Tenacious Schools Framework
How effectively does your leadership team establish a culture that encourages students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's curriculum and accreditation encourage all students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's approach to inclusive pedagogy encourage students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's understanding of neurodiversity and AEND encourage students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's approach to behaviour and relationships encourage students to attend, engage and attain
How does your school’s approach to communication encourage students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's approach to student autonomy and student voice encourage all students to attend, engage and attain?
How does the school’s environment encourage and enable all students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's approach to exam preparedness, and other methods of achievement encourage students to attend, engage and attain?
How does your school's approach to family engagement support all students to attend, engage and attain?
How to use the Tenacious Schools Framework:
Each section has a rationale and objective. You may have an idea of which section your school would find most useful as ana rea of decvelopment or perhaps you wish to work through each section. Both approaches work, however Leadership and Mangamanet is the most comprehensive section, and can give you an indication of areas of strength and weakness across your provision.
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1. Download and share the staff audit for the section you are starting on. The optimum approach is to ask members of your senior leadership team, your SENCO, and group of 'test staff' to answer the staff audit. This will give you the most rounded feedback and allow you to see discrepencies between experiences of SLT, SENCO's and teachers or teaching assistants. However ,each audit can also be completed , and an action plan gerenated, by one member of staff.
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2 Once completed the audit generates an action plan for this area on the next tab.
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3 Feel free to use any AI platform to merge responses into one action plan. If you have comissioned Tenacious Schools to assist you I will collate responses and generate the action plan.
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4. Download and share the student audit with your student contributors. The optimum response group are stiudents froma. variety of age groups and learning profiles - I would advise an 50/50% split in SEN and non SEN students.
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5. Compare responses between staff, staff and students, and finally between SEN and non SEN students. There will liekly be shared areas of weakness and strientgh in whihc staff and students agree. There will also be shared areas of weakness and strength offered by SEN and non SEN students. The overlapping areas are your priority. Again, if you have comissioned support from Tenacious Schools I will carry out this rpocess for you , collate results and identfy your priority areas
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6. Actioning improvement - each action plan offers actions and sources of support to build strength in this area.
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7. You are off - good luck - share your journey and seek like minded educators on our contrbutors page .
About Tenacious Schools
A framework to support Inclusive, Engaging and Inspiring Education; Enabling All Students to Attend, Engage and Achieve​
Context - why?
Schools are, by nature, tenacious. They are responsive and dynamic, continuously adapting to meet the evolving needs of their learners and the demands of an ever-changing context. Building on this strength, the Tenacious Schools framework is designed to support schools in creating fully inclusive environments, reducing incidences of Emotionally Based School Non Attendance (EBSNA) and school absence linked to mental health or unmet needs. I have created this space and programme to share knowledge, however it is your school, please see each tool as guided support rather than a dogmatic list of must do's.
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Structure - what?
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The framework is structured around ten discrete but interconnected domains. Each section guides school leaders and staff through a clear process of reflection, evaluation, training, and improvement planning. The framework tools support an Assess - Plan- Do - Review for each area.
Schools can opt to use the tools with school leaders, teachers, students and parents. Schools can also opt to commission additional bespoke support from Tenacious Schools virtually or face to face. As a whole, following the framework supports schools where every student is seen, valued, and enabled to thrive.
Process - how?
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This process involves a whole-school cycle of audit, planning, action and review—focused on policy, practice, and culture. The process is followed over each of the 10 areas within the framework.
It incorporates evidence-informed tools, references to national guidance and models, and pathways to relevant accreditations. Schools are offered bespoke, collaborative support to embed meaningful, sustainable change.​​
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The process is supported by a student online questionnaire, offering quantitative and qualitative live feedback to the leadership team.
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