Attendance + solution circles =
6 steps to improve attendance and 4 steps to get out of a rut
How do you improve attendance? How do you help your team get out of a rut (efficiently)?
And what does it look like when you combine approaches that answer the latter question, when applying it to the former?
This week’s highlights from the We Are In Beta community shares some answers through one case study and one team working model.
We - Schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we get students in and commit to practical actions)
This week
📈 Improving attendance: where 6 operational steps meet strategy.
🔘 Solutions Circles: 4 steps to get out of a rut with your team
💼 Jobs with We Are In Beta community members.
📈 Improving attendance: where 6 operational steps meet strategy.
Ricards Lodge High School is one of the highest performing schools in the country (P8 for disadvantaged students was +0.58 in 2023).
In 2021, attendance at the school was 90.65%. Now it’s 94..4%.
What’s driven these outcomes?
Headteacher, Kate Page, and Deputy Headteacher, Harriet Dukes, put it down to 6 things:
Strategically, get to a point where you spend zero time on generating data so you can spend all your time on intervention
Operationalise the data to give every child a face and a voice
Map every external agency (and their thresholds) so you can match the right agency to the right child at the right time
Create detailed case studies for specific students to challenge agencies
Use solution circles with your team so you can commit to action in the limited time you have
Move beyond rewards and sanctions to build a relational approach that fosters community and belonging
Easier said than done.
That’s why they’ve kindly agreed to share how they’ve done it.
🗓️ Thurs 21st November
🕔 4.45pm
Attendees will to see their data set up, agency maps, case study formats and solution circle process.
🔘 Solutions Circles: 4 steps to get out of a rut with your team
You’re stuck in rut.
You’re busy. You’re short on time. You need to commit to action.
How do you use the little time you have to come up with practical solutions to the challenges you face?
One way is to run solution circles with your team.
Here’s how they work at Ricards Lodge.
1. The issue (6 mins)
The person presenting the problem to the group has six uninterrupted minutes to outline the issue.
The facilitator keeps time and makes sure no one interrupts.
The recorder takes notes.
The creative team listens.
If the problem presenter stops talking before the six minutes elapse, everyone else stays silent until the six minutes pass.
2. Contribution (6 mins)
Everyone contributes with ideas about creative solutions to the problem presented.
Anything that you think may be a way forward; it is not a time to clarify the problem or to ask questions.
It is not a time to give speeches, lectures or advice.
The process facilitator must make sure this is a brainstorm with everyone having opportunity to contribute their ideas.
It is important that no one person is allowed to dominate.
The problem presenter listens — without interrupting; they must not talk or respond.
3. Idea selection (6 mins)
During this step the problem presenter chooses two or three of the ideas mentioned in Step 2 that they would like to hear more about.
At this point, the group can have a dialogue to explore, ask questions and clarify the problem.
The conversation can ONLY be positive no lapses into conversations such as ‘We can’t do that because…”.
4. Next steps (6 mins)
With the support of the group, the problem presenter decides on first steps that can be achieved within the next three days; at least one of these steps should be initiated within 24 hours. This is critical.
Research shows that unless a first step is taken almost immediately, people do not get out of their ruts.
To support this, it is helpful if someone from the group volunteers to check-in with the problem presenter within three days to check if they took their first step.
Finally, the group does a round of words to describe the experience and the recorder gives the record to the focus person.
Do they work?
Here’s what Harriet Dukes says
The first time I did it, I was giddy. I had no idea there were things that could save you so much time and still allow everyone to be passionate.
Curious to learn how they’re used in practice at Ricards Lodge?
💼 Jobs with We Are In Beta community members.
If you want to get your vacancies seen by the 23k school leaders and teachers who receive We Are In Beta newsletters across curriculum, pastoral and more, let us know here and we’ll send more info.
System Leadership
Regional Director of Maths - Lift Schools (Bristol) - apply here
Head of People and Culture - Maiden Erlegh Trust (Berkshire) apply here
Lead Practitioner - Research and Innovation (Primary Hub) - Maiden Erlegh Trust (Berkshire) apply here
Head of Projects - Westcountry Schools Trust (Devon) apply here
Middle Leadership
👨🏫 Year Leader - Mount St Mary’s (Leeds) - apply here
📸 Head of Art and Photography - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) here
🇫🇷 Department Leader of Modern Foreign Languages (French Specialism) - Challney High School for Girls (Luton) - apply here
🧬 Department Leader of Science - Challney High School for Girls (Luton) - apply here
🌎 Head of Geography - The Wren School - Excalibur Academies Trust (Reading) apply here
Teaching
👧 Year 1 teacher (0.8 FTE) Hazelwood Academy in (Swindon) - apply here
🧬 Science (Maternity Cover) - Worle Community School (The Priory Learning Trust) - apply here
🧬 Science - The Rawlett School - Lift Schools - (Tamworth) - apply here
🧬 Science - New Forest Academy - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) apply here
🤔 Philosophy - The Rawlett School - Lift Schools - (Tamworth) - apply here
🏅PE (Girls) - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) apply here
👧 KS2 Teacher - New Horizons Learning Centre (Bristol) - apply here
🛠️ History - The Wren School - Excalibur Academies Trust (Reading) apply here
🇫🇷 French - The Rawlett School - Lift Schools - (Tamworth) - apply here
📖 English - Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) here
📖 English - Fulston Manor (Sittingbourne, Kent) - apply here
🛠️ Design and Technology - The Rawlett School - Lift Schools - (Tamworth) - apply here
🛠️ Design and Technology (maternity cover) - Ryde Academy - Lift Schools - Isle of Wight - apply here
🛠️ Design and Technology - Worle Community School (The Priory Learning Trust) - apply here
🛠️ Design and Technology - The Wren School - Excalibur Academies Trust (Reading) apply here
Support roles
Cleaner and Exams Invigilators -Winton Community School - Lift Schools - (Hampshire) - apply here
On a personal note.
I don’t stop to celebrate wins enough.
But this week we hit a significant milestone.
The 19,000th person joined the We Are In Beta community.
Thank you all for joining us.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to it.
Thank you to the We Are In Beta team for helping build it.
I’d love to mark the milestone with some impact stories from our members…
What’s the one thing you’ve taken from the We Are In Beta - could be content, research, resource, relationship etc - that’s helped you in your work the most?
Just reply to this email. Would love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading.
@NiallAlcock and the We Are In Beta team
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