Case Studies
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A large and swiftly improving academy pairs quality of teaching with school-wide improvement
The Chalk Hills Academy
The Chalk Hills Academy uses BlueSky to identify best practice – and rapidly improve quality of teaching and learning
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BlueSky helps a leading technology college streamline its performance management
Basingstoke College of Technology
Basingstoke College of Technology uses BlueSky to monitor the progress of more than 400 members of staff
"After only a few weeks of being in post I could see the benefits of having a centralised system to monitor staff performance and development"
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Supporting collaboration through standardising practices
Windsor Academy Trust
How a successful MAT standardises processes and encourages collaboration whilst maximising training opportunities for staff
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Achieving uniformity and strategic planning in a whole-college setting
Havant & South Downs College
BlueSky is enabling each member of staff to have ownership of their training and professional development.
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A high-performing large MAT uses BlueSky to standardise performance management
The Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT)
"The main thing for us is knowing that if we want to roll something out Trust-wide BlueSky is there to help facilitate this."
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Updating our model for whole school teaching and learning
Barnby Road Academy
"Staff have really bought into BlueSky and are now using it to log their own development.
"Before deciding on BlueSky as our new model, we conducted a survey of staff attitudes and it was clear everyone was ready for change. Ensuring that staff would use the new system was essential and thanks to the strength of the support we received from BlueSky, including training and unlimited use of the BlueSky helpline, this need has definitely been met".
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Providing Teach First with a powerful facility for tracking and supporting participant progress
Teach First
Allowing objective discussion, formative dialogue and rapid intervention.
"BlueSky is a key tool that is helping us to make a real difference to the quality of our programme and ensuring our teachers are the best that they can be for their pupils" Helen Gooch, Curriculum Design Project Manager at Teach First
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Evidencing the trajectory of one of Dubai’s most successful schools
The Emirates International School - Meadows in Dubai
"We can provide feedback very quickly after lesson observations," Andrew commented. "Whereas in the past I would have been entering data into spreadsheets and then making comparisons, the system does it all and the Head of Department can discuss the evidence with the member of staff almost immediately."
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BlueSky streamlines the coaching and appraisals process at Primary multi-academy trust
The Portswood Primary Academy Trust
"We have definitely seen that the quality of reflection has improved and the quality and value of our appraisal interviews has risen significantly. It was always good, but has definitely got better. Teachers are switched on and the process is more on-going. Joint practice development would not have such a high profile throughout the Trust without BlueSky".
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Transforming the performance development system at leading Qatar school
Doha College, Qatar
"Set up was simple, involving just a few emails about log ins and activation. BlueSky's website, including FAQs and explanatory videos, has been really useful too".
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Saving time, effort and money. BlueSky at Blackfen School.
Blackfen School for Girls
"In the past, even a relatively simple task such as comparing two teachers on upper pay grade 3 would have involved sorting through 190 sets of paper records. Now at the click of a button I have all the information I need at my fingertips. BlueSky has streamlined the process beyond recognition".
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Two languages, three curricula, one system.
St Paul’s School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
"Before the arrival of BlueSky it would have taken days to prepare reports – now six months after BlueSky's installation, they can be printed off in no time at all".
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How BlueSky is adding value, to ‘value-added measures’.
Lampton School
Here is a school rated 'outstanding in challenging circumstances' by Ofsted. Its 1,600 students come from a range of ethnic backgrounds, with the majority speaking English as a second language, and falling below national averages in terms of socio economics and ability.
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To engineers, evidence is everything.
Aston University Engineering Academy, Birmingham
"BlueSky is the glue that holds lots of processes together… we're using all the tools BlueSky has to offer."
They began by using the Performance Management feature, and a couple of months later they piloted the Self-Review area. Two terms later, they were using BlueSky's complete suite of tools.
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Working together for improvement
The Downs School, Berkshire
"Working with all staff in this way is blurring the lines between teachers and associate staff, some teachers appraise associate staff and associate staff attend training that would previously have been for teachers only"
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Where BlueSky isn’t just software, but an event.
