School Improvement Language

Bringing It All Together

I have argued that we don’t agree on what ‘good teaching’ means because we use language differently. I considered that one of the reasons we misunderstand great teaching is because we treat it as a ‘thing’ rather than a complex, relational practice.

The work of Wittgenstein and Ryle shows us that both how we talk about teaching and how we conceptualise it are fraught with challenges. Much of my own work in school improvement has involved clarifying these ideas with leaders—to mixed success. But the effort has brought greater coherence.

This final piece offers practical next steps that might help educational leaders avoid common conceptual traps and move toward more intelligent and, vitally, sustainable improvement.

Interrogate Language Use

· Give clarity to the language used across your organisation. Do not assume a shared understanding.

· Establish a shared glossary of terms: what does "progress" mean here? What do we mean by "engagement"? Not a dictionary definition.

· Train leaders in this. These are not overwhelming concepts, but without critical awareness, they can lead to fast, costly errors and lethal mutations.

Design for Complexity

· Avoid oversimplifying performance models, QA processes, and CPD expectations. The appeal of simplicity must be resisted where it misrepresents professional reality.

· Acknowledge that education is not a linear, transactional system. It is a profession requiring judgment and reflection.

· Use frameworks and rubrics as tools for thought, not as totalising systems. No single tool is gospel—and no tool is universally right for every school context.

Recognise Teaching as a Practice, Not a Product

· Teaching is not an output to be replicated; it is a situated practice.

· Respect the craft, subtlety, and relational depth of teaching.

· Avoid reductionism in appraisal, accountability, and development frameworks.

And when we do use proxies, we must hold them lightly. They can be useful indicators—but they are not the whole truth. If we mistake them for absolutes, we risk building on sand. The intelligent question is not “Do the proxies look right?” but “What do they really tell us, and what do they miss?”

Lead with Language Awareness

· Be precise in what you mean.

· Be alert to category errors and conceptual confusion.

· Respect professional differences and judgment, especially across contexts.

· Embrace inquiry over prescription. Sometimes, the best leadership question is: "What might this mean here?"

I have led schools where a top-down model was right. I have insisted upon it. I have also worked in others where that approach would have failed outright. A model that claims universal applicability is likely to be more ideology than insight.

Final Thoughts

We do not need more initiatives. We need better thinking.

School improvement will always involve action—but not one-size-fits-all action. We need actions that are clear, context-aware, and rooted in shared understanding. This is the path to a more coherent, intelligent, and humane approach to leading schools.

I have barely started this work, but I hope, at the very least, I have made the case clearly.