4 Summary

This unit has explained how an SDP provides a guide for the year and beyond. It is best developed in consultation with stakeholders and is a powerful tool for enhancing learning and improving the school. The template provided in Resource 1 will help to structure your thinking about your plan, but it is not an end in itself.

The process of developing your SDP promotes community participation and shared responsibility by strengthening partnerships between school and community. It also supports ongoing self-evaluation and accountability. It is a document that is required as part of governance and accountability, but it is the process of developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluation that is the most important aspect. Ultimately, an SDP is driven by the ambition to raise the achievement of students through improving the quality of teaching and learning.

This unit is part of the set or family of units that relate to the key area of perspective on leadership (aligned to the National College of School Leadership). You may find it useful to look next at other units in this set to build your knowledge and skills:

• Building a shared vision for your school
• Leading the school’s self-review
• Using data on diversity to improve your school
• Planning and leading change in your school
• Implementing change in your school.