We represent a movement of hundreds of colleagues across the education spectrum, who, in 2016, were mobilised to argue for a positive agenda for change in assessment practice and accountability - the @BeyondLevels #LearningFirst community. The strength of our community lies in our collective agency and a shared belief that the solutions to improve education practices come from within the profession, recognising that teachers, in the main, are the experts in their field, intimately familiar with the intricacies of teaching and learning. We firmly believe involving the teaching profession in shaping the accountability system will lead to more meaningful and effective practices.
The #LearningFirst community exemplifies the power of professional collaboration and learning networks; fostering a culture of shared expertise and continuous improvement; empowering the profession to explore innovative strategies, engage in action research, and refine their practice.
In an attempt to help and inform the current debate about the future of inspection of schools, we have once again mobilised to create our proposals for what a new model, based on the infrastructure and expertise already in the system may look like - a new peer-to-peer quality assurance model for schools that focuses on the engagement of pupils and the outcomes of their learning. In doing so, we have drawn upon personal experience, ideas and suggestions in the form of think pieces, articles, tweets, commentary and reports. We invite you to look at the proposal here. We appeal to you to immediately initiate a review of the inspection of schools and to work with the profession to develop a peer-to-peer quality assurance model for schools that focuses on the engagement of pupils and the outcomes of their learning.
We have directly appealed to the HMCI candidates as they seek to take on this important role at a pivotal moment to address the call from the teaching profession for change by removing all one or two-word grades from school inspection reports and replacing them with a rich narrative report focusing on pupils' engagement and learning outcomes. To remove Safeguarding as a determining factor from school inspections, work towards a system of annual safeguarding audits and ensure that all inspectors have sufficient knowledge and direct experience of the phase/context they are inspecting. We invite you to look at the proposals here.
We recognise that there are varied opinions and concerns within the teaching profession about the impact and effectiveness of inspection. While some teachers appreciate the current system, we would argue that the majority express anxiety and deep dissatisfaction, questioning whether inspections truly capture the effectiveness of a school.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage in constructive discussions and collaborative efforts.
With warm regards,
The #LearningFirst community
beyondlevels@gmail.com