By the Holy Family Catholic MAT EFA leadership group – Andrew Forbes, Steve Jevons, Brendan Nunnery, Klare Rufo.
Recognising what Gert Biesta (2016) describes as “…the beautiful risk of education,” we hope that this short piece introduces you to how engaging with SSAT’s Embedding Formative Assessment (EFA) programme – proven, evidence-based professional development – has revolutionised our approach to working together on formative assessment.
EFA has transformed not only teaching and learning across our family of schools but also enhanced the culture that binds us together. We aim to share insights on how the EFA programme might do the same for you while helping you navigate the challenges we have encountered along the way.
We have benefited from renewed ways of collaborating, greater empowerment as educators, enhanced student engagement, and sustained improvement. It is an integral part of our vision to build an education system that thinks differently. At the very least, we hope this article will answer some of the questions we had before embarking on this journey.
Who are we?
We are Holy Family Multi Academy Trust, with two secondary schools and five primary schools and we are situated in the Northwest of England (Wirral, Halton and Warrington). We adopted the EFA programme as a whole Trust approach in 2023. Collaboration is at the heart of all we do, we have subsequently worked with five other schools, expanding our EFA network to twelve schools. This growth has encouraged deep reflection on how we collaborate, both within and across schools and the direct impact of the EFA programme in the classroom specifically.
Why EFA for us?
Like all educational organisations, we face contextual barriers such as national funding challenges, recruitment and retention issues, ever-evolving frameworks, declining pupil numbers and the spectre of Covid impact post-2020. We work relentlessly to ensure all our children flourish. Engaging with the EFA programme has reaffirmed the importance of returning to our foundational elements of teaching and learning as a means to address these concerns.
In 2022, our leadership team met to discuss growing concerns about disengagement. Our young people were becoming more passive in the classroom, more dysregulated in the hallways, and staff were raising many more concerns about pupil wellbeing. It was also clear that the brave new world we faced was both a challenge and an opportunity.
Even the most experienced, motivated and hard-working of our colleagues felt a need to refresh their craft, rebuilding their pedagogical toolkits needed for the day-to-day realities of the classroom. The EFA programme emerged as a powerful, evidence-based, solution to improve the lived experience of young people and teachers alike.
Returning to the heart of focusing on what we do in the classroom, we found the EFA programme offered practical solutions to issues that might otherwise feel out of reach. It has not only enhanced classroom practice, but also reshaped how we work together within and across schools. This is central to how we have been able to reimagine the way we do things.
Reflecting honestly, we recognised that we had at times favoured more passive, transactional forms of CPD, both as a response to and perhaps cause of more passive learning in our classrooms. What began in 2023 as a refresher for classroom practice quickly evolved into a transformative driver of our Trust’s professional learning culture. It sparked deep reflection, reshaped our approach to professional development, and inspired a shift in CPD that now, at its best, mirrors the engaging, aspirational learning environments we strive to create for pupils.
How have we done this?
A fully resourced framework
The EFA programme consists of 16 fully-resourced workshops, which are evenly spread over two years, providing a clear, sequenced approach to understanding, interpreting and implementing formative assessment. Its framework, supported by practical toolkits, allows us to embed workshops into our school calendar. Gap tasks and evaluations are strategically placed to align with our Trust’s priorities.
Mentorship and guidance
We have benefited from an SSAT mentor who has guided us throughout the process of implementing this programme in our family of schools. The mentor supported us in tailoring resources to our schools’ context and overcoming challenges.
Fostering curiosity in teaching
A key outcome of the EFA programme has been an increase in teacher curiosity about their subjects and pedagogical practices. Professional enquiry has empowered teachers to delve deeper into effective teaching strategies, leading to innovative and dynamic approaches in the classroom. This has contributed to the transformation of our appraisal structures, building an appraisal target around a professional teaching inquiry for all staff.
A collaborative focus on learner progress
Collaboration has been central to our success. Teachers and pupils now work together to understand learning progress more deeply, resulting in:
- Deliberate practice: Teachers plan opportunities for formative assessment (FA) within the enacted curriculum. The array of FA strategies developed means our teachers are simultaneously more sensitive to designing opportunities when planning their curriculum. They are better equipped to tailor their lessons in the moment to meet the diverse needs of each of their pupils, as the lesson develops. This ensures that every student increasingly receives the support necessary to thrive.
