System-level policies for developing schools as learning organisations

This chapter examines the system-level policies that enable (or hinder) the development of schools as learning organisations (SLOs). Our analysis suggests that promoting a shared and inclusive vision calls for reviewing the school funding model and defining student well-being and common ways of monitoring it. Developing professional capital and a learning culture argues for: 1) basing selection into initial teacher education on a mix of criteria and methods 2) promoting collaborations between schools and teacher education institutions 3) prioritising professional learning in certain areas 4) a coherent leadership strategy and 5) greater support for secondary school leaders.Assessment, evaluation and accountability should promote SLOs through: 1) national criteria for school evaluations 2) a participatory self-evaluation process 3) Estyn evaluations safeguarding quality, while focusing more on self-evaluation processes 4) clarifying the transition to a new system of school evaluations 5) aligning performance measures to the new curriculum, and 6) system monitoring through sample-based student assessments, Estyn reports and research.