Basic Listening

At the basic stage, voice gathering happens through occasional surveys and symbolic forums, but it is fragmented, task-based, and champion-led rather than leader-led. Here’s how that could look in practice:

• Annual or less frequent surveys that are not tied to school improvement planning.
• Pupil councils or suggestion boxes may exist, but are largely symbolic.
• Formal reporting may exist, but has limited follow-through.
• Listening is treated as a task; leaders rely on HR or individual champions and are not visible as listeners.

Data is collected and reviewed, but analysis remains surface-level, mainly monitoring trends, and is not yet connected across groups or priorities. This could mean:

• Data is reviewed in isolation, often siloed in HR or pastoral teams.
• There’s a focus on surface-level results, and interpretation of trends is limited.
• Cross-group comparisons are not explored.
• Leaders skim reports and often cite workload or other reasons as a barrier to deeper interpretation.

Small, reactive and/or practical actions are taken in response to feedback, though ownership and follow-through are still developing. This can show up as:

• Small, reactive actions emerging (e.g., clubs, timetable tweaks).
• Inconsistent follow-through; momentum is often lost.
• Responsibility that is unclear or reliant on one team/individual.
• Leaders delegating action-taking downwards, signalling that listening is “someone else’s job.”

Updates are shared occasionally, but communication about feedback and actions is not yet consistent or detailed. What this looks like:

• Updates are inconsistent and patchy.
• Feedback loops often disappear into a “black hole.”
• Stakeholders are unclear on what was acted on and why other issues were not.
• Leaders are cautious and/or defensive; they may avoid explaining what isn’t possible, fuelling scepticism.

Organisations at the Basic Listening level often focus more on what was said than on the underlying meaning or patterns. Leaders may lack confidence in their own decision-making, sometimes overemphasising consensus or reacting defensively to criticism. As a result, action is patchy, communication back to stakeholders is rare, and trust remains fragile.

To move towards Structured Listening, focus on: