How Pupil Progress Transformed Data Communication and Reporting: The Garibaldi School Case Study

With Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of The Garibaldi School, part of the NOVA Trust.

Following the UK lockdown in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Garibaldi School, part of the NOVA Trust, faced significant challenges with data communication, double data entry, and accurate reporting. The implementation of Pupil Progress streamlined their processes, improved data engagement, and facilitated responsive teaching, leading to transformative results.

The Results

Time Efficiency

Eliminated double data entry, saving significant time for educators.

Data Engagement

Increased accountability and interaction with data among teachers and department heads.

Responsive Teaching

Enabled real-time tracking and visual progress updates for students, enhancing formative assessment.

Scalability

Successful rollout from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5, with plans to mandate use across all key stages.

The Challenges

Data Communication and Alignment: Reporting was inconsistent across departments throughout the school.
Double Data Entry: The Garibaldi School was using the Management Information System (MIS), Bromcom, to input their data but found this double-data entry process highly time-consuming.
Finding a Solution for Accurate Reporting: The need for software that could be successfully infiltrated across the school and alongside the existing MIS.

When comparing the MIS, Bromcom to the tracking and monitoring software Pupil Progress, the differences were clear from the outset:

It was immediately clear to see the differences between Bromcom and Pupil Progress. We were using another [system] before the lockdown, so part of the lure of Pupil Progress was that it can do so much more than Bromcom can. There were other tracking softwares, such as ClassChart, but it was the ease of adaptability and immediate analysis that appealed to us. Live updating is something our MIS still can't do, so it was very clear there was a contrast between the two."

Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of the Garibaldi School, NOVA Trust.

Implementation

Following the return to the 'new normal' after lockdown, the NOVA Trust focused on technology that would aid teachers with school lead tuition. The Garibaldi School introduced Pupil Progress around the same time as other digital platforms for tuition, to support Digital Transformation within their school.

"Initially, it was a case of asking the educators 'is it something we want?' Then, people on the ground [the teachers and school leaders themselves] informed the Trust whether it was going to be valuable, and they agreed it was". Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of the Garibaldi School, NOVA Trust.

The three key phases of how The Garibaldi School implemented Pupil Progress included:

A live demonstration from Barnaby Grimble, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Pupil Progress, to the full Senior Leadership Team, showcasing the product in action.
An outlined pilot implementation plan from Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of The Garibaldi School, taking the approach of filtering down from Trust to teacher level, starting with three Head of Departments trialling the software to give their perspective and feedback
Using the three Heads of Department to champion the elevated use of Pupil Progress throughout the school, with Key Stage 4 as a priority.

Everything syncs at the click of a button; no double data entry is required. As a Head of Department, they [students] can check Pupil Progress, at any point, cutting out the middlemen. This is their data, but it has historically been kept at a distance from them. It also affects their sense of accountability - on Pupil Progress, you can't avoid it. It has the potential to really change the perspectives not only of Subject Leads or Heads of Department, but also of class leaders. From a whole school achievement perspective, that means more people engaging with data in a meaningful way.
It will be transformational".

Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of the Garibaldi School, NOVA Trust.

They see Pupil Progress as the centralised tool for rolling out reporting, from Trust to student.

Martin also reflected on how inputting data into Pupil Progress helps with responsive teaching. They have used the trackers to show students where they are in real time

"It's a visual way of seeing where they are at comparatively in their class". - Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of the Garibaldi School, NOVA Trust.

Key Results and Return on Investment

Martin recounts how Pupil Progress has made data 'less scary' for teachers: "the live chat was prominent," as teachers received direct support from the in-house Pupil Progress Customer Support team.

Martin Dawson also reflects on the overall rollout from NOVA Trust and the impact Pupil Progress can have for educators across the board:

"Everyone's got a clunky MIS that deals with episodic monitoring, which has historically only been bolstered by your own tracking systems, like Excel, within a school. What Pupil Progress offers is consistency, speeding up the process and making it live, with the data in a format that is much easier to share and communicate. The consistency provides the big picture, and this improves the communication throughout the school." - Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of the Garibaldi School, NOVA Trust.

Future Plans

Moving forward, The Garibaldi School is looking to roll out Pupil Progress even further, with compulsory use of the platform mandated for not only Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, but also Key Stage 3. Some subject leads, such as Maths and Languages, are already implementing it ahead of time after seeing the benefits.

"I'd encourage any educators starting with Pupil Progress to make full use of the experts at Pupil Progress to inform meetings. You've got to learn how to use it on a subject-by-subject basis. It's just as important to have mini launches within that subject area." - Martin Dawson, Deputy Headteacher of the Garibaldi School, NOVA Trust.

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