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Estonia Study Tour Leadership Insights: What can Trust leaders learn from Estonia’s approach to education?

Thoughts from Wesley Davies, Chief Executive Officer at Two Counties Trust.

Professional curiosity is crucial for personal growth and school improvement. Visiting any school is a privilege and an opportunity to reflect on one’s own organisation and educational philosophy. When the opportunity arose to visit Estonia, I couldn’t not attend!  

Having previously been to the US to visit Charter Schools in both New York and Chicago, I was familiar with the potential impact a study tour can have.  I was really interested in finding out more about where Estonia was up to with digital transformation in the educational sphere along with just absorbing myself in the inner workings of the education systems and school life.   

During the study tour I was able to observe four different settings including a kindergarten, two basic education schools and one secondary school.   Due to the approach to education in Estonia, each was different and different learning points could be taken from each ‘school house’.   

School Visits  

As in all schools, the principal’s approach and values were evident.  Having previously been involved in the setting up of a Sixth Form Free School, the visit to the secondary school really resonated with me.  It was clear all the elements which all educationalists want students at the age of 18 to have, was central to the vision of the school.   Seeing students working independently in student zones, talking to teachers on a one to one about their learning, exemplified the culture the school had crafted.  It reinforced the point that school culture is taught not caught.  Great schools regardless of location really work hard on crafting and cultivating a compelling culture where learning is inevitable.  

Lessons observed were teacher led and knowledge rich.   Students responded well to teacher input and were engaged in the activities that were set by teachers.   Through observations and discussions, it was clear that teachers plan independently and use their own resources.   Most of the schools talked about twice a year conversations with teachers about how they are performing and their key next step.   I did expect to see more use of IT in the classroom but what was used was very similar to the UK’s approach.  In classrooms there were;  projectors, screens, iPads and laptops.  These could be used by students and staff but there was no expectation to do so.   In this sense, the Edtech seemed to more organic, and an evolutionary approach taken.   

Points of Interest  

An interesting aspect was the emphasis on ‘Hobby Education’ which might be viewed as clubs or enrichment activities in the UK. Students have a large degree of choice in what their week looks like and the courses they choose.  There was a sense that depth was valued over breadth.  We have just completed our strategic plan and one area that we have identified as a relative next step is to extend the range of student experiences we currently offer.  Having listened to leaders in Estonia, experiences outside of the taught formal curriculum build a sense of belonging which is much needed in the post covid era.   

It would appear the provision for children with special educational needs is similar to that of the UK.  Students are at level 1 or level 2 which seemed to translate to a K or E code in the UK.  I was surprised given the focus on digital technology in Estonia, schools visited did not talk more about how assistive technology is being or could be used to support some students.    

Analysis  

Practically, I will review the resource allocation for student experiences.  I have recently appointed an executive leader to oversee this important area of work.   We will devout some strategic time to consider what other capacity and financial resource is needed to ensure that we offer compelling experiences for students regardless of context. By developing a range of experiences that meet the interests and needs of all students, a sense of belonging will be embedded and in turn this may help with the national attendance crisis.  As trust leaders it is important that we ensure equity of experiences for the students in our Trust.  

I was also interested in the weight the educational system gives to student and teacher surveys.  Whilst these are important metrics in the UK, they seemed to be the primary metrics in Estonia.  I have thought about what we can do to take a fresh look at survey data in my own Trust and how we can more regularly respond to stakeholder voice.  Historically we have completed annual, in-depth surveys for stakeholders, and we are committed to taking a more modern and responsive approach.   

Key actions 

– Establish a clear definition of Personal Development within the Trust.  

– Develop electives for students to increase the sense of belonging. 

– Roll out pulse surveys for stakeholders so that we can respond to the data more regularly.  

Influencing others  

It is important for me to share my learning with my school and trust leaders to challenge thinking and develop our educational offer over time.   We value study tours at TTCT but sharing my learning as CEO will show the importance of us not becoming an echo chamber but an organisation that values horizon scanning and has an open mindset.   

Beyond that it is sharing the approaches seen within the professional networks that I belong to and partner organisations.  

Conclusion  

As with all study tours and professional learning, both the visit and the professional dialogue with colleagues either reinforce or challenge our mental model of excellent education for the students we serve.    As educationalists we must continue to learn and develop, and there is no better way than visiting schools and hearing the authentic voices of school leaders about their experiences.    

Thank you to the team at Inspiring Leaders and the leaders we met in Estonia for such a powerful study tour. 

To read other leadership blogs reflecting on our Estonia Study Tour, written by senior leaders from across our partner trusts, click here.