Our principles
We believe that schools improve faster and more effectively by working together.
Empowered teachers and effective leaders, collaborating honestly and without fear or judgement in trusted partnerships, leads to inclusive learning communities where all children and professionals can thrive.
Our peer review programme is underpinned by a set of principles and beliefs that guide its continuous development and delivery, helping embed not only the rigour but also the culture and conditions we know are essential for effective collaborative school improvement to take place.
1. Teacher agency and wellbeing:
We champion the importance of teacher agency and wellbeing as fundamental to improving outcomes for all children and young people
2. Collaborative school improvement:
We believe that school leaders and teachers can achieve so much more by collaborating and getting better at what really matters to their school community
3. Enquiry-focused, non-judgmental collaboration:
We believe that challenge and support within and between schools should always be professionally courteous and curious, whilst also rigorous and underpinned by an ethical collective will and purpose
4. Trust and transparency:
For us, effective partnership working needs to be based on openness, honesty and kindness, with a willingness to look both inward and outward for answers to the most pressing questions the partnership have chosen to address
5. Coaching approach:
We believe that building capacity and self-efficacy in colleagues to improve both their own practice and that of others is fundamental to offering the best possible educational experience to children and young people
6. Driven by schools:
Schools know what their children and communities need. Our peer review framework offers a coherent, evidence-based, cyclical approach to better understanding those needs, and collectively agreeing action to address them
7. Whole school:
Our full maturity model helps school and system leaders build capacity for peer review and collaboration in all staff, so that improvement can be led at all levels
8. For all schools:
Wherever a school is on their improvement journey and whatever the context, SPP can make a difference to outcomes for staff and pupils because the answers come from within, supported by the wider partnership
9. Evidence based:
Our tools and resources are continually updated in line with research, evidence and a deep understanding of the lived experience of our national network of partnerships, schools and system leaders
10. Sustainable, local area model:
We work with partnerships and local systems to mature their collaborative working and, over time, enhance their capacity and capability to lead their own improvement across local areas and Trusts
Find out more about our core principles
In September 2019, school leaders’ union NAHT published its report, ‘The Principles of Effective School-to-School Peer Review’. Click here to read the report and find out why we believe peer review between schools should be the norm, not an exception, and should be at the core of the school improvement system.