Ldr october 2013

Autumn 2013

In this edition Pupil premium: making an impact Support for heads: never walk alone Developing your team Taking charge of your career Governor development Reaching out: specialist leaders of education

Pupil premium: making an impact How you use the pupil premium is more important than ever. In this article, Jeremy Sutcliffe highlights the recent announcements and talks to school leaders involved in finding effective strategies.

For nearly two decades John Dunford has been urging governments to provide schools with extra money to educate disadvantaged children. So when the coalition

Leadership interview: creating confident young learners

government introduced the pupil premium two years ago he was one of its most vocal supporters.

“The pupil premium is one of the best policies in education we have seen for many years. It’s something I personally was advocating as far back as 1995 – that schools should be given additional money to recognise the greater size of the task of educating disadvantaged young people,” says the former general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).

Autumn 2013

“The good news is schools are not being held to account for how they spend it but on the impact that they make. That gives considerable latitude to schools.”

John, who retired three years ago after 12 years

free school meals (FSM). In another significant

as ASCL leader, has now taken up a new role

development, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick

as Pupil Premium Champion. His task will be to

Clegg announced in July that the premium in

talk to schools about the most effective ways

primary schools would rise to £1,300 per eligible

of using the extra money and feed back issues

child and David Laws announced in September

raised by school leaders to ministers and civil

that the premium in secondary schools would

servants.

rise to £935, both from September 2014. And just this week, the Children’s Minister Edward

The appointment is one of three new measures

Timpson announced that looked after children

announced in July by Schools Minister David

will attract an increased pupil premium of

Laws, designed to raise the attainment of

£1,900 from £900 in 2014 to 2015. Also,

disadvantaged pupils. From the start of the

funding will be based on the number of children

new academic year, schools will be held to

looked after from the first day of care rather

account by Ofsted for the attainment of their

than for six months or more. Other children

disadvantaged pupils and the progress they

included are those adopted from care under

make, with particular emphasis on closing the

the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and

achievement gap with other pupils.

those children who leave care under a special guardianship or residence order.

In addition, schools judged by Ofsted as ‘requiring improvement’ and that also raise

The additional money is linked with proposals

concerns about the attainment of disadvantaged

to set higher floor standards – with primary

pupils will take part in a pupil premium review.

schools required to get at least 85% of their

They will be supported by an experienced

pupils, except for those with particular special

headteacher from another school with the aim

needs – to reach a good level of attainment at

of developing a strategy for using the premium

the end of key stage 2.

more effectively.

With significant extra money targeted on Since the premium was introduced in April

helping disadvantaged pupils to achieve, it

2011 it has grown substantially. All schools now

is inevitable that school leaders should face

receive an additional £900 per disadvantaged

additional accountability, says John Dunford.

pupil, with the criteria based on eligibility for 2

Autumn 2013

“The good news is schools are not being held to

“One of the most interesting statistics is that

account for how they spend it but on the impact

disadvantaged children do best in schools

that they make. That gives considerable latitude

where there are either very few disadvantaged

to schools.”

children or very many. It’s a U-shaped graph,” says John.

The size of the task schools face in closing the achievement gap is clear from the latest

“The picture is very variable across the country.

attainment figures. In 2012, 68% of pupils

London schools have made considerably more

eligible for the pupil premium achieved level

progress than elsewhere. For example, the

4 or higher at the end of key stage 2. The

gap of 5 A* to C grades including English and

comparative figure is 84% of all other pupils – a

maths between pupil premium children and the

gap of 16 percentage points.

rest is under 20% in London, whereas in West Berkshire and Wokingham, for example, the gap

Moreover, the gap widens considerably by the

is 40%.

time pupils take their GCSEs, with only 38.5% of pupils eligible for the premium achieving five

“The gap on average is less in city areas than

A* to C grades in 2012, compared with 65.7%

elsewhere and that is because of the pressure

of their peer group – a staggering gap of 27.2

there’s been to raise attainment over the last 10

points.

years. You can’t raise attainment in cities unless

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Autumn 2013

you improve the achievement

strategies that produce little or

on three themes: numeracy,

of disadvantaged pupils,

no impact.

literacy and leadership. Each

because the proportion of

will be tested in participating

disadvantaged pupils is much

As part of the government

schools and then measured

higher.”

effort to provide leadership

against progress in schools

support for schools struggling

not using the intervention to

The introduction of the pupil

to raise the attainment

determine its effect.

premium has focused attention

disadvantaged pupils, the

of both policymakers and

National College for Teaching

The Closing the Gap: Test and

school leaders on identifying

and Leadership (NCTL)

Learn project has been billed

effective intervention strategies

undertook a closing the

as the biggest randomised

to help disadvantaged pupils

gap action research project

controlled trial ever held in

catch up with their peers.

(published April 2013). The

schools. The programme is run

project, led by a group of

by CfBT in partnership with

In 2012, a new online

national leaders of education

Durham University, Oxford

toolkit was developed by

(NLEs) focused on the most

University and CUREE, the

the Education Endowment

effective strategies employed

centre of expertise in evidence-

Foundation and the Sutton

by teaching school alliances.

based practice in education.

identify the most promising

This autumn a major two-year

Dr Keith Watson, director of

and cost-effective ways to

research project involving over

teaching and learning for the

target their pupil premium

750 schools and 190 teaching

Portswood, St Mary’s and

money. The toolkit identifies

school alliances has begun to

Weston Park family of primary

‘effective feedback’ as the

test six of the most effective

schools in Southampton,

highest-impact strategy for

interventions identified by the

who also works with around

low cost. It also asks serious

action research project. The

70 schools in the Portswood

questions about high-cost

chosen interventions will focus

Teaching School Alliance,

Trust to help school leaders

“Closing the gap in achievement will be the biggest challenge in education for the next 10 years and the more we can know about the right kind of interventions to improve pupil progress the better.”

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Autumn 2013

believes the project has the

Helen Newcombe, assistant

It is empirical evidence such as

potential to transform the way

principal responsible for the

this that excites John Dunford

teachers and school leaders

pupil premium at The Heath

as he prepares to go around

work.

