Curiosity, risk-taking and experimenting are all qualities I value in my teaching staff and encourage them to foster.
To develop as professionals, rather than simply going through the motions, requires a keen interest in new research and thinking, and an openness to try new ideas.
My own experience as a new teacher helped to inform my approach. When I started, I was lucky to be in a school where I was encouraged to explore my practice. I was paired with an experienced, but open-minded colleague, and it created exactly the right environment in which I could develop ideas and try things. This helped me grow in confidence and to understand how to take initial ideas and shape them into strategies that would work in my classroom.
As leaders, we all need to take risks at times. But how much do we think this should be embedded in the culture of our school? Schools are not hi-tech companies in Silicon Valley where the mantra is “move fast and fail fast” in an effort to rapidly innovate. For educators, children’s futures are at stake.
Nonetheless, since becoming a headteacher I’ve had the opportunity to develop a school culture where staff are encouraged to experiment and try new ideas.
For example, establishing topic-led learning and in particular immersive learning has been an important framework for this. Topic-led learning, guided by children from a provocation, involves introducing a stimulating idea, question, or object that sparks children's curiosity. This approach encourages the children to explore and investigate topics that interest them, fostering intrinsic motivation and deeper engagement.
Bringing about this change has been an evolution, rather than a revolution, and a personal learning experience as well. I am aware that many colleagues are on similar journeys, encouraging staff to experiment and explore, so I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learnt.
Share the vision and getting people on board
Asking time-pressed staff to think about new approaches, or to experiment, can be met with concern or downright resistance. It is understandable. We can be worried about losing control, fear the unknown, or not have the appetite to make changes – experimentation can be scary.
Teaching is a profession where we face uncertainty on a daily basis in every classroom.
I think teachers are enormously resilient and able to take on change, but you need to provide a clear vision. Why do you want them to experiment more or try new ideas? How will it improve the school? And most importantly, how will pupils benefit?
Time is often another concern for staff so providing time for them to research and plan new approaches, try them in class, and reflect on them is essential. It communicates a clear message that you are realistic, committed and want it to succeed.
Establishing a supportive environment, driven by professional curiosity rather than a fear of failure, allows teachers to increase their confidence to take risks and experiment.
It is important that teachers understand you are confident in their professional judgement. The right culture is where something not working is seen as a step on a journey, rather than a reason to retreat.
As well as teachers, it is important to share your vision to parents and carers. Explain why exploring and trying new approaches is valuable to teaching and learning, and how their child will benefit. Be clear that the process is carefully managed and that this isn’t about taking unnecessary risks with pupils’ education.
Inspiration, research and catalysts
It can be inspiring to see how other schools do things, and to talk to teachers about their experiences. Although it can be challenging to release teachers from class, it is motivating and helps to develop their thinking more quickly.
I have found that it helps for teachers to develop their own professional network of teaching colleagues, and useful discussions often continue on social networks long after a visit.
As well as visiting other schools, inspiration can come from academic research from any number of organisations, such as the Chartered College of Teaching, the Education Endowment Foundation, or the Foundation for Education Development.
These provide useful starting points for considering new approaches and information about research-led strategies that could be tried. It is useful to subscribe to their newsletters to keep up-to-date with new thinking.
Inspiration can also come from training. For example, we have worked with the charity Punchdrunk Enrichment, which introduced us to the idea of immersive learning using theatrical approaches through projects like The Lost Lending Library and A Small Tale.
Staff also joined the Immersive Learning Collective, a long-term project to help teachers develop their own immersive practice. This has led to teachers feeling more confident generally about experimentation and, more specifically, to developing their own immersive learning approaches – perhaps the most memorable was the creation of a dinosaur nest in the school playground!
Embed into school life
It is easy for new ideas or innovation to feel like an add-on but increasing experimentation and risk-taking needs to become something that staff feel is simply part of the way they work. It is useful to embed this into the day-to-day. Here are some suggestions.
Annual plans: Ensure exploration and experimenting are part of each teachers’ personal development plan. Discuss with them what this might look like and provide specific and measurable goals, such as “visit two schools in the borough” or “team-up with your colleague in year 2 to research new strategies for encouraging reluctant readers”.
Embed into planning: It is much easier to be innovative and think creatively when looking ahead. Ask teachers to think about something they want to try and get them to look at how they can fit it into their plans for the next term or the new school year.
INSETs or one-to-one reviews with staff: These are useful times to check-in, review what has been done, celebrate and share successes, and look at what might be good to develop further. Activities like these help to maintain momentum as well as communicating that this is still a priority for everyone.
Teaming up and supporting ECTs
New ideas don’t happen in a vacuum, and it is rare for individuals to have eureka moments all on their own. Instead, they come about through teachers working together to reflect and develop their thinking together.
Experimenting can also be quite exposing but having a colleague to work alongside can make things feel less daunting for teachers.
Pairing less experienced teachers or early career teachers with colleagues who are more experienced is also a good idea.
I know this sort of work really energised me as a newly qualified teacher back in the day. The more experienced teacher who supported me played a key role as a critical friend in helping me to develop ideas and make them as effective as possible.
Final thoughts
Although schools face many challenges, I feel there is far more opportunity to explore new ideas today. There is more appetite from leaders to welcome new ideas, particularly when they are supported by research. The internet and social media also make it easier to access research and to hear about practice in other schools.
However, experimentation does mean taking risks. All the research in the world doesn’t tell you how an idea will work in a class with a particular teacher and particular children. As school leaders we have an important role to play in creating a space where ideas are welcome and explored, and where teachers know that it is okay when something doesn’t quite go to plan. This is empowering and ensures brilliant ideas are not wasted.
And, as leaders, we need to walk the talk and model the attitude we want to see. We need to take risks, explore ideas and experiment, and to be visible and honest about what we are learning.
- James Searjeant is headteacher of Wyborne Primary School in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Further information & resources
- Chartered College of Teaching: https://chartered.college/news-blogs/
- Education Endowment Foundation: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk
- Foundation for Education Development: https://fed.education/
- Punchdrunk Entertainment: www.punchdrunkenrichment.org.uk/schools/