NCSL Developing Capacity for Sustained Improvement

Developing Capacity for Sustained Improvement (DCSI) is available to:

• senior leadership teams (SLTs) from primary, middle, secondary and special schools and pupil referral units
• SLTs in partnerships, collaboratives and related groups
• SLTs working with middle leaders
• leadership teams representing collaborative partnerships of schools

The programme is designed for senior leadership teams (SLT) who want to improve their processes and strategies and sustain those improvements over the long term. It is spread over 12-18 months and will help SLTs identify key issues and give them the opportunity to work together on them. It does this by:

• creating an opportunity for group strategic thinking
• understanding the key components of capacity building
• identifying a coherent approach to the next stage of the improvement journey
• planning for long term and sustained development
• addressing current issues within the context of each school's unique context
• engagement with the programme over a longer period, thereby securing greater impact

DCSI participant comments:

“Extremely well-prepared, structured resources and presentations”
“An excellent, thought provoking course”

Process

Team preparation begins with a survey of current capacity, some background reading and pre-workshop activities. This is then followed by a two-day residential workshop, typically with four or five other teams followed by a 12-month long implementation phase, using the network from the residential workshop and/or existing networks of schools for further collaborative learning. The programme concludes with a review event to celebrate progress and to plan the next stage of development.

Best Practice Network continue to seek out and share best practice by developing a range of innovative programmes tailored to suit the specific needs of local authorities, school leaders and their teams. For example, Improving Team Performance has been co-developed with HOLT (a leading national provider of experiential learning for team and leadership development) and Changing Organisations draws on the the unique style of working below the surface of the Tavistock Consultancy Service (TCS).

In addition to DCSI, we are able to offer a range of National College of School Leadership programmes (including WTfS and Multi-agency team development) and, as an accredited centre for the Institute of Leadership and Management, the ILM Coaching and Mentoring awards.

For more information email: melaniegreville@bestpracticenet.co.uk