School, Runcorn, has built on

the country to engage with

her own study of successful

school leaders and bang the

“Closing the gap in

interventions – with her

drum for a policy he believes

achievement will be the

colleague Nicola McNamee

will make a real difference to

biggest challenge in education

– using the pupil premium

the life chances of thousands

for the next 10 years and the

at The Heath School. The

of disadvantaged children.

more we can know about the

research led to new strategies

right kind of interventions

being introduced at The Heath

“It’s a huge task but equally

to improve pupil progress

to tackle underachievement

there is a big incentive for

the better. What’s fantastic

by disadvantaged pupils,

schools to raise attainment

about the project is that it

targeted on three areas –

across the board by putting

works on two levels. First and

transition from primary school,

in place policies that raise the

foremost, it’s about identifying

engagement and literacy.

attainment of disadvantaged

the things that work best and

young people. After all, that’s

implementing them. But also

“We have seen a measurable

why most people came into

it’s about shifting the way we

impact. At GCSE we have

teaching, to help children from

work and the way we go about

reduced the gap between

disadvantaged backgrounds

things as a profession.

FSM and non-FSM students

to do well in life. I think this

achieving five A* to C grades

policy and this role that I have

“It will ensure that our

including English and maths

is absolutely at the core of

decisions are far more

over the past three years

the mission of the teaching

informed by research. That has

and this year’s GCSE results

profession for social justice and

got to permeate right the way

indicate a reduction of over

life opportunities.”

down from school leadership

5%” she says. [Please note

to every level of the school –

this is based on un-validated

Jeremy Sutcliffe is a

from NQT training to middle

data.]

freelance education writer

leadership and all the rest.”

and author.

Next steps Take a look at the closing the attainment gap and improving standards section of our member website: www.nationalcollege.org.uk/closing-the-attainment-gap-and-improving-standards

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Autumn 2013

Support for heads: never walk alone Support networks are a leadership must-have, whether you’re an aspiring head, still fresh to the post or an established system leader. Nick Bannister reports.

Chris Wheatley has been on

including the National

your school up to a degree so

something of an odyssey since

Professional Qualification for

that you can grow capacity

he became a headteacher in

Headship (NPQH), across the

beyond your school. It’s

2001. Just four years after

East Midlands.

daunting and although my

starting his first headship

school is in good hands you do

at Manvers Junior School in

“The role of head is

Cotgrave near Nottingham,

unrecognisable from how

Chris had taken the school to

it was when I started,” he

Chris says that although there

outstanding status. A year later

says. “The key thing that has

is risk, trailblazing system

he joined his current school,

changed is that the job has

leadership like his is “becoming

Cotgrave Candleby Lane

become much more business

part of the continuation of

primary, and had taken that

savvy. Nowadays you need

leadership development”.

school to outstanding by 2008

to be a business planner or a

– the same year he won a

project manager.”

headteacher of the year award at the Teaching Awards.

need to be brave.”

“The reason you leave the classroom is because you

He says that although

want to spread your ethos as

such changes have created

wide as possible,” he says.

Nowadays he has a number of

opportunities for the

“That’s why you go from key

strings to his bow, including

school system, the ongoing

stage leader to head of year

national leader of education

transformation has inevitably

to deputy, to head, executive

(NLE), chief executive of a

brought with it insecurity:

head and to, in my case, a

growing trust of schools,

leaders like him are taking

trust CEO.”

running a teaching school

risks, he says.

alliance and playing a leading

Chris Wheatley’s talk of

role in Inspiring Leaders,

“We are ploughing new

spreading an ethos far and

a partnership of schools

furrows and there is a lot of

wide chimes with aspiring

delivering NCTL leadership

risk and bravery associated

headteacher Esther Brooks,

development programmes,

with this. You have to give

who has just become head of

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Autumn 2013 school at Hillcroft Primary in

management level through

sure you have recovery time

Caterham, Surrey.

deputy headship,” she says.

and that you look after yourself

“NPQH was significant in my

as a headteacher,” she says.

“When I started my PGCE I

development in that it gave

“You can feel so alone but

just wanted to be the very best

me frameworks and models

there are people you can talk

teacher I could be,” she says.

that I could use to think

to. It’s a time of considerable

“Then as a deputy I realised

about change, leadership

change. There is a great sense

that I could make a difference

and school improvement at

of accountability in terms of

to many more children. That

different stages of a school’s

our role as headteachers.

was when my interest in the

development.

You are always concerned about that but you should

role started. I knew that if I went for headship I could

“Halfway through NPQH our

recognise that there are other

make a real difference to

school received a ‘good’ Ofsted

headteachers out there.”

hundreds of children.”

judgement. I could start thinking then about how to

For Kerry Hill, who has just

It is still very early days but

get the school to outstanding

started her second headship,

Esther seems confident about

and my NPQH work has helped

the support and advice of

her position and her ability

me to set that direction, for

other leaders has been crucial

to make a success of it. She

example helping me to think

in her first years of headship.

puts this down to professional

about distributing leadership

She is coming to the end of

support, experience and

across the school.”

the two-year period of support provided through Head Start

completing NPQH in July this Esther says that although a

– a programme designed to

really strong work ethic is a

support aspiring and new

“Before I started NPQH

vital component of modern

heads from the moment they

in November 2012 I was

headship, leaders need to

graduate from NPQH and

fortunate to have had a

guard against over work –

throughout the first two years

lot of significant leadership

and seek support from fellow

of headship.

experience at a senior

leaders. “You need to make

year.

“NPQH was significant in my development in that it gave me frameworks and models that I could use to think about change, leadership and school improvement at different stages of a school’s development.”

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Autumn 2013 “It’s been invaluable,” says Kerry, who is

must tick off – it needs to be regarded as a

now headteacher of Eyres Monsell Primary in

crucial part of the job.

Leicester after 18 months as head of a small

Within one week of starting my headship at

rural primary near Melton Mowbray. “I receive

Eyres Monsell I‘d spoken to four or five different

face-to-face contact with my mentor, Liz Moore

heads in the area, asking for their advice and

of Thrussington Primary. We meet every half

support.

term and constantly email.”

