SECTION
6
Section 6: Conclusion.
Conclusion.
In undertaking this project, ISQ has shown national leadership in addressing some of the historical gaps in the workforce data available to inform decision making at the statewide and local levels; we anticipate that the thinking and actions sparked by the project will serve the sector and the talented people who comprise it over the coming years.
Leveraging sector strengths.
Queensland’s independent school sector has much to celebrate. As the sector has grown, its leaders and staff have cultivated workplaces where people are engaged and connected to their purpose, and enjoy the benefits of collaborative and supportive relationships with peers.
The survey undertaken for this project is itself a valuable exercise in listening to staff voice. It is our hope that leaders in the sector can build on this process—whether they were directly involved in the project or not—to start meaningful conversations about how to make each school the best possible place for employees to start, develop or conclude a career in education.
Room to grow.
The areas where the sector has room to mature its practices are common challenges in education broadly: workload, work intensity, and a perceived lack of staff input into decision-making are risks many schools will need to manage. Independent schools are well positioned to demonstrate innovation and leadership on these issues and turn these risks into differentiators and strengths.
The collection and reporting of workforce data remains an area where the sector can continue to improve. In this project specifically, the availability of consistent HR data proved a challenge and limited our ability to establish a meaningful sector-wide picture of critical metrics such as staff recruitment and turnover rates. Future iterations of this project might focus on progressing the development of these processes for the sector’s benefit.
Making continuous workforce improvement ‘business as usual’ in independent schools.
Queensland’s independent schools are designed places of life-changing learning for students, but they can also be places of extraordinary organisational learning where leaders understand the nuances of their workforce strengths and risks and use this understanding to inform the continuous improvement of their school as a place to work.
Taking a holistic approach to this process—for example, by establishing a practice of workforce strategy and planning that involves staff in the development of solutions and the implementation of change—will always be the most sustainable path.
Next steps for leaders.
Ultimately, any data source is only as good as the quality of the data, the decisions it informs, and the actions it provokes. If you lead a school, it is important to consider how the findings presented here might relate to your school’s unique context so you can prioritise your next steps.
We suggest these next steps might include: