From Numbers to Narratives: Using Data to Tell the Story of Learning

In November 2025, I had the privilege of presenting From Numbers to Narratives: Using Data to Tell the Story of Learning at the FOBISIA Leadership Conference, representing Kinabalu International School .

The heart of the session was simple: data doesn’t give us answers - it helps us ask better questions. And when we use it well, data becomes a powerful tool for understanding learners, strengthening systems, and shaping more child centered approaches to school improvement.

Why Stories Matter

Many educators feel overwhelmed by data. It can feel technical, detached, or disconnected from the daily realities of classrooms and like it depersonalised, risking reducing children and teachers to numbers. But, when we shift the focus from the numbers themselves to the stories a child’s data can reveal, something transformative happens:

• We see the child, not just the scores.

• We build greater data literacy across teams.

• We ask more thoughtful, more courageous questions.

• And ultimately, we make better decisions for our learners.

Looking Closely at Individual Learners

In the workshop, I shared stories of two students — familiar profiles in many schools.

Student A, who joined late in primary school, arrived with low attainment, low engagement, and multiple behavioural concerns. On paper, it would have been easy to predict limited success.

But by asking different questions, such as; Where are the small wins? What have we missed? Who can reach this learner? we discovered strengths hidden in the details. A tiny foothold in humanities, a connection with a football-loving teacher… and the start of a turning point. Not perfection. Not a sudden transformation. But a meaningful shift in momentum.

And sometimes, that’s enough to change a trajectory.

Student B, on the other hand, seemed disengaged and disruptive until we looked deeper. The data revealed ability levels far above age expectations. The behaviour issue was actually a challenge issue. Again, the numbers didn’t give us answers, but they pushed us toward better questions and, ultimately, a better understanding.

Zooming Out: What Data Tells Us About Our Systems

We also explored a whole-school example, where early literacy data raised important questions.

Upper primary students were making accelerated progress, becoming bi-literate in English and Portuguese. Yet kindergarten and Grade 1 learners appeared far behind.

Instead of defaulting to blame, assumption, or quick fixes, the team asked deeper questions:

• What’s happening developmentally between Grades 1 and 2?

• Which practices are working well later on, and why?

• What was going well in those early years?

• What are the contextual limitations of our current approaches?

• What is the evidence that we might be wrong? (Thank you, John Hattie, for that wonderful question.)

These conversations led to richer understanding, improved tracking systems, stronger literacy programs, and even community-wide engagement and training. Over time, both early years and upper grades strengthened - not because of new tools, but because of better questions, intentional reflection, and an unwavering shared commitment to growth.

Building the Culture for This Work

None of this is revolutionary. But it is deliberate.

Using data well requires:

• Time to observe before jumping to interpretation

• Psychological safety for brave conversations

• Processes that support teams (we use Harvard’s DataWise Protocol)

• The humility to test assumptions

• The commitment to follow through on what we learn

When schools create the conditions for thoughtful dialogue, data becomes less about accountability and more about empowerment: for students and educators.

It is also important to highlight the importance here of teams who are brave enough, vulnerable enough, and passionate enough to have these conversations and make space for the challenge and growth they lead to. Both here at Kinabalu International School , and previously at The Aga Khan Academies Maputo, I have been privileged to work with incredible people who do just that and whose work continues to raise the bar and provide excellence in education.

From Numbers to Narratives

If there’s one message I hope leaders took away from the workshop, it’s this: data is most powerful not when it measures learning, but when it helps us understand it.

Data doesn’t give us answers. It helps us ask better questions.

Every learner has a story. Every team has patterns worth exploring. And every school can grow stronger when we embrace the questions behind the numbers.

If you’d like to continue the conversation, I’d love to connect.