“Headship can still be a lonely and stressful The advice Kerry receives from Liz is often

job. There are parts that you can’t share with

focused on the hard practical realities of

family, friends or some colleagues, such as

headship, she says. “As a new head starting

issues like performance management of staff

in a new school you will get a sense of what is

or safeguarding issues with children. The more

working well and what is not working. In my

networks you build yourself the less lonely the

last primary it was data and accountability. Our

job is.”

tracking, self-evaluation framework (SEF) and school development plan (SDP) weren’t robust.

Tash Moriarty is deputy headteacher at Nower

To be able to get tips from her on the SDP

Hill High School in Pinner. She’s a recent

and SEF were very useful. She helped me very

graduate of NPQH and holds networking and

quickly put in processes and procedures.”

practical hands-on leadership experience as the two of the most important ingredients for a

Kerry stresses that new heads shouldn’t see networking as just part of a programme they

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headteacher’s career.

Autumn 2013 Her former head, the recently retired Howard

strategic CPD support for these leaders. So far

Freed, was her mentor. “Mentoring was

I have been lucky in my career: I have had

the most crucial aspect of the entire NPQH

good role models and I have been in the right

programme,” she says.

place at the right time, but we need to make sure that there is that support available in the

“He was an outstanding mentor and was able

future.”

to talk me through my strengths and areas for development knowing me and knowing where

For the aspiring headteachers doing NPQH with

I was in my career. That was the true value for

Inspiring Leaders – Chris’ school is part of the

me of the programme.”

six-school partnership licensed to provide this and other programmes in the East Midlands –

Practical hands-on experience of senior

the mentoring support they have received from

leadership roles is the other vital part of the

working leaders as they complete the course

development path to headship, she believes.

has been valuable. That, you sense, is a big

Deputy headship is certainly providing that.

part of the satisfaction of being a leader for

“You need practical opportunities to use your

Chris.

judgement and test your ability to work under pressure and make decisions,” she says.

“I am proud to say that I’ve had several new headteachers who’ve done the programme

The support of others to help you in a daunting

with us phone me up and ask me to be their

new role is as important to an experienced

mentor,” he says. “It’s something I’m happy to

system leader like Chris Wheatley as it is to

do because I benefitted from being surrounded

aspiring heads like Tash Moriarty and Esther

by people who helped and advised me. No-one

Brooks, and new heads like Kerry Hill.

can do this job alone.”

“If you are doing things for the first time it is

Nick Bannister is a freelance education

going to make you feel insecure,” says Chris

writer.

Wheatley. “There also needs to be some

Next steps The next NPQH application round opens on 12 December. Find out more: www.education.gov. uk/nationalcollege/npqh

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Autumn 2013

Developing your team Developing a team that works well, and really helps to make things better, isn’t easy. There are numerous examples of teams that give great time and effort, but still haven’t worked well. Learn from them as well as from those that really make a difference.

Here are eight ideas based

These features do not

on the latest research and

occur overnight, even in

thinking to help leaders

groups of talented and

develop their team.

purposeful individuals.

Research for Establishing and

Understanding how teams work An effective team has a common purpose and specific goals. As a leader, you need to be clear about the current situation, where you want to get to, by when, and why. To get everyone to pull together, you need strong commitment, and bringing everyone in your team on board is important. It is clear that relationships are key. Really high-performing teams have characteristics like mutual understanding and respect, co-operative working but with a clear view of individual responsibilities, good communication skills, and an ethos of continual selfimprovement.

10

developing high performing leadership teams found that both individual and team development were vital to establishing high performance.

So, at the same time as individuals in your team are working towards objectives, you need to encourage their development – as a team.

Peter Senge argues in The

Fifth Discipline that in what he calls a ‘learning organisation’, individuals grow more than they would otherwise because they learn from and with others. Teams are set up in schools to get things done. But for really effective teamwork, aim for all members to be learning through co-ordinated action and continued dialogue.

Understanding professional development Now that the inspection framework asks for evidence of the impact of professional development on teaching, the time is ripe for ideas that will help. First things first: a fundamental issue is whether you see professional development as an input, something that is provided for people, a process of learning and development or an outcome? What do people in your team think? This isn’t just an academic exercise because it strikes to the very heart of what we are about. The aim is surely for all members of your team to see their development as a process in which they are actively learning and that has an outcome that has a positive impact on pupils.

Autumn 2013 What works So, what is the development we are looking for? Research for Great professional

development which leads to great pedagogy found that effective professional development: —— starts with the end in mind —— challenges thinking as part of changing practice —— is based on assessment of individual and school needs

most difference are based on

Traditionally it’s been assumed

dialogue about teaching and

that people’s attitudes and

learning, and the improvement

beliefs have to change first,

of practice through

leading to change in practice,

observation, coaching or

resulting in change in pupils’

mentoring, peer support, and

learning. Guskey’s work

teacher inquiry. This is why

suggests that the more typical

joint practice development has

order of change is practice is

been found to be so powerful.

first, student learning second,

It encourages people to try

and attitudes and beliefs last.

out new ideas and discuss the

This is because it’s experience

difference they make.

that shapes attitudes and beliefs, not the other way

Adult learning Do we think hard enough

around.

about how adults learn in

Positivity

general and how specific

Think about how people

individuals learn best? We’re

are feeling. What are their

pretty good at doing this

confidence levels? These are

that are varied, rich and

for children, yet we tend to

important in order to have an

sustainable

have a ‘one-size’ mentality

impact. Notice small steps and

when it comes to staff. It’s an

seize opportunities to celebrate

important question, because

them, to breed a culture of

what suits one person may not

enjoying success.

—— involves connecting workbased learning and external expertise —— has learning opportunities

—— uses action research and enquiry as key tools —— is strongly enhanced

work for another.

Relentless positivity is needed.

through collaborative learning and joint practice

School improvement literature

Research for The Future

development

suggests that teachers

Teacher Workforce: quality

change most when they

and quantity carried out in

see that their new practice

June 2012 found that half

makes a difference to pupils.

of headteacher respondents

—— is enhanced by creating professional learning communities within and between schools —— requires leadership to create the necessary conditions Team leaders are ideally placed to make a reality of all nine of these characteristics. The kinds of activity that make the

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“Notice small steps and seize opportunities to celebrate them, to breed a culture of enjoying success.”

Autumn 2013 considered the morale of the teaching profession to be ‘poor’. Low morale will have an impact on your team’s effectiveness and might contribute to sickness, absence and attrition.

