The following is a process to gather last minute opinions and responses after the presentation of the School Vision in preparation for implementation the following year.

You will have to tailor the questions to suit your school.

Name:
You have now had a chance to think about the proposed vision for our school. The vision is based on the premise that a school is a community bonded by shared values.
As individuals and/or teams you will now need to focus your reactions and decide whether the ideas as presented make sense for you. Before next year we all will have to make a commitment to the vision. This may mean we may have to be prepared to put aside personal issues and work hard for the common good. In other organisations that have developed such new 'future visions' it has been shown that it is not an easy task to develop new behaviours and to align all actions behind a new vision. To be successful however, such alignment will be necessary. We will all need to be personally accountable to it to make it work. The Vision, Values and Teaching Framework will, in effect, become our Performance Agreement.

Some questions to reflect on in staff and/or team meetings or individually:

1. Do you think that the 'School as a Community' based on shared values is the right vision for our school rather than the current technocratic 'School As A Business' model which has been imposed on schools in the past decade?
2. Do you feel you can live with the Core Values that have been developed?
   (Some schools have developed separate Parent, Students and Staff Charters to outline behaviours they wish to encourage to realise the Vision and Values.)
3. Is the Vision (the modern version of a motto) a suitable key phrase that all involved in the school can be expected to remember?
4. Is the Mission Statement appropriate?
   (In some cases the Vision and Mission are the same phrase.)
5. How do you feel about really valuing parent perceptions/support? Is this a real concern?
6. Are the outcomes or benchmarks (in the basic skills) we have developed for our students realistic? What ideas do you like, or are not sure of? (Many schools are currently defining clear simple expectations in the foundation areas e.g. literacy, numeracy and other areas the school feels are vital if student is to take advantage of the total school programme.)
7. Do you feel that the points developed in the agreed Teaching Framework (which is in effect a Performance Agreement and/or Job Description) will realise the Vision? As a staff member could you give your full commitment to the points as outlined in the Teaching Framework? Are they reasonable expectations? They represent a Performance Agreement and /or Job Description. What concerns do you have?

   Consider carefully each Teaching Framework point.
   Is the Teaching Framework realistic?

   What are your reactions to each point?
   (Schools will need to list their own Teaching Beliefs - it is a good idea to align them with the suggested heading for the Performance Agreement and/or the Professional Standards. Each school will need to make each belief explicit expectations or 'indicators')

   The following is based on a Teaching Framework developed at one school.
   Each point was followed by a list of 'Therefore we will…' which act as 'indicators' to self-reference against to ensure the vision is being implemented.

   • Framework Point One: All our teaching will focus on developing student self responsibility to achieve their personal best.
   • Framework Point Two: We will base all our teaching on explicit values as outlined in the School Vision.
   • Framework Point three: We will value student's questions and prior knowledge in all our teaching. We will use the interactive teaching model.
   • Framework Point Four: We will select powerful learning experiences to provide all students with success in the Learning Areas and where possible make every attempt to integrate learning
   • Framework Point Five: We will assist students gain a range of learning strategies in all fields of learning and convey to students the need to continually reach for their personal best in all they do
   • Framework Point Six: Teacher's need to plan collaboratively to share individual strengths and to evaluate student and their and our progress.
   • Framework Point Seven: We believe all students need a predicable environment so as to allow them to have the confidence to take risks and make appropriate choices.
   • Framework Point Eight: We will work in partnership with both the students and their parents.
   How do you feel about being appraised against these points? What Professional Development will you need to achieve the Framework?
8. How did you feel about the school vision idea when you first heard it? How do you feel about it now? Do you feel as if you could 'own' it? Please make your views/voice heard. Is it meaningful to you? If not, how would it have to change to be meaningful to you? It must be in place for next year.
9. What would be the major implications you see arising from implementing the vision? How do you envision the school in five years time?
10. What in your opinion would be the biggest problems in realising the vision? What do you think is the next step? Any possible solutions can be included in the School's Strategy Plan.