This impact evaluation was carried out independently at the request of Big Education, with a view to both assessing impact and exploring the best ways to improve the Rethinking School project for future cohorts.

The Rethinking School (Next Big 10) project is a two-year whole school project involving like-minded schools in England who are interested in exploring ‘doing education differently’ (Big Education). As a coalition with Big Education Rethinking School participants are joined in pursuing innovative education practices through refining an expansive ‘Head, Heart, Hand’ approach across four key areas: assessment, pedagogy, curriculum and leadership.

Other principles of the Rethinking School (Next Big 10) project include supporting schools to undertake ‘disciplined innovation’ through collaboration with others in a supportive and evaluative community. This includes developing skills and knowledge of possible ways to achieve this (for example, considering implementation science) in an efficient manner when schools are working with diminishing resources and wider system accountability pressures. The overarching aim is to become a collective voice for change within the current system.