What will help is an ethos of trust that makes clear that the team’s success is a cause for every one of its members to take a bow.

Be strategic Develop a culture that aims to ‘predict and prevent’ rather than just trying to fix problems.

The strongest teams are self-evaluative, and constantly looking to improve both themselves and their schools.

how to improve your team’s subject knowledge.

For example, the School Workforce Census

Draw on research when deciding what

shows that 23% of secondary maths teachers

improvements your team should make, to

don’t have a qualification in mathematics

avoid re-inventing wheels and to maximise

beyond A level. And of course it’s important to

your effectiveness. For example, research

know how to teach, not just what to teach, and

summarised in the Sutton Trust-Education

everyone needs to keep up to date. This can

Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning

be done through collaborating within the team

Toolkit shows that improving the quality of

by discussing publications read, joint planning

feedback to pupils can accelerate progress by

and lesson study. Networking with teams and

eight months.

individuals from other schools can also reap huge benefits.

An audit of skills, knowledge and experience can be useful for teams: there needs to be a complementary skills set, and the gaps should be filled. This might lead you to think about

Use time well The barriers to any improvement initiative or staff development most frequently mentioned in all the relevant research are those that relate to

“The barriers to any improvement initiative or staff development most frequently mentioned in all the relevant research are those that relate to time.“ 12

time. Managing meetings effectively is crucial, because they can take up a great deal of time.

Everyone needs to know why they are there, and what part they are expected to play. It’s valuable to set an agenda with time allocations, and to delegate responsibility for various items to individuals. Give time to share professional development experiences face-to-face as well as electronically.

Autumn 2013 Develop leadership skills

Conclusion

Lastly, remember that team leaders need to

In a business classic from the 1990’s

develop themselves as well as others. There

Katzenbach and Smith talked of ‘the wisdom

are valuable courses and programmes to help

of teams’, because without it, teams perform

people develop leadership skills. Many Master’s

as just a collection of individuals. When you

courses in educational leadership, or NCTL’s

develop not just individuals but the team as a

National Professional Qualifications for Middle

collective, you’ll see that great teams are even

Leadership (NPQML) and Senior Leadership

better than the sum of great people.

(NPQSL) are modular, so that they can be tailored to individual needs and undertaken in

Sara Bubb is a freelance education writer.

various settings, including online. People find it really stimulating studying modules such as ‘Leading an effective team’ with others in similar roles but different contexts.

Next Steps Join our related discussion and share your own tips for creating an effective team: https:// network.nationalcollege.org.uk/collegediscussions/209425

Further information Establishing and developing high performing leadership teams: http://www.nationalcollege. org.uk/docinfo?id=299681&filename=establishing-and-developing-high-performing-leadershipteams.pdf National research and development network: www.nationalcollege.org.uk/national-researchand-development-network National College qualifications: www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/leadershipcurriculum

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Autumn 2013

Taking charge of your career Do you sometimes feel like your career is careering out of control? Sally Saunders looks at ways you can take the reins and steer yourself closer to your dream job every day.

We’ve all been there. One day things are going

But don’t be afraid to set targets. This helps you

swimmingly, you love your school, your class

to look at whatever opportunities come your

are great and you’re up for a promotion. Then

way in a positive light and try to make the best

suddenly, before you turn round it’s three

of your career, instead of drifting along from

years later, you’re in the same job in the same

one year to the next.

school – and suddenly it’s gone from a dream to a rut. But without planning every step with military precision, how can you make sure you are heading the right way? With the help of leadership recruitment expert Carrie O’Connor, we try to find some career direction.

Have a plan – but be flexible

Be proactive If you want to progress your career, you can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen to you, you have to put yourself forward. This doesn’t have to mean promotion, however. It could mean volunteering at an after-school club, running a group about something you enjoy or

Traditionally in schools, it has always been fairly

organising a community project. This is a great

obvious what your next steps are. However, the

way to have new experiences and do things

education system is changing. As schools get

that will really broaden your horizons.

bigger, with academies and all-through schools becoming more and more popular, there are

It will also help you meet more people.

different ways to move forward. You need to

Carrie says, “We don’t always recognise the

understand these changes and find out about

importance of networking in schools. It’s not

the new routes that are available. Carrie says,

that someone’s going to ring you up out of the

“This is a great example of why it is important

blue and offer you a headship, but you might

to have a career plan, but also to be flexible

meet someone who asks you to take part in

and allow it to change. You change, your school

a project, or write an article, or help with a

changes and the world around us changes, so

new strategy, which are all wonderful ways to

keep re-evaluating what you want and how you

enhance your experience and give you more to

might want to get there.”

offer.”

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Autumn 2013

Take on responsibility It is also important to look for ways to take on more responsibility within your own school – but accept that you might not get paid for it.

Try to use your interests and the experience you already have and look for ways to share them and create something new. Don’t run yourself ragged, but small extra responsibilities give you more to offer, and say something about the kind of person you are.

Ask for feedback

So after chairing a meeting, you might say ‘I felt that went well but I waffled at the beginning’. This way, your colleague gets the chance to give you their honest opinion of your performance, positive and negative, giving you the chance to learn from constructive criticism.

It is important to seek this out, to get feedback that is of value to you – then do something about it. Think about what you can take away from an experience, how you can learn and what you can do differently – and better – next time. Carrie says, “But remember, don’t become

We all know that feedback is important to

focused solely on the negatives – listen and

our development, but you can’t just ask a

learn from them, but also hear the positives.

colleague ‘what do you think?’, as they will

It is important to hear both sides to get a true

almost certainly just give you a bland well

reflection on your performance, and to be the

done, however badly it really went. If you want

best you can next time. If you don’t listen to the

feedback you can really benefit from, the way

positives you won’t realise all the good things

you ask is hugely important. You need to invite

you should do again.”

people to give you feedback in a way that allows them to criticise you.

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Autumn 2013

“One of Carrie’s biggest tips is to keep a journal and write down all of your experiences that relate to leadership.”

Try learning something new If you are feeling stuck in a rut, one of the best ways to help yourself is to learn something new or have a new experience. This is because while you want it to be a success, you feel free to make mistakes and to ask for help – which are a vital part of learning you need to accept.

So if you have never run a project before, give yourself permission to make mistakes, and don’t worry so much!

