: Navigating the maze of school improvement: Choosing wisely Discover how educators can navigate initiatives, avoid pitfalls and prioritise strategies for sustainable improvement


Navigating the maze of school improvement: Choosing wisely

Discover how educators can navigate initiatives, avoid pitfalls and prioritise strategies for sustainable improvement

by Town End Research School
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Every school has an initiative graveyard,” a metaphorical space where expensive, failed projects are laid to rest. Schools are constantly bombarded with initiatives promising revolutionary results. A fear of missing out can turn schools into a hotchpotch of conflicting practices. It is important to remember that everything works somewhere but nothing works everywhere. Therefore, educators must resist the temptation to adopt every new idea and focus on what works best for their unique settings.

To navigate this maze, educators need to act as gatekeepers, using research evidence to filter which ideas, programmes, and initiatives truly benefit their unique contexts. This approach ensures that decisions are grounded in what will genuinely enhance educational outcomes. The following EEF guidance may be useful to support decision making:

A Schools Guide to Implementation

Using research evidence – a concise guide

The Allure of Novelty

“Many educators are lovers of novelty; it is a great strength and a weakness. We invest huge effort and cost in implementing new ideas, and it is likely that some of them bring genuine improvement. However, it is also likely that some – perhaps just as many – lead to deterioration. Many, of course, make no real difference at all. And in most cases, we will not know which are which.”

Professor Rob Coe

As Rob Coe suggests, educators often have a penchant for novelty. We are like magpies, collecting new, sparkly ideas from school visits, conferences, and casual recommendations, especially if there’s the promise of a shiny silver bullet. However, this allure of glittery new solutions can lead to wasted resources and little to no improvement.

The True Cost of Initiatives

It’s crucial to recognise that nothing is ever truly free. Every new initiative demands effort, mental capacity, workload, energy, human resources, and time. These all translate to financial costs — time is money, after all. Therefore, before adopting a new idea, schools must consider if the potential benefits justify these expenditures. This careful consideration helps ensure resources are allocated to initiatives that genuinely enhance educational outcomes. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s essential to approach promising opportunities with a critical eye, considering potential risks and hidden costs that may not be immediately apparent. This cautious approach helps in making informed decisions and avoiding potential pitfalls. See our resource to support decision making – Implementation considerations

Avoiding Cognitive Biases in Decision Making

Educational leaders must be aware of cognitive biases that can cloud judgment and lead to ineffective decisions. Key biases to watch out for include:

1. IKEA Effect: Overvaluing ideas and initiatives we have invested time and effort in, leading to a reluctance to abandon them even if they are ineffective.

2. Cognitive Dissonance: The discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs can lead to rationalising poor decisions to maintain a sense of consistency.

3. Dunning-Kruger Effect: Overestimating our knowledge or ability, leading to poor decision-making, resistance to necessary change or bringing about unnecessary change.

4. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Continuing with an initiative because of the resources already invested, rather than its current or future value.

5. Bandwagon Effect: Adopting ideas because others are doing so, rather than based on their merit or suitability for our context.

6. Confirmation Bias: Seeking out information that confirms our preconceptions while ignoring evidence that contradicts them.

7. Ostrich Effect: Ignoring negative information or evidence, preferring to bury our heads in the sand” rather than confront uncomfortable truths.

By recognising these biases, leaders can make more objective decisions, focusing on what truly benefits their students and schools.

Know thy school and the evidence


Navigating the maze requires a deep understanding of your school’s unique context and the evidence that can inform your decisions. Context matters greatly; professional judgment is crucial. If a single book could tell us exactly how to run schools for maximum success, we’d all follow it and every child would achieve their highest potential. However, real-life school improvement is more complex.

Making evidence-informed decisions is not just about using research. It involves a thorough understanding of your school’s environment, including the physical geography, the students, their parents, the community, and the staff. Knowing these factors allows for careful, contextual considerations. Research evidence should be used alongside this in-depth knowledge of your school’s specific strengths and limitations, such as staff capabilities and caregiver support.

Effective school improvement happens when research evidence is integrated with contextual data from your school — such as assessment results, stakeholder feedback, and lesson visits. It’s at this intersection of research and local knowledge that truly informed decisions can be made, leading to meaningful and effective school improvement.

External influences


Schools grapple with measures of success posed by external validation systems. This emphasis on meeting criteria can divert leaders from addressing genuine priorities, needs and delays real improvement efforts. Instead of prioritising student well-being and long-term growth, schools can feel pressured to prioritise short-term fixes to meet validation standards. True school improvement requires a strategic, sustained effort that focuses on nurturing personal development, fostering a positive learning environment and ensuring students have the academic they need for life.

Navigating the maze of school improvement requires choosing wisely. By knowing your school, understanding the context, avoiding cognitive biases and integrating research evidence with local knowledge, leaders can make informed decisions that lead to genuine, lasting improvements.

Further reading:

The cognitive bias underlying all others (and how to avoid it): Inner Drive

9 common thinking biases: Inner Drive

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