As we know, Ofsted is consulting on changes to its inspection system, which will, as things stand, introduce a new report card system.
This will assess schools on a five-point grading scale instead of the current four-point system. This shift is designed to provide a more nuanced picture of school performance, but it also poses a bigger question: what makes a school “good”?
At first glance, the ingredients of a good school might seem obvious and straightforward – well-behaved students, high exam results, and highly qualified, supportive teachers. But surely it is about more than just a surface description? We believe that what defines a good school is much more layered, complex and nuanced.
Behaviour
The past five years have seen a rise in poor behaviour across all types of education settings – from low-level disruption, through to physical attacks on staff and peers. It is vital that we tackle this poor behaviour, but it is also vital that we understand what good behaviour actually means.
Some see good behaviour simply as a quiet, compliant classroom where students sit at attention, only speaking when spoken to. Yet if you talk to many experienced teachers, they will agree that this kind of silence does not always equate to a meaningful education.
We need to ensure that “good” in schools is not just a perception of a silent room, but rather an environment that fosters learning in a supportive and controlled way. We want students to be engaged in the learning, asking questions, debating ideas, and able to express themselves clearly and thoughtfully. Yes, there does have to be respect, but imagine a school that provides a space where students understand the boundaries within which they can discover new ideas and grow in their ability to reason critically.
What about ‘effort’ and ‘achievement’?
Behaviour alone does not define a good school. In fact, the expectations placed on schools from inspection and data demands mean that all-too-often it is test scores and exam results that determine if a school is considered to be good or not. And while exams and grades are often the most tangible evidence of success, on their own they are not the whole story.
Since the pandemic, the number of children with a recognised learning need or disability has risen significantly, jumping 4.7% in the last year alone to more than 1.2 million.
All of these pupils have the right to a good education, and to be nurtured and challenged to achieve their full potential, but the current financial environment means that this is difficult for many schools to realise.
What we need is a system that recognises need early on. Early intervention is key to providing support that can make a real difference to children’s lives, before their needs become insurmountable barriers to learning. And it is crucial that health and social care services are coordinating with education services and schools to deliver this early intervention.
Kindness, humanity, values
As Doctor Who pointed out: “Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.”
A good school is one that teaches more than just academic subjects, it teaches empathy, compassion, and how to be a good human being. Creating environments where kindness isn’t just encouraged but is actively practised and woven through the school culture, we can make students feel safe and supported, able to ask questions and make mistakes, and fundamentally able to learn how to learn.
Moreover, a good school needs to have a clear set of values – values that are embedded into all areas of school life and not just a motto on a poster. These values can recognise hard work and academic success but can also teach students the importance of standing up for what is right, supporting each other, and thinking critically about the world around them. Because that is what being kind is all about.
But where is the ‘value’?
How we measure success – not just in schools but in society – is important to understand. Is it about exam results alone, or do we consider health, wellbeing and happiness, too? And what about material wealth, possessions or power? Do these define our worth?
The musical Wicked poses the question: “Why does wickedness happen? Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”
In the same vein, we might ask: “What makes someone truly good? Is goodness something inherent in each of us, or is it something we learn and choose to become over time?
In both Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, it is not force or power that defeats wickedness, it is an act of cleansing – a bucket of water. Perhaps this is a lesson we can apply to education.
“Good” schools are not just about grades or structures, they go deeper. They are about fostering an ethos to build a generation of kind, thoughtful and compassionate individuals who will go on to make the world a better place.
Because, at the end of the day, the definition of a good school is not just about what can be measured on a report card, or whether a school has a glowing inspection rating. It’s about the children and the experiences they have. It is about the educators who inspire them, the friends who challenge them, and the environment that nurtures them.
It is easy to get caught up in numbers and statistics. But it is important to stop and consider what kind of education we want for the children of tomorrow.
- Helen Osgood is operations director and national officer (education and early years) at Community Union. Read her previous articles for SecEd via www.sec-ed.co.uk/authors/helen-osgood