Enhancing educational excellence at Excelsior Academy with Sisra Observe
Sisra Observe brings all of your professional development processes into one place. From a personalised dashboard, staff can measure their progress, access relevant documents, and track tasks on an easy-to-use platform.
About the school
Excelsior Academy, an academy sponsor-led institution in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is governed by The Laidlaw Schools Trust and led by Principal Mr James Andriot. Since its establishment on 1 September 2008, the academy has remained dedicated to offering comprehensive and inclusive education for all age groups, spanning from 3 to 19 years. Operating as an all-through educational facility, Excelsior Academy seamlessly covers Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form phases with a mixed gender of entry.
The challenge
Excelsior Academy did not have a central place to store their CPD documents, making it difficult for senior leaders to quickly access highlights and key information. This lack of a unified system posed difficulties for both teaching and non-teaching staff, requiring a more accessible and time-efficient solution. Vicky, the Academy’s Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning, recognised the need for a comprehensive system to streamline the organisation of extensive teaching and learning records to enhance overall educational management.
In response to the Academy's challenges, Juniper's team of education experts proposed an ideal solution, introducing Sisra Observe—a user-friendly system consolidating all professional development processes into one unified platform.
The shift to Sisra Observe
"Now we have everything in a central place that is easy to access."
The transition to Sisra Observe marked a significant move for Excelsior Academy, as they embraced a centralised system to streamline educational activities. The system showcased its adaptability, starting in secondary education and later extending to primary education. On this, Vicky stated,
"We didn't initially use it in the primary school... but we’ve also started using it in the primary school as well following its impact on efficiency across the secondary school."
This flexibility showcases the platform's adaptability to different educational stages and requirements. Key personnel led the implementation, with the Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning and the Data and Exams Officer playing pivotal roles in managing the process.
Vicky remembers the previous system's disjointed nature before the shift, commenting,
"Before using Sisra Observe, we were keeping all our records, such as observation and appraisal records, in spreadsheets and other documents. Now we have everything in a central place that is easy to access,"
Vicky stressed the importance of a system capable of handling various staff roles and requirements, a demand well met by Sisra Observe.
The outcomes
"We value Sisra Observe for its strategic overview of performance and CPD."
Implementing Sisra Observe has revolutionised the academy's performance management and observation approach. Vicky observes,
"Because everything's all in one place... middle management and staff can track the performance of whole teams, which was previously difficult in larger subjects." This centralisation has streamlined processes, significantly reduced administrative workload and fostering a more dynamic and responsive educational environment.
The deployment of Sisra Observe has also raised standards and bolstered accountability across all academy levels.
"Sisra Observe allows the SLT to just double down on that data... it's also about aligning that expectation across your middle leaders," Vicky explains. This scrutiny ensures that evaluations are accurate and standards are consistently upheld across the board.
Sisra Observe has also played a pivotal role in strategic planning and data-driven decision-making.
"We value Sisra Observe for its strategic overview of performance and CPD," Vicky states, underlining its role in gathering and utilising data for informed judgments. The data is instrumental for internal management and reporting to external stakeholders like governors and the Trust.
In conclusion
Excelsior Academy's journey with Sisra Observe illustrates the powerful impact of integrating a comprehensive, efficient, and accessible system in an educational setting. Vicky's experience underscores the platform's capability to streamline educational management, enhance accountability, and support data-driven decision-making, leading to a significant uplift in academic standards and practices at the academy.
