Peer Groups

iAbacus offers a powerful platform for schools and trusts to establish and nurture peer groups. By connecting staff with similar roles across schools or departments, peer groups facilitate a collaborative approach to self-evaluation and improvement planning. 

This model is particularly impactful within Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), where subject leaders or staff with specific responsibilities can work together to align practices, set benchmarks, and drive collective improvement.

How iAbacus Facilitates Peer Groups:

Creating Consistency Across Roles

iAbacus enables staff with the same roles—such as subject leaders, SEN coordinators, or pastoral managers—to use a unified approach to evaluation. By applying the same templates and criteria, these groups can standardise practices and compare performance across multiple schools.

Staff can track and share their progress, aligning their strategies to achieve common goals and improve outcomes consistently across the trust.

Best Practice Sharing and Collaborative Development

With iAbacus, peer groups can share their abacuses, collaborate on action plans, and compare results. This enables staff to see what works best in different contexts and to adopt successful strategies from their colleagues.

iAbacus’s overlay and stacking features allow members to view and analyse multiple abacuses side by side, providing insights that go beyond individual data. This collective analysis fosters a deeper understanding of what drives success and where challenges are shared, encouraging collaborative problem-solving.

Engaging Online Sessions for Peer Groups

We offer online sessions designed to engage and support peer groups in using iAbacus effectively. These sessions cover everything from setting up and using the platform to practical tips on sharing and analysing abacuses collaboratively.

Sessions are interactive and tailored to the specific needs of each peer group, ensuring all participants can actively engage and develop their skills. Participants can explore different strategies, exchange ideas, and work together to build cohesive, effective evaluation and improvement plans.

Example Peer Group Applications:

Subject Leaders Across MATs

• Who: Subject leaders (e.g., Heads of English, Maths, Science) from different schools within a MAT.

• Benefit: Leaders collaborate using shared templates to evaluate curriculum delivery and student outcomes, ensuring consistent standards and the sharing of best practices across schools.

New Teacher Induction Groups

• Who: Early career teachers or newly appointed staff across a trust.

• Benefit: iAbacus facilitates a supportive peer network where new teachers can evaluate their development, set improvement targets, and receive feedback and guidance from mentors and peers.

Pastoral and SEN Coordinators

• Who: Staff responsible for pupil wellbeing, pastoral care, or SEN provision.

• Benefit: Coordinators work together to evaluate their strategies, share resources, and align approaches to improve outcomes for vulnerable groups across the trust.

Setting Up Peer Groups with iAbacus:

We support schools and trusts in establishing effective peer groups by:

Assisting with Group Setup: We help you set up your peer groups within iAbacus, ensuring the right people are connected and ready to collaborate.

Delivering Tailored Online Workshops: Our expert-led workshops guide participants through using iAbacus collaboratively, providing practical demonstrations and engaging exercises to foster active use of the platform.

Providing Ongoing Support: After the initial setup and sessions, we offer ongoing guidance, including follow-up meetings, resources, and tips on how to maintain and grow your peer network effectively.

Why Choose iAbacus for Peer Groups?

Standardised Evaluation Across Schools: iAbacus ensures a consistent approach, enabling fair and aligned evaluation processes within and across peer groups.

Enhanced Collaboration: By connecting colleagues with similar roles, iAbacus empowers schools to share knowledge, align strategies, and create impactful improvement plans.

Scalable for MATs and Beyond: Whether for a small group within a single school or a large, trust-wide initiative, iAbacus supports scalable collaboration, making it a versatile tool for peer learning.

Get Started with Peer Groups Today!

Empower your staff to learn from and support each other through structured peer groups. Contact us to discuss setting up peer groups in your school or trust and discover how iAbacus can facilitate collaborative improvement that drives results.