Before you attempt to address the steps you need to take towards school improvement, it helps to have an overview of your current circumstances.

The capitals audit is a simple way of gaining a snap-shot of the state of the condition you are currently operating in.  These conditions impact how you develop an effective knowledge management approach to school improvement. This approach is the name we have given to our theory of action.

We often use this audit, in a coaching situation or for team and self-reflection, to identify the underlying problems that may need to be resolved if we are to improve.

There are four capitals – moral, knowledge, social and organisation.  The most important of these is moral capital.

The audit provides a visual representation of the collective state of each capital.

How to use the audit

Please remember:

  • This is not a science but an art
  • This is not a test
  • The process is designed to make you reflect and determine where you are now so you can decide what you should do next. 
  • The dialogue with yourself and your colleagues is more important than the resulting image

On the audit form the circle has four axes, one for each capital. These axes meet in the centre of the circle.  The centre is coloured red. As you move from the centre to the edge of the circle, the gradient of the colour changes from red, through amber/yellow to green.

On your own or in your learning threes, make a RAG rating for where you perceive you are in the development of each capital. To assist you in this, a list of prompts for each capital is provided.

When you have completed this, place a mark at the appropriate point on each axis. Then join these points up. The resulting image provides you with a snap-shot of where you are now and indicates where you need to go next.

Remember:

  • Moral capital is the critical one, so address issues related to this first before the others.
  • Knowledge capital has to be identified and captured within the school and created or accessed from beyond.
  • The selection of the correct social skill to be used depends on the learner’s perception of the difficulty of the learning.
  • Often the responsibility for organisational capital – as it involves time and other resources – is allocated by the leadership and management and therefore they need to address any weaknesses here or progress could be hindered.

Please remember that the important aspect here is the reflective process. We will all have our own perceptions of where we are now in creating the conditions for the critical process of school improvement and they should be respected as every voice involved has relevance.

Take care and stay safe.

George

Professor Sir George Berwick, CBE