And I don't mean that tools can't be used to support the process. Looking back to when people moved from purely oral communication, to written forms of sharing thoughts and ideas, people have used tools to help. Whether that's ink, paper, word processing, tools to correct errors, tools to sharpen the flow and now tools to further develop (or even generate) ideas.

All great, but what is being communicated has to come from a human or else it just won't work.

My view is that if it's your own idea, it doesn't matter what else you use. But if you didn't have a significant hand in creating what is being communicated, it just won't connect anyway. People can just 'feel' that when they read it.

Could that also be applied when schools articulate and share their own ethos? How do you make sure your ethos is truly valuable, authentic and more than just a generic (but 'clever') string of words?

Would parents, staff, and students all describe your ethos in the same way? If not, why is that?

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Reactive

Values are stated (e.g. website/vision statements) but not consistently lived in daily practice.

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Evolving

Ethos is visible in parts of the school but not fully embedded. Mixed experiences for staff, parents, and students.

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Strategic & Sustainable

Ethos is authentic, consistent, and lived at every level. Culture builds trust, pride, and reputation, making the school a first choice for families and staff.