Iona Jackson, Managing Director, Edurio
Becoming a listening organisation
Building a community where every voice matters improves individual wellbeing and sense of belonging: this much is clear. Beyond this, my colleagues at Edurio and I believe it also presents a longer-term strategic advantage for your organisation.
School trusts must demonstrate their values through action, using the voices of pupils, parents, and staff to improve the experience for those within their school. In doing so, they should also find what’s most important and be better equipped to focus time and resources on the areas of highest impact. Calling on an old proverb to better make this point, "if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.
Let’s review how we are doing as a sector currently. Four in five staff feel that their feedback has impact at least some of the time. However, among those who do, a significant proportion feel that feedback has impact only sometimes rather than more often, and one in five staff members report "rarely” or "never” seeing their feedback to the leadership have an impact.
Additionally, whilst just over a third of pupils feel their opinion is quite or very valued, almost the same proportion report feeling that their opinion is not very valued or not valued at all.
And 38% of parents report feeling that their feedback to the school rarely or never has an impact, compared to 35% who feel it often does and 62% who feel it does at least some of the time.
This suggests that even where trusts feel they are listening, there is more to do to ensure that all members of the community feel heard. What follows is a set of suggestions for improving relational trust through feedback and creating public value in the process, drawing on Edurio’s research and discussions with trust leaders who’ve embedded stakeholder feedback strategically.
1. Use feedback to inform trust-wide decisions and create public value
Turning feedback data into strategic action helps trusts create value for those within the community, taking into account important elements of school, trust and national-level context.
- Identify patterns and trends across schools
- Use national benchmarks for informed decisions
- Find what’s most important to your community
- Align actions with community needs
Deepen your understanding of Survey Analysis and unlock the potential of your data.
2. Translate feedback into collective action
Values must be visible through meaningful, stakeholder-driven action.
- Share findings with stakeholders
- Focus resources on what’s most important for your community
- Learn from trusts excelling in particular areas
- Develop an action plan that works for your context
Delve into Edurio’s Survey Hub for more information on how to take action.
3. Embed listening in your trust’s purpose and strategy
A listening organisation weaves stakeholder feedback into its core mission, ensuring that purpose and values guide everyday decisions.
- Build relational trust through transparent communication
- Engage all stakeholders regularly
- Involve stakeholders in shaping decisions
- Reach underrepresented voices
Explore how Cabot Learning Federation "Model Listening as a Leadership Responsibility” in a recent case study.
4. Make listening accessible and meaningful
An inclusive listening culture ensures every voice can be heard and valued.
- Ensure accessibility
- Vary collection methods
- Communicate impact
Discover how Pathways School established strong relationships with parents and the community to foster trust, engagement, and pride in the school.
5. Empower leaders to build relational trust
Leadership commitment is vital to nurturing relational trust and respectful, responsive relationships that strengthen school communities.
- Train leaders in interpreting and communicating feedback
- Encourage headteachers to champion listening practices
- Facilitate staff discussions grounded in evidence
Discover leadership strategies employed by top-performing trusts in our Leadership Guide.
6. Tackle challenges to embed lasting change
Building a sustainable listening culture means addressing common barriers to stakeholder feedback:
- Engage stakeholders and build trust to help overcome lower response rates
- Find the positives and face the negatives with an open mind, which is important for interpreting data accurately
- Show impact and follow up to help maintain engagement over time
Utilise some of our free resources to overcome common barriers.
7. Build a public narrative rooted in values
Creating a public narrative connects the head and the heart, telling stories that reflect shared values and experiences.
- Celebrate stakeholder contributions and successes
- Frame initiatives as community-driven change
- More collaborative school communities
Explore Edurio’s Stakeholder Feedback Hub
Leading with purpose, public value, and trust
Becoming a listening organisation is not just a technical achievement but a commitment to living your trust’s purpose. By prioritising stakeholder voices, creating public value, and nurturing relational trust, school trusts can lead their communities with integrity and courage, ensuring that time and resources are spent on the most important priorities.
Now is the time to turn values into action and demonstrate that strong, inclusive leadership starts with listening.
Join us for CST's CEO Leadership Summit on 7 and 8 July in Birmingham to explore our theme, Values in action: Purpose, public value, and public narrative. Find out more and book now.
The CST Blog welcomes perspectives from a diverse range of guest contributors. The opinions expressed in blogs are the views of the author(s), and should not be read as CST guidance or CST’s position.