Croesyceiliog School, Torfaen
The information held within BlueSky supports Croesyceiliog to offer 40 internal CPD sessions each year. This saves the school thousands of pounds on external CPD and is having a huge impact on the quality of teaching. The school has seen a 22% improvement in GCSE results and a move from Band Five to Two in just one year.
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A 16th century history and 21st century management.
Sherborne School, Dorset
Sherborne School's new paperless process links the development of staff with its professional standards and school improvement.
"It is reassuring to know that we have a system to help us operate our CPL more effectively and productively. We are now a more effective organisation."
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Bringing military precision to a services school
Hornbill School, Brunei
Hornbill has found that BlueSky has elevated the quality of performance analysis, as well as making life easier and saving previous time.
"With all our information now tracked, recorded and easily accessible online, life is easier and time is saved for everybody."
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Time, money, complications. Saved.
Walbottle Campus
Walbottle has found that the benefits delivered by BlueSky range from the quality and clarity of reporting information, to clear efficiency savings in time and money.
"Our teachers like the fact they effectively have ownership of their own development and can access the system on and off-site."
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A creative primary meets an imaginative solution.
Sythwood School
Nicola Wilmshurst, Deputy Head, has since seen the benefits of BlueSky flowing through to the staff, the management and governors, and indeed the pupils.
"I can't imagine handling performance management without BlueSky."
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At CIT South, standards are heading north.
The Priory, Garth and John Fielding Special Schools / Community Inclusive Trust South
CIT is also finding BlueSky is ideal for presenting information to bodies such as governors, Ofsted and the local authority.
"BlueSky provides senior leaders with access to quality-assured information, allowing an accurate overview of what areas are working well and conversely highlighting those areas which may need more energy and focus."
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A human-scale school with large-scale achievements.
The Swanage School
BlueSky now occupies a central position at Swanage School.
"BlueSky is definitely the vehicle that gets teacher development embedded and raises our standards of teaching and learning – without a doubt."
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Connecting individual staff performance and school-wide improvement
Hempstead Junior School
Hempstead Junior School uses BlueSky to link and bring clarity to all elements of staff performance and monitoring.
"Since implementing the solution, changes to the appraisal system and the need to tie processes together have led to us discovering so much more in BlueSky".
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Powering a global view of professional learning for all staff
The British School in the Netherlands
How BlueSky supports one of Europe's largest international schools.
"Overall, staff must be supported in their roles and BlueSky does just that. The main impact has been that for the first time we have a global view across the school. The BlueSky system has improved visibility because all staff engage at the same points during the year. It has allowed us to embed professional expectations for everyone. All staff feel – and are – equally valued.
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Streamlining teacher training at Ringwood School – A National Teaching Academy
Ringwood School
"The time-saving is incredible, particularly in running reports. BlueSky is invaluable from a leadership point of view. I love the security of knowing all the information is there online and know I will be a life-long user".
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Working together for improvement
The Downs School
"We wanted a system that would bring the information together to ensure consistency and allow us to measure the impact of our initiatives and training on the quality of teaching". Carol Butler, Deputy Headteacher
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Promoting quality over quantity of professional development in IT
Two Mile Ash School
"The willingness of the BlueSky team to make adaptations and customise the system to work best for us has been invaluable". Rachel Coulson, Head of Initial Teacher Training at Two Mile Ash ITTP
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A 2-19 academy has transformed its approach to performance management
Beaumont Hill Academy
BlueSky is helping Beaumont Hill to put a deep understanding of staff evaluation at the heart of its improvement strategy
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Performance management systems and practice are aligned across six schools in the multi-academy trust
Gloucestershire Learning Alliance Trust
BlueSky has provided an excellent platform for the trust to analyse and evaluate the impact of its performance management strategy, Claire says. But beyond the technical accessibility, a key element is that it matches their culture and philosophy around performance management.