COVID-19 retrospective: how to help your school learn lessons from the past year

Last reviewed on 30 August 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
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Help your leaders take stock of this unique period in time to uncover positive learning points, so your school can move forward with renewed focus and confidence.

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Contents

  1. KISS – a framework for learning lessons
  2. What did we do that's worth keeping?
  3. What can we take this opportunity to improve?
  4. What will we start doing?
  5. What will we stop doing?

KISS – a framework for learning lessons

You’re probably familiar with KISS as an acronym for ‘keep it simple, stupid’. But Patrick Ottley-O’Connor, the former executive principal of Westhoughton High School and North Liverpool Academy, suggests a new acronym specifically for school recovery: 

  • Keep
  • Improve
  • Start
  • Stop

By using this framework, you can help school leaders focus beyond what's urgent today to what's important tomorrow. Here's how to put it into practice:

What did we do that's worth keeping?

Ask school leaders if they've noticed any changes over the course of the last year that are worth maintaining.

Another example might be if your school participated in a 'hub' during school closures, collaborating with other schools in the area in a

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