Boost your confidence

always saying ‘no I can’t do

on courses, keep yourself up

that’, it’s not very supportive

to date with what’s going on in

or positive. People sometimes

education – and have opinions

try to protect themselves by

about it.

limiting their ability to try new things – in case they fail.

If this sounds like you, try to retrain your inner voice to be more positive. It sounds fanciful, but just by being aware of it you can start to try to think in a different way.

Look for ways to make yourself feel good, look at positives not just negatives. If you read a job description, don’t just see a list of things you haven’t done, think about your transferable skills and what you have to

Thinking about where you

offer. And tell yourself you can

are going in your career can

do it!

be daunting. Suddenly you can only see the skills you are lacking, how limited your experience is, and a whole host of reasons why you will never make it.

A lot of people talk themselves out of things before they even start. If your inner voice is 16

Start a journal of your experiences today One of Carrie’s biggest tips is to keep a journal and write down all of your experiences that relate to leadership. This could be as simple as: “I am running a drama club and I want to get dads involved.

I have to create a vision for the drama club. I have to communicate it and get buy in, get people excited about it.”

This shows you don’t have to be in a traditional leadership role to be a great leader.

Keep learning

Keep a record of what you do,

If you want to be a leader in

whether it’s a huge project

education, take an interest

or something relatively small.

in education. Discover a real

Then, come interview time,

passion for what is going on

you can just read through your

out there, not just in your

portfolio and give yourself

classroom or school, but

some things to say. Look at

everywhere. Read articles, go

great examples of where you

Autumn 2013 have been innovative in leading teaching and

It offers a great way to simply record your

learning, or where you have given feedback to

projects, and the perfect way to recount your

other teachers for performance management.

experience in an interview.

In terms of your own personal development, consider the ways you are improving by

So, at whatever level you find yourself right

following the other points in this article, and

now, you can take the next step by beginning a

write it down.

journal today.

Carrie recommends you record your experiences

Sally Saunders is a freelance writer

using the pattern of context, vision, action,

and Carrie O’Connor is a director of the

impact.

Leadership and Learning Consultancy.

—— Context: What was happening before you started this new initiative?

—— Vision: What was your end goal?

—— Action: What did you do and how did you do it?

—— Impact: What was the result of your initiative?

17

Next steps Check out our career planning and development resources: www.nationalcollege.org.uk/ careerplanninganddevelopment

Autumn 2013

Governor development The Chairs of Governors’ Leadership Development Programme aims to support aspiring, vice and existing chairs with the increasing demands of their role and with the drive for school improvement. Lindsey Darking takes a look.

Aspiring chair Sue Boardman

Sue has been a governor of

Programme began last year

admits that in the past, it

Netley Abbey Junior School in

and is aimed at new and

might have been possible for

Hampshire for four years. She

experienced chairs, as well

some governors to just ‘turn

recently completed the Chairs

as aspiring ones. It involves

up’.

of Governors’ Leadership

a flexible, blended learning

Development Programme and

programme delivered on behalf

But with increasing

as a result has become more

of NCTL by 11 licensees. The

autonomy and accountability,

confident and passionate about

target is to reach 2,300 chairs

new challenges such as

her role.

of governors by March 2014,

performance-related pay, and

with a view to helping them

a more demanding Ofsted

“The programme has given

become more effective in their

framework, that’s no longer

me so many new ideas about

role as leaders.

possible.

being more outward looking and sharing best practice with

Participants usually attend

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector

other governors in my area.

one face-to-face workshop per

Sir Michael Wilshaw said

I think you can get into a

term, completing three units

earlier this year that strong

mindset as a governor of just

over a school year. The themes

governance is a vital element

ticking along but this has fired

cover the role of the chair,

of successful school leadership.

my enthusiasm. It has made

effective governance, and

Governing bodies should

me more confident that I know

school improvement.

focus on strategic issues, be

what I’m doing and can be a

proactive, challenge heads in

more active part of the team,

a robust way, ask the right

rather than just making up the

questions and ensure financial

numbers,” she says.

probity, he said. Governors perform a valuable role in the Big Society, but there could be “no excuses” for weak performance.

18

Flexible, blended learning The Chairs of Governors’ Leadership Development

“It has made me more confident that I know what I’m doing and can be a more active part of the team, rather than just making up the numbers.”

Autumn 2013 programme helped me to step back and think about whether we were being effective as a governing body and whether we were making a difference.

“It helped me to recognise what a strategic role is and how important it is to concentrate on long-term decisions rather than being bogged down with the dayto-day management of the school. It also made me realise that we need to share the

Each unit is supported by

programme said they would

a wealth of online learning

change their leadership

resources, by online

behaviour as a result. Some

networking and support, and

had already implemented

by a school-based enquiry that

positive changes in their

requires participants to explore

schools, such as new terms of

specific issues in their own

reference, governor training

school. Participants complete

programmes, a skills audit,

a 360-degree diagnostic at

new action plans and a new

the start of the programme,

chairs’ network.

detailed skills matrix for the

Time for reflection

of being on the programme.

Sue Boardman completed the

skills gaps, and will help

giving them insight into their leadership style and areas for development, and each participant is also assigned a mentor for further support.

The programme costs around £350 per person and there are £175 scholarships available for everyone who books before March 2014.

Despite initial reticence about online learning among some participants and differing experiences of mentoring, the majority of respondents in an evaluation of the pilot 19

programme this summer with the South East Co-ordinators of Governor Services (SECOGS) partnership, run by Hampshire County Council. A manager of two tax offices in her day job, she found that as a parent governor at her daughter’s school, she had to learn “a whole new set of acronyms”.

“Being a governor can be a bit mindblowing when you first start,” she says. “The

responsibility. There are always some people who are super keen and others who are doing their duty, but it’s important to find out what their drivers are and to try to motivate them.”

Sue has already created a governing body as a result This shows where there are with succession planning.

The governing body has also improved the way it deals with school statistics, so it can better understand them, and individual governors have been given responsibility for particular parts of the school improvement plan. Becoming “bang up to date” with all the relevant legislation and policy has also been very useful, says Sue.

Autumn 2013

“Being a governor can be a bit mindblowing when you first start,” she says. “The programme helped me to step back and think about whether we were being effective as a governing body and whether we were making a difference.”

