Supporting School Improvement – Effective Schools Service

The AISNSW Effective Schools Service offers participating schools the opportunity to form a professional partnership with an experienced AISNSW consultant, one that will be fluid and responsive to the strengths and needs of each school.

The purpose of the service is to improve teaching and learning by embedding a process of improvement, driven by priorities. Leadership teams are supported over an extended period to:

  • engage in four essential phases of strategy to enable and embed effective practices
  • build the capabilities required to lead people through change and enact strategy
  • implement evidence-based cycles of school improvement.
School Improvement Team

The AISNSW Effective Schools Service aims to:

  • Enhance the capability of school leaders to establish the conditions and enact effective school improvement processes.

  • Enhance the capability of school leaders to embed school-based change, using evidence-informed decision making.

  • Enhance the capability of leaders and teachers to engage in cycles of improvement that lift teaching and learning


The AISNSW Effective Schools Service will lift capability in:

  • Data Literacy
  • Change Management
  • Leadership for Action
  • Cultures of Collaboration

The AISNSW Effective Schools Service operates under a co-contribution model where participating schools are able to access a wide range of support, services and resources from the AISNSW at a subsidised cost of $13,000. AISNSW contributes:

  • Regular consultancy support on site at your school
  • Access to a comprehensive range of analysis, planning and monitoring tools and resources
  • Opportunities to connect to additional AISNSW services where appropriate

Participating schools purposefully engage for a minimum of two years in the service partnership. Typically, a school’s commitment would include resourcing:

  • Release of a dedicated leadership team to drive the partnership
  • Time and capacity to enable successful implementation
  • Relevant professional learning opportunities for school staff

Interested in learning more?

If you are interested in learning more or participating in the service please contact Jorga Marrum.


Read: From School Improvement to High Results
Read: 5 School Improvement case studies

External Evaluation Findings

Erebus International were contracted to undertake external evaluations of the School Improvement Service from 2019 to 2021. The aim was to provide feedback to AISNSW from participating schools about the impact of the service and suggestions for the further evolution of the School Improvement Service [SIS] to meet the needs of the diverse range of schools in the independent sector.


Key evaluation findings:

  • The strength of the SIS is its capacity to enable schools to develop a very tailored approach to school improvement reflecting each school’s individual context

  • Participating schools now use a range of data more effectively to inform their decision-making

  • 94% of participating schools reported that thy were employing a more systematic approach to their school improvement planning than previously
  • The great majority of principals reported that there have been significant changes in both the processes used for identifying teacher professional learning needs as well as the alignment between the school improvement plan and priorities and teacher professional learning needs.

  • Principals in each of the case study schools who had been involved in previous government-funded programs believed that SIS had delivered better return on investment and had achieved more lasting change than previous approaches.

Testaments from school leaders in NSW independent schools:

"Until we got involved in this program we just didn’t know how to make whole school change happen."

"I know of no better initiative that has built the commitment of my staff so quickly."

"We have been on a cultural change journey for three years. SIS has given us both a shape and purpose to our work."

"A key lesson for my school executive and myself has been the importance of professional development supporting the change process at every step of the way."

"We have made lots of mistakes along the way but the AISNSW consultants have ensured that every mistake became a valuable learning experience."

"The SIS initiative has really built the camaraderie among our staff and many are choosing to stay on rather than leave the school. Staff mobility is so much less than three years ago."