The English Farm is a 'flat' organisation. That means the following:
- There are fewer levels of hierarchy; and
- We are organised in self-managing teams by function.
You might describe TEF as holacratic or sociocratic. I think we take elements from both these systems of organisation.
Visually, the difference between a traditional hierarchical organisation and TEF is something like the following:
Another way to look at TEF might be as an inter-connected network of teams:
That doesn't mean to say that there is no authority in the traditional sense. People need to organise and break down the work. There needs to be accountability, oversight and review of work. We have to ensure alignment in what we do and why we do it. And there is certainly a place for leadership and experience. It is important that we maintain internal controls so that we stay on target.
I think the best way to visualise the team is as an inverted pyramid, with each layer supporting the one above, ultimately in service to the teachers and the delivery of the best learning experience possible for our student body. All of this serves to ensure we are doing all we can to do the best we can.
