The Great School Framework is designed to inspire those in schools and working with schools. See below for some ideas on how to use the framework.

It can be used to generate debate and discussion

• you might like to take one of the descriptors and discuss it with your SLT.
• do you all agree with it?
• is there anything missing that you would add?
• how well do you feel your school shapes up against it?

It can be used to facilitate in-school, school-to-school, peer and external school improvement reviews/activities

• you might like to consider the framework diagram in a staff meeting and get each colleague to identify the lenses they contribute to and explain how.
• a group of heads could devise a peer review schedule where they tour each other’s schools looking for evidence of each lens. 

It can be used as a self-audit tool

• it can be used to stimulate discussion between SLT members, senior leaders and governors, middle leaders, headteachers, operational teams, TAs, HIPs/SEAs and business service personnel working in/with schools and school leaders.
• you might like to get governors to rate the school 1-10 for each lens and compare notes and discuss and justify your perceptions.
• a class of pupils could discuss how to help make their school great by contributing to each lens, and what further involvement they could have.
• the student council could RAYG rate the school for each lens and discuss their perspective with staff.

It can support school improvement planning

• from a self-audit, you may identify one or two lenses to focus on developing in the coming year and design an action plan accordingly. This could involve a discussion around prioritisation and the optimal sequencing of the lenses.
• or book an appointment with a Herts for Learning (HfL) colleague to discuss how the HfL team can support you in taking one of the lenses forward.

It can be used by HfL teams

• It can be used by HfL teams to focus on what they are aiming towards and what the highest quality support and outcomes would look like.

We are really keen to know how you are using the Great School Framework and any materials that you have developed from it.

The Great School Framework is the intellectual property of HfL and copyrighted. It may not be used unacknowledged by others.