Hilary Bax, chair of governors of the Federation

of federation, analysing where we have come

of Bursledon Church of England Infant School

from, where we are now, how we got there

and Bursledon Junior School, also found she

and what we have learnt that will assist us

had something to learn, despite having been a

in the future. The resulting document is very

governor for 26 years and a chair for over 14

useful for current and future governors. My

years.

third enquiry involved a complete appraisal of all our monitoring systems and we are now

“The education world is always moving rapidly

developing different ways of monitoring school

and it’s essential that chairs maintain their own

improvement plans.”

personal development in governance, as there is a danger of complacency,” she says. “The

Geri Silverstone, vice chair of St Mary Magdalen

programme made me look very objectively at

RC Primary in Brighton, attended the leadership

our practices and processes.”

programme with his chair of governors. It made them both more rigorous in their approach.

For Hilary, the diagnostic made her realise she was good at what she does and made her more

“We realised that at our self-evaluation

prepared to take risks. One change that has

meetings we had just tended to tick the boxes.

reaped immediate benefits is that the governors

We decided to answer the questions properly

now organise break-out discussion groups at

and realised we needed to work much harder

each meeting, allowing everyone to participate.

on our vision for the school. We have set up a

“We do this every meeting now. We are getting

very clear working programme for this year.”

a lot more ideas coming back to us. Everyone feels that their ideas are valued and listened to,”

Like Sue, Geri became more aware of the

she says.

importance of strategic thinking.

A better focus

“The programme made me question how I

Hilary particularly enjoyed the school-based enquiries.

“The school-based enquiries have enabled me to have some very focused meetings with the federation leadership team. For my second enquiry, I carried out a full review of the impact 20

approach my relationships with the school. Lots of governors confuse the operational and the strategic. I knew I was on the right track when I started asking the head questions from the perspective of an Ofsted inspector. I’m now much clearer about where we can add value.”

Autumn 2013 Geri found it worthwhile to be able to share

“People have found the programme very

concerns with other colleagues.

worthwhile. They have grown in confidence, can be more effective in leading the governing body

“A lot of the time governors can feel as if they

and can feel better prepared for what they are

are working in isolation,” he says. “It was good

doing.”

to have that commonality and to share ideas on how to deal with specific issues.”

Three cohorts have so far been through the programme in Runcorn, Manchester and

Building confidence Jo Pryce-Jones is one of the lead facilitators for the SECOGS partnership in Hampshire, which covers Reading, Windsor and Maidenhead, Brighton, Surrey, Kent, Portsmouth and Berkshire. Jo co-delivered the programme to the first 40 chairs or aspiring chairs to complete the programme in the partnership area since it was rolled out in January 2013. Uptake of the programme with SECOGS has been good, with several groups just finishing and more underway.

Jo says it has been exciting to be a part of a new national leadership programme.

“The online discussion forums worked well and there were really good resources attached to each unit. Some people had previous experience of a 360 diagnostic while for others it was quite a personal journey, giving them a sense of the areas they needed to develop.

Cumbria, run by the Cheshire East Borough Council partnership, with other groups starting in Liverpool and Salford.

Andy Kent, lead facilitator for the partnership, says research will be needed to assess the impact of the programme on school improvement, but it has already brought benefits.

“For many participants the programme has made them reflect on their leadership, increased their knowledge, created new development plans and has been energising and confidence boosting for their role as chair,” he says.

“Along with other governor development programmes the Chairs of Governors’ Leadership Development Programme is a welcome step. It has the potential to make a significant contribution to improved outcomes for children in the long term.”

Lindsey Darking is a freelance education writer.

Next steps Find out more about the Chairs of Governors’ Leadership Development Programme: www. education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/chairsofgovernorsdevelopmentprogramme Take a look at our resources for governors: www.nationalcollege.org.uk/toolkit-for-governors

21

Autumn 2013

Reaching out: specialist leaders of education Specialist leaders of education have a significant role to play in raising standards in our schools. Annie Grant finds out more about what they do.

Debra Redpath, headteacher of Rowner Infant

specialist leader of education, to work alongside

School, a small school in a deprived area of

us in school,” says Debra.

Hampshire, was delighted when her school was judged by Ofsted to be ‘good’ in all categories.

The 2010 Schools White Paper introduced the concept of the SLE role as a way to improve the

In previous years, however, things had not

quality of school leadership, raise standards and

gone well for the school. “We had been judged

improve outcomes for pupils through school-

consistently as ‘satisfactory’,” says Debra. “Staff

to-school support and peer-to-peer learning.

worked really hard to make a difference to

Teaching schools broker the deployment of SLEs

children’s attainment and yet we still were not

into schools that request their support.

seen as a good school.”

SLEs are outstanding middle and senior leaders Things came to a head at Easter 2012 when

with a particular area of expertise and the

three teachers, each for a different reason,

skills to develop the leadership capacity of

resigned their posts. “With only six classes,

colleagues in similar positions in other schools.

that was a significant proportion of my staff,”

As Claire Carter, leader of the Cabot Federation

she explains. “We were really up against it and

Teaching School in Bristol, explains, “They

my deputy and I thought hard about whether

are not experts going in to tell people how

to ask for help. It was a difficult decision to

it’s done, but they do have a track record of

make but we didn’t want to become a ‘requires

relevant and successful leadership expertise in

improvement’ school and we felt we would

their own or other schools to draw upon. There

rather seek help and be in control of the

is a lot of coaching in the SLE approach. It’s

process, than having it imposed upon us.”

about discussion, asking the right questions and seeking solutions together.”

Debra approached Hampshire County Council who then worked with the school to create a

Although teaching schools have the flexibility

support package tailored to help them improve.

to deploy SLEs according to capacity and need,

“That package included having an SLE, a

most SLEs combine their outreach role with

22

Autumn 2013 a leadership role in their own schools. Claire

attention and the decision was made to work

believes that this is a major strength of the

with the school to design a support package to

SLE programme. “It is essential that those

address their particular needs.

being coached know that the SLEs are also practitioners,” she says. “It creates credibility.

“We all sat down together – the local authority,

SLEs know what they’re talking about because

senior staff from the school and myself – to

they’ve done it themselves.”

plan what support was needed,” Moira explains.

