NPQEL Formative assessment task: Key considerations when contemplating joining a multi-school organisation

New Cairo British International School (NCBIS): Key Considerations for Joining a School Group

Overview
NCBIS is a stand-alone, non-profit organisation governed by a non-executive parent board. This report explores the key considerations when deciding if the school should join a school group.

Culture

Context
NCBIS’ current vision does not align with its chosen core values, and staff survey results show that just over 70% of staff are aware of the vision and feel a sense of shared purpose. Regular changes in leadership have created instability, and the lived experience differs from the intended culture.

Considerations

• Degree of alignment between the group’s vision and values and the school’s intended culture.
• Potential impact of a well-known school group’s culture, vision, and values on the retention and recruitment of staff and students.
• How the group’s working practices and decision-making processes reflect its vision and how this affects trust within the school, particularly among staff.
• Impact of changes in the executive structure, leadership, and policies on school culture and stakeholder influence on strategic direction.

Core Values

Context
NCBIS’ core values have changed frequently over the years and are often combined with pedagogical attributes, causing confusion. While academic leaders model the core values, these were not co-created with the community and are not consistently lived.

Considerations

• Degree of alignment with the group’s core values, how these are modelled by central group leadership, and their impact on shaping a shared, high-trust culture.
• Autonomy for NCBIS to add its own value(s) to capture its unique context.
• How the values are reflected in the group’s policies, practices, behaviours, and development plans.
• The group’s strategy for promoting, embedding, and assessing the impact of its core values.

Sustained Improvement Strategy

Context
The current school improvement strategy alternates between directive and autonomous approaches, creating confusion over accountability and responsibility. A high turnover of senior leadership has led to a more directive approach from the non-executive board.

Considerations

• The group’s approach to school improvement: is it rolled out or co-designed?
• Performance metrics must align with the vision, mission, and context of the school.
• Geographic distribution of the group’s schools and access to their experience and expertise at different leadership levels for school improvement.
• How quality assurance processes at the group level validate school judgments and inform strategic planning.
• Potential access to a wider range of professional development opportunities and leadership roles in other schools.
• Allocation of resources and funding within the group: is it need-based?
• The group’s recruitment strategy, including staff movement between schools to attract and retain talent.

Alignment or Autonomy

Context
NCBIS is currently fully autonomous, allowing agility in responding to external factors. However, alignment with a group could provide stability in times of crisis.

Considerations

• How directive is the group, and can autonomy be earned?
• Extent to which the group’s working practices align with the school’s culture and values.
• How alignment of policy and curriculum supports compliance with the independent schools’ standards and Egyptian law.
• Opportunities provided by alignment in curriculum, assessments, calendars, and celebrations for greater collaboration on training, enrichment, and shared experiences for students and staff.