Enabling Change in the Independent School Sector

The Headteacher approached us to help provide independent support because;

There was no strategic plan to guide decision-making and action;
Improvements were tactical and short-term rather than future and externally facing;
The internal experience of the team to lead through change was limited;

The Head agreed the following objectives for the initial 12-week
phase:

To work with key stakeholders to understand the Current State and create a compelling Case for Change
To design core elements of the Vision and Strategy to enable creation of a clear change plan
To support development of the leadership team through facilitated workshops.

Mike Fekete and Blake Hughes led this initial phase and partnered with the leadership team to:

Spend time with stakeholders to gather insights and data to inform the strategy
Bring them together to align on a Shared Vision and co-design the changes that would be needed
Create a clear and simple framework to turn the agreed strategy into a workable change plan with internal ownership;

The key elements of this assignment included:

A clear and simple approach to bring best practice and adapt to the school environment;
Manage time efficiently with stakeholders to work around their busy schedules;
Drive immediate impact and value with tangible outputs and progress.

Through our engagement with this client we ensured that:

The process was energising and collaborative with the lead team;
There was visible progress and clarity at every stage to inspire confidence;
We adapted to fit the needs of the school and team rather than an off the shelf approach.

Our commitment to creating long-term sustainable change is evident in this case:

We continue to support the Head and leadership team to enable delivery of the plan;
We have facilitated ongoing leadership team development;
We embed an approach to change management to engage and involve wider groups of staff to drive the change.

Organisation Design case study