“We looked at what each of us could offer. It

In Hampshire, where Rowner Infant School is

was decided that the local authority would

located, the local authority works closely with

support the school in mathematics and that an

the Pioneer Teaching School Alliance. Moira

SLE from the Pioneer Teaching School Alliance

Groves co-ordinates the SLE programme there.

would focus on literacy.”

“I meet half-termly with our local authority district manager,” she says. “We analyse data

An important element of the SLE co-ordinator’s

from schools across the district to identify

role is brokering the deployment of SLEs into

those in need of support. He also has ‘inside’

schools, and headteacher Debra Redpath

knowledge about schools’ support needs,

believes the quality of the input she received

capacity issues and so on, which is very useful.”

from Moira at the outset was crucial to the success of the initiative. “We were really lucky

It was during such a meeting that Rowner

that Moira was our broker,” she enthuses. “She

Infant School’s ‘cry for help’ came to Moira’s

suggested three different SLEs whom she felt

23

Autumn 2013

“An important element of the SLE coordinator’s role is brokering the deployment of SLEs into schools, and headteacher Debra Redpath believes the quality of the input she received from Moira at the outset was crucial to the success of the initiative.” might fit into our school and

we didn’t want to stay

Her approach was ‘that’s

whose skill set would be ideal.

‘satisfactory’. We didn’t want

good but how could it be

One – Alix – stood out as the

that for the staff, the children

even better?’. She made the

right person. We were offered

or the community. There was

team feel that they had the

the opportunity to see Alix

a common commitment to

answers within themselves

teach before deciding, but I

improve.”

and within two sessions a

declined. I had faith in the

trusting relationship had been

SLE selection and training

Once commitment has been

process and we needed a

established, to maximise the

much broader skill set than

likelihood of success, Moira

The impact of SLE support

just her ability to teach. The

works with schools to agree

was tangible. Year 1 pupils’

most amazing teacher won’t

clear, achievable, time-limited

attainment in literacy and their

necessarily be able to support

targets. “We were able to offer

attitudes towards the subject

others to improve.”

six half-days of SLE support

improved. But there were

at Rowner,” she explains. “You

also unexpected benefits. “It

Moira also stresses the

can’t improve literacy across

changed the ethos. Confidence

importance of brokerage to

the school significantly in such

improved. We saw more

ensure that schools are ready

a short time. So we focused

professional conversations

to accept the kind of support

on improving the confidence of

happening in the staff-room,

that SLEs can offer. “Unless

year 1 teachers.”

says Debra. “Staff were

schools see the need for

established.”

discussing what they were

change and are committed

“It was about coaching the

doing, whereas before they

to it before SLE support

staff and making them feel

were anxious talking about

commences, it cannot work”,

that they could make a bigger

that in case it didn’t go well.”

she says.

difference,” says Debra. “There was joint planning with the

“Gradually, the changes in year

Debra agrees. “Our staff

SLE, classroom observations,

1 began to percolate across

wanted to change,” she

modelling and team teaching.

the school,” observes Moira.

remembers. “We knew

Alix focused on the positives.

And in March 2013, Rowner

24

Autumn 2013

“SLEs know what they’re talking about because they’ve done it themselves.”

Infant School was judged by

Claire Carter from the Cabot

appreciate the benefit of the

Ofsted to be a ‘good’ school.

Federation Teaching School

kind of support they received

concurs. “SLEs gain a profile

from Alix,” says Debra. “They

But the benefits of the SLE

across a group of schools, they

have completed coaching

work can extend beyond the

develop as leaders and take

training and are observing and

support the receiving school

what they learn back to their

coaching each other. Some

gains. Moira believes that

own schools,” she says.

may even have ambitions to

SLE programmes can only be

take on an SLE role themselves

sustainable if they also benefit

Moira stresses that, at its best,

in the future.”

the SLEs themselves and

the SLE programme provides

their home schools. Research

joint professional development.

Annie Grant is a freelance

carried out for her Master’s

In this spirit, Rowner Infant

educational writer.

dissertation, indicates that

School was pleased, later, to

home schools also benefit from

reciprocate the support they

the SLE programme, with SLEs

received from Alix by training

reporting, their own teaching

and coaching staff from Alix’s

improves through taking on

home school in working with

the role.

children with autism. “My staff

Next steps Find a teaching school near you: http://education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/ schooltoschoolsupportdirectory Take a look at the SLE specialisms offered by teaching schools http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/docinfo?id=177150&filename=sle-designatedspecialisms.xls

25

Autumn 2013

Leadership interview: creating confident young learners Marcelo Staricoff, head of Hertford Infant and Nursery School in Brighton, shares his approach to learning that is helping to raise standards.

Marcelo attributes this dramatic rise in standards to his ‘JONK’ model of education, which stands for the Joy of Not Knowing, an approach underpinned by values, collaboration and a ‘learning to learn’ culture.

Here Marcelo explains the radical steps he has taken.

Why is the value system so important?

Marcelo Staricoff has been head of Hertford

When I started at the school I wanted to

Infant and Nursery School in Brighton since

experiment with leading a school that had no

January 2009.

rules but that was driven by a set of values.

After extended consultation with staff, children,

The school has 218 pupils with above national

families and governors, we decided upon six

average numbers entitled to free school meals.

values for our school that encompassed how we wanted to be with each other, with material

In 2009 the school’s overall average point score

things and with the environment:

(APS) was 14.6, rising to 16.6 in 2013. In 2013,

—— friendly

the school also achieved an APS score of 17.0+ for the first time, with 17.3 in Reading. This

—— caring

rise in the whole school APS is also mirrored

—— thoughtful

by similar year on year upward trends in APS

—— enthusiastic

scores for reading, writing and maths. In May

—— respectful

2012 Ofsted rated the school as outstanding.

Increasingly popular with the local community,

—— ambitious

Hertford Infants is now oversubscribed for the

Living through these values has transformed

very first time.

behaviour, attendance and standards.

26

Autumn 2013 What do they mean in the classroom?

Is JONK time-consuming?