- Increased collective ownership: Collaboratively assessing pupil progress, teachers and pupils work together to build progress in the classroom. Teachers hold each other accountable for delivering high-quality education, ultimately benefiting our pupils and colleagues.
- Improved pupil engagement: A noticeable shift in pupil engagement within lessons. Teachers have shared and modelled techniques with each other, leading to sharper assessment and improved adaptive teaching to support and challenge each individual pupil’s needs. Engagement with the programme has also prompted curriculum refinement, with a focus on success criteria and key assessment points.
Distributed and collaborative leadership
The development of teams of school EFA leads, who lead cross-departmental groups, has fostered distributed leadership and shared accountability for (and beyond) the EFA programme. Previously more top-down, transactional forms of CPD have been reshaped to enable and empower leaders at all levels of our school and Trust hierarchies. Working together across schools, with the creation of calendared, meetings and training sessions and cross-school events, has enhanced our implementation of the EFA programme. These have provided opportunities to celebrate and evaluate ongoing impact, share good practices, and collaboratively plan sessions. This has had the added benefit of growing teams of EFA leaders within each school.
Collaboration beyond the EFA programme
The EFA programme has reinforced our Trust-wide commitment to collaboration. It has provided a structured solution-focused approach for schools to align teaching practices whilst informing broader strategic initiatives. The programme has helped us build leadership capacity and develop solutions to wider school challenges. This has placed collaboration at the centre of how we distribute leadership and grow professional learning communities (Stoll and Seashore Louis, 2007).
Reigniting passion for professional development
The EFA programme has had a significant impact on both classroom practice and professional learning. It has reignited our teachers’ enthusiasm for professional development. Emphasising collaboration and shared learning, we have transformed how professional development is delivered across our schools and the Trust.
- Teacher Learning Communities: Teachers now actively participating in TLCs, exchanging insights, strategies, and experiences. This strengthens relationships and promotes a culture of continuous improvement.
- Distributed leadership: Teachers are empowered to take ownership of their professional growth. Peer-led discussions, have enhanced teaching practices across the school and built a shared sense of responsibility and trust. This has led to stronger teamwork and improved student outcomes.
- Instructional coaching: Has provided teachers with personalised support and feedback, allowing them to refine their practises in real-time. This ongoing mentorship is invaluable in enhancing teaching effectiveness and fostering a growth mindset among our staff.
Key takeaways: Transformative collaboration
- Empowered teachers and engaged learners: Enhanced professional development and deliberate practice, the EFA programme cultivates curiosity and innovation in teaching, boosting student engagement and achievement.
- A framework for classroom practice: Schools benefit from a systematic, evidence-based approach that fosters teamwork, professional growth, and shared responsibility.
- A model for collaboration: The programme strengthens school-wide and cross-MAT collaboration, creating a unified focus on student progress and professional excellence.
- Distributed leadership: By building capacity across all levels, the EFA programme ensures sustainability and continuous improvement in teaching and learning.
In conclusion, the EFA programme has had a profoundly positive impact on our schools and students. By fostering collaboration, enriching teacher curiosity, strengthening distributed leadership structures, and reigniting our shared passion for professional development, it has created an environment where both staff and students flourish. We are excited to continue this journey and we look forward to sharing more successes in the future.
With thanks to the HFCMAT EFA leadership group: Andrew Forbes, Steve Jevons, Brendan Nunnery, Klare Rufo.
References
Biesta, G. (2016) The beautiful risk of education. London: Routledge.
Godfrey, D. (2016) Leadership of schools as research-led organisations in the English educational environment: cultivating a research-engaged school culture.’ Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44:2.
Stoll, L. and Seashore Louis, K. (2007) ‘Professional Learning Communities: elaborating new approaches.’ In Stoll, L. and Seashore Louis, K. (eds.) Professional learning communities divergence, depth and dilemmas. Maidenhead: OUP.
