Four peer learning activities (PLAs) took place in November to mark the end of the Agency’s Supporting Inclusive School Leadership (SISL) project. The project investigated how policy and support frameworks can develop and promote inclusive school-level leadership which addresses inequity to build community and enable the full participation of all learners.
The PLAs took place online and were hosted by and for a cluster of Agency member countries: Hungary, Ireland, Malta and Sweden. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, these countries have been working together with the Agency throughout Phase 2 of the project to develop and pilot a Self-Reflection Tool for school leaders and policy-makers to reflect on their leadership practice and supportive policy measures, respectively.
During the PLAs, the countries reflected on the experience of working together through the project and exchanged on national methods and developments in inclusive school leadership. By exploring each country’s challenges, participants were able to identify similarities and differences, which in turn supported their reflection on their own education systems and leadership practices.
Related to the country cluster work, the SISL project team and representatives from Sweden and Ireland presented their experiences in piloting the Self-Reflection Tool and the main SISL findings at an online event for Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, in November. Details of the event, including the project team’s presentation slides, are available on the Goethe University website.
Overall, the SISL work has emphasised how establishing structures and opportunities for structural dialogue and exchange can help identify and address the gaps between policy and practice. The SISL Self-Reflection Tool and Policy Framework both focus on reflecting on standards for inclusive school leadership and supportive measures from policy-makers, all guided by a vision of inclusive school leadership.
More details about the SISL project and downloadable outputs, including Phase 1 desk research reports and the Phase 2 Self-Reflection Tool and Policy Framework, are available on the SISL web area.