this could be a huge missed
  opportunity.