Research School Network: Small Schools and their Community As a small School Head Teacher, our Research School Director looks at Adopting Behaviours that drive Effective Implementation

“Implementation is fundamentally a collaborative and social process driven by how people think, behave and interact.”

Through the eyes of a small school head, the first section of the new implementation guidance stands out as both an opportunity and an additional task. Research frequently mentions community as a strength of small schools:

​“In addition, they appear particularly well-placed to contribute to and involve the local community in curriculum content and school practices (Autti and Bæck, 2021; Beach et al., 2019; Rothenburger, 2015)” — Fargas-Malet and Bagley (2021)

Strengths of small schools

By their very nature, small schools often involve most staff in leadership roles. This is because they may be the only teacher for a year group or key stage, requiring them to also lead a subject.

In the Engage section of Recommendation 1 in the new guidance, it states that good practice would be to:
Engage people so they have the potential to influence change
When the school community feels included in decisions that affect them, and their perspectives are valued, implementation outcomes are likely to improve. Leaders should, therefore, provide meaningful opportunities for staff to discuss their perspectives, ideas, and concerns. Active engagement should also extend to students, families, and other stakeholders who, while not directly implementing an intervention, arguably have the greatest stake in it. People, ultimately, value what they feel part of.

With strength in community engagement and staff who are often, by necessity and ability, involved in regular decision-making, the structures for ​‘meaningful opportunities’ for discussion may already be in place. Additionally, in a small community, engagement with families and stakeholders is often integral to the school’s operation, with a relatively large percentage of parents either serving as governors or working in the school. Given that each parent or child represents a significant portion of the total school population, their involvement is even more impactful.

Steps for small schools

However, despite these structures being in place, there also needs to be strategic consideration of their impact and planning. While much of the consultation with staff, parents, and stakeholders may happen naturally, should there be an argument for regularly reviewing these processes to ensure they are as thorough, inclusive, and strategic as possible? After all, ensuring these structures are maximized would make the most of the amazing opportunities that likely already exist.

As a small school head, this may seem daunting, like yet another task to add to the list. However, much of what is needed might already be in place. Later in the section, the guidance explains:
Engage people through clear communication and active guidance
While implementation requires participatory engagement and genuine openness to ideas, it also needs active guidance and steering. This involves leaders clearly communicating the direction, explaining decisions, motivating staff, focusing efforts, and preventing implementation from being dragged off track. These actions provide focus to implementation and ensure energy is channeled in the right direction.

This could serve as a useful starting point for evaluating the effectiveness of the engagement that is already happening in the school. 

But here’s the challenge: Are you ready to take what’s already good and make it even better? Are you prepared to refine your approach, harness your community’s full potential, and push your school’s impact even further? The tools are there — now it’s about making them work for you.