Consult | Cooperate | Conform

Consult and Improve

Getting the most out of consultants

Published March 2023

Some school staff tend to perceive consultants as threatening rather than helpful. Some consultants have the unhelpful reputation of having to find fault in current systems to earn their living! This is neither fair nor constructive. This article is about how to reverse this perception by taking control of consultation processes.

What and who are consultants?

Consultants are either individual or group bodies that offer support or connections to schools or teachers to improve practice or manage change. With such a wide remit, there are many categories. Some are based within a general and established consultancy business. Some are university-based. Many are individuals.

Consultants can also be categorized by their primary stakeholder focus. Some consultants choose to focus on school leadership structures or training, some on policies, others on students or disadvantaged students, on parents and the wider community.

Why schools engage consultants

It is understood by most that an external person/process is best placed to objectively assess where you are at. This is the main reason schools choose to employ consultants. This is often an indication that a school is open to constructive feedback and willing to improve. The narrowness that comes from only working with people within your immediate vicinity can be challenged through engaging with consultants.

First things first

It is important to customize the criteria being used by the consulting team. A school must ensure that the assessment is matched to where they are on the journey related to their vision. For example, there is no point in a school being assessed on their ability to get students into universities if their aim, due to their cohort or location, is to have students accessing employment immediately after school.

Specialisms

Consultants give schools the opportunity to improve in areas not traditionally associated with education. For example, how to access school or student sponsorships programs. Even making the most of school finances.

So, whatever their reputation within education, consultants can really make a difference when the right consultant is engaged on a scope that is relevant to the mission of the school and its current realities.