The values-driven approach is fundamentally

now devote the first week of every academic

about nurturing self-esteem in children,

year to a Learning to Learn Week, when

encouraging and enabling them to perceive

we equip the children with all the tools and

school as enjoyable and as a natural part of

strategies to make them feel successful as

their daily lives, rather than something ‘extra’

individuals and as learners throughout the year.

that they have to ‘do’ during the day. Each

The Learning to Learn Week has become a real

of the values are linked to a lifelong learning

highlight for all in our school and it centres on

dimension to nurture the children as learners.

our 5 main domains of learning:

‘Enjoying not knowing’ has to be taught, so we

The lifelong learning dimensions are each associated with an animal, which helps children to understand what each dimension is trying to promote (eg the squirrel is tied to creativity and enthusiasm).

We wrote stories for each of the animals to help us introduce the concepts behind each one to the children – in the story of squirrel the children find out how being creative helps the squirrel to build its nest.

The values and the animals are all physically present in each classroom, living as a set of finger puppets within the Hertford Tree, and the children enjoy using the puppets to help them

1. learning models and the Joy of Not Knowing 2. tools that develop thinking skills and critical thinking 3. tools and strategies that structure thinking through visible learning 4. philosophy for children and classrooms as communities of enquiry 5. tools that encourage children to become successful lifelong learner

It all sounds like a radical change.

How did you persuade the staff that you were serious?

When I arrived I endeavoured to involve all staff

with their learning.

in everything we did. I wanted to come in with

What is the JONK approach?

feel part of the process. It meant, for example,

JONK is the Joy of Not Knowing. It’s a means

including the caretaker, cleaners, support staff,

of encouraging children not to be afraid to try something out for fear of getting it wrong because it’s through asking questions and making mistakes that we really learn.

Getting the children to enjoy not knowing does, however, rely on equipping them with the strategies to structure their thinking and problem solve with success.

an innovative approach and make everybody ensuring that all staff attended every inset day, admin staff and of course our governors. I am delighted that this has now become the norm, and that is how every inset day functions. This has meant that we needed to rethink how we devise our budget every year as we do allow the staff who wouldn’t be working on that day to claim for their time. I think it is worth every penny because the staff feel valued and completely integrated in how we drive the school forward.

27

Autumn 2013 I was also very keen for all the staff to feel that I valued them all as experts in whatever post they held, and to give them the opportunity to grow professionally in the way they felt would best benefit the school. They still joke about what I said on my very first day at the school: “What I really want is to make all your dreams come true.” It sounds a bit corny but what I meant was that whatever they felt as professionals they wanted to achieve in order to make the school really exciting, I wanted to facilitate that to happen. I wanted to establish a shared, distributed leadership approach from the beginning.

Who leads these teams?

Each member of the senior management team (SMT) leads one of these teams, and we are finding that now the teams tend to be naturally composed of members from both key stage 1 and the early years, which then enables concepts to be implemented as a whole school.

Each team is responsible for writing their own action plans, meeting regularly during the year, and reviewing and evaluating their work.

You also have two universal priorities. What are they?

At the heart of this model, and why I think it

But isn’t that a risk – what if someone’s ambition is to be the best rally driver?

Clearly, their professional aspirations had to be harnessed so that they contributed in some way to the school priorities as set out in our vision and in each year’s school development plan (SDP). This is when I introduced the concept of multi-professional teams, which are made up of all the staff in the school and each team is responsible for driving forward one of the school development plan priorities. On the first inset day of every academic year, we spend the whole afternoon getting into our SDP teams and planning the year ahead. Every member of staff is completely free each year to choose which team to join.

The caretaker and cleaners, for example, were involved last year in looking at the learning environment as part of the lifelong learning priority. They had lots of ideas about how the school could look and feel better. The caretaker even spent some of the holiday painting a world map on the playground to help us embed our international theme.

28

works so well, are the 2 universal priorities which transcend the 4 individual priorities.

These act as the glue keeping our values, vision and philosophy of education together and aligned across the whole school.

Last year, for example, one of the universal priorities focused on partnerships, so in everything we did as a school we had in mind that we were building partnerships within ourselves, our local community, local schools, the local authority and internationally. This year we are focusing on communication and the new primary curriculum.

Another example of giving staff professional freedom that is proving very beneficial is the concept of enquiry teams, where each year staff get into teams and conduct an enquiry or action research into something none of us have expertise in. For example one team focused on feedback and now all the children have the most fabulous feedback books, where the teacher and the child conduct conversations with each other about next steps in learning and to how to achieve these goals.

Autumn 2013 Do the children have a role in the school development plan?

This year, we have started work on involving the children in the SDP, so we have elected learning leaders from each class who will create a child

children will be filmed saying, “In our school this year, we are learning to become really good at writing and this is how we are doing it”, for example.

an initial step to finding out what we are all

What advice would you give to others trying to emulate your approach?

trying to achieve. It will be written in their

The foundation of the values is essential;

own language and with phrases that explain

nothing would have succeeded otherwise.

what we are trying to do so that they and their

Taking the time to embed each initiative before

families can understand it easily.

moving on to another one is crucial. We talk

version of the school’s SDP. They will interview the SMT person in charge of each priority as

about ‘THE Onion’ model – Together Hertford

Your youngest pupils are only three. Can they handle this level of sophistication?

They are quite accustomed to expressing their views in class as one of the things we are very keen on at Hertford is philosophy and how it can enable us think about things in completely different ways.

My really exciting idea is that they are going to record a TED-style talk about each one of the priorities for our virtual learning environment so parents will be able to click on each one and see what the school is focusing on. Individual

Enjoys One New Initiative on the Next. It means everything builds on the platform of success of what we’ve already done.

Creating an atmosphere where children are able to develop a love of learning is fundamental to how each day evolves.

Marcelo Staricoff talked to Julie Nightingale.

If you would like to share your school’s story in ldr, get in touch: nicola.beech@education.gsi. gov.uk.

Next steps Marcelo uses inset days to great effect in engaging his staff with the vision for the school.

Share your own advice on getting buy-in from staff in our online community discussion: What does a really good inset day look like? https://network.nationalcollege.org.uk/collegediscussions/201233

Your ideas and feedback remain vital to ldr’s success, so please keep in touch at: nicola.beech@education.gsi.gov.uk - Nicola Beech, Editor ©2013 National College for Teaching and Leadership – All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without prior permission. An executive agency of the Department for Education