A case study exploring the lived experiences of leaders and teachers within the Opportunity North East Vision school improvement partnership

Abstract

Many secondary schools across North East England in high poverty settings struggle to meet government enforced examination attainment targets, including Progress 8 measures, where no contextual adjustments are made for socio-economic adversity. Schools unable to meet examination outcomes receive additional scrutiny and pressure through the politicised educational landscape of performativity. Research into school improvement partnerships and coaching within these, indicate some potential for struggling schools to be supported and practitioners within to have their self-efficacy reaffirmed during the process. However, the sustainability of such work in challenging contexts is difficult to maintain over time. This study is set within my professional context, of an inner-city high poverty secondary school. Lived experiences of the partnership, from the perspectives of nine staff members involved, in the two-year, Opportunity North East (ONE) Vision (GOV.UK, 2019) school improvement partnership strategy, are explored via interviews. I employed a qualitatively led mixed methods, case study research design approached from the paradigmatic stance of pragmatism (Morgan, 2014), underpinned by social justice (Cresswell, 2015). A school improvement partnership is the case and depicts the deficit model of school improvement whereby a high performing school, supports a school which has been labelled as low performing, or in this case, a “failing school” (DfE, 2019). Findings from interviews, with three senior leader participants from the supporting school and six participants from different levels across the supported school, provide valuable insights into their experiences during the partnership and how this differs for practitioners based on their professional roles, power and agency. My position and journey as an inside-researcher, further contributes to this study. Conclusions highlight how different practitioners experience the SIP, with a range of emotions evoked. A model for school advancement (6.2.1) proposes macro, meso and micro level school advancement approaches, which if adopted, could contribute to social justice and more equitable and ethical ways of schools working together.