NAHT Leadership Focus July 2017

Issue 78 / July 2017 / £5

THE MAGAZINE FOR NAHT AND NAHT EDGE MEMBERS

FOCUS

A vote for education?

What does the general election result mean for our schools?

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

OPINION

ANNE LYONS: NAHT president 2017/18

Delivering fairness and ambition elcome to the latest edition of Leadership Focus.

I’m particularly pleased that in this issue we’re addressing the issue of equality and diversity in school leadership. You can read more on page 10.

When I became NAHT president at our Annual Conference at the end of April, the word on everyone’s lips was ‘fairness’. The battle to secure fair and sufficient funding for schools dominated the general election debate. But fairness obviously extends to the people who work and learn in our schools – the rights they have, and the responsibilities they have. We have a full conference review on page 19.

Another word on everyone’s lips was a ‘ambition’.

All school leaders have the highest ambition for the pupils in our care. It’s about wanting to lift a young person up, open their eyes, their mind and their heart. It’s about providing opportunities for young people to discover what they are good at and to help them on their way.

This ambition and this desire for fairness is what is driving me during my year as NAHT president.

It is also what drives our new general secretary Paul Whiteman.

As our former director of representation and advice, Paul has many years of experience and a determination to build on the excellent service we provide for members to maintain the strong, professional community

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of leaders that is the cornerstone of NAHT’s reputation.

NAHT will continue to be recognised as the clearest voice in the education debate in the UK and, under Paul’s leadership, the association will continue to use the respect it has with parents, policy makers and partner organisations to effect real change for leaders and learners. You can read more about Paul on page 30.

At our Annual Conference you asked NAHT to work more collaboratively with other unions and interested parties. I hope you can see that we have been doing this. The School Cuts website which we developed jointly with ATL and NUT had well over one million views during the general election campaign, and recent reports suggest that getting on for 800,000 people changed their vote on polling day because of what they’d heard about the real terms cuts to school budgets.

We have seen that when the teaching unions speak collectively on an issue that also has the support of parents, governors and local communities, our views are impossible to ignore.

Our unity has turned up the volume on school funding.

Above: Anne Lyons

Because it is unusual for unions and parents to speak with such a strong, collective voice, media interest in what we have to say is still very strong.

NAHT’s resolve to campaign collectively on funding is undiminished.

A good definition of school leadership that I heard recently is that head teachers should not cause trouble, they should run towards it.

My mission this year, supported

by Paul, by NAHT’s many officials and of course our members, will be to step into the gap left by the Government and speak up for what is right.

This year NAHT celebrated its 120th anniversary. Just as in 1897 when we first formed, you, our members, are the ones setting the agenda.

Our slogan, ‘For Leaders, For Learners’ reminds us that however great our progress seems to be, there will always be more that we need to do.

This ambition and this desire for fairness is what is driving me during my year as NAHT President.

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CONTENTS

ASSOCIATION AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES NAHT and NAHT Edge 1 Heath Square, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1BL www.naht.org.uk www.nahtedge.org.uk Tel: 0300 30 30 333 Editorial Strategy Board: David Gilmore (chair), James Bowen, Tim Bowen, Nick Brook, Colm Davis, Tony Draper, Steven George, David Gilmore, Nicky Gillhespy, Magnus Gorham, Russell Hobby, Steve Iredale, Kim Johnson, Helena Macormac, Judith Stott, Paul Whiteman, Rob Williams.

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@nahtnews

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor: Nic Paton.

Publisher: David Gale.

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SALES DIRECTOR Ian Carter Tel: 0207 183 1815 Leadership Focus is published on behalf of NAHT by Headlines Partnership Publishing Ltd, Headlines MediaHub, Radian Court, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8PJ.

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Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation: 30,151 (July 2015 - June 2016) ISSN: 1472-6181 Š Copyright 2016 NAHT All rights reserved: no part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, neither the publisher nor NAHT can accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or changes since compilation, or for consequential loss arising from such changes or inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential, arising in connection with information in this publication. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the publisher.

The views herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor or NAHT.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

I have really enjoyed working with the other National Executive members and NAHT staff.

Contents

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News round up The latest from across NAHT and NAHT Edge.

10 Diversity and inclusion A look at the equality challenge that exists within school leadership.

Nicky Gillhespy

19 Conference A review of the 2017 NAHT Annual Conference

23 General election reaction What does the future hold after the election?

30 Paul Whiteman We speak to the new general secretary designate.

32 Lynchpin leaders Celebrating the work of our deputy and assistant heads and vice principals.

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36 School Business Management Conference Following this successful event in June, we talk to national executive member, Nicky Gillhespy.

40 Under pressure The challenges and trials of a secondary school leader.

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46 A legal view Your legal questions answered.

48 Getting organised in Cumbria We look at one of NAHT’s most active branches in Cumbria.

50 Policy updates Northern Ireland and Wales.

53 The Motor Neurone Disease Association Raising awareness of the barriers to communication.

54 Brilliant residentials An insight into action research programme Learning Away.

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60 Your professional development A round up of the best courses and conferences.

62 The ďŹ nal word Ava Sturridge-Packer talks to Susan Young about life as a black head teacher.

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NEWS ROUND UP

T H E L AT E S T F R O M A C R O S S N A H T A N D N A H T E D G E Get in touch and share your thoughts on this month’s news via publications@naht.org.uk

Unlocking potential mbition School Leadership has developed an online leadership diagnostic to help senior leaders identify areas for growth in their middle leadership team.

The tool provides a quick insight into the competency framework the charity has built to develop great middle leaders. You can evaluate your middle leadership team’s strengths and development areas by benchmarking them against six key competency groups: strategy and vision, communication, relationships, teamwork, delivery and planning.

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Effective middle leaders translate whole-school strategy into excellent classroom practice.

By exploring growth areas you can support your middle leaders to make a positive, sustainable impact, retain staff and improve pupil outcomes.

To find out more about the Teaching Leaders programme for high-potential middle leaders visit: www.ambitionschoolleadership. org.uk/programmes/middleleadership-programmes/.

To try the online leadership diagnostic tool visit: www.diagnostic. ambitionschoolleadership.org.uk.

Candidates pledge support for NAHT’s #5priorities campaign In the run-up to the general election, NAHT and its members contacted all parliamentary candidates asking them to sign up to our five priorities. These priorities centred on key issues in education that need to be addressed by government. Over 250 candidates signed up, pledging their support and acknowledging the need to focus on school funding, assessment reform, teacher recruitment, a broad curriculum and fair accountability.

Analysis has shown that school funding in particular grabbed the nation’s attention, and directly influenced voting behaviour.

We’d like to say a big thank you to all members who got involved and we look forward to seeing our priorities addressed over the coming months.

Read about our general election campaign on page 23.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

IF YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY TO SHARE THEN CONTACT THE EDITOR Email: nic.paton@headlines.uk.com

Inspiring the next generation of head teachers here is no other job which has quite so much potential to make a difference. In a first headship, new school leaders expect to face both excitement and challenge and it is important to continue to invest in skills and to find time for reflection.

It was with this mantra in mind that NAHT hosted the New and Aspiring Heads Conferences in London and Manchester earlier this term.

The conferences included motivational speakers and useful workshops to support and empower school leaders in their new roles. Formulated by successful and experienced heads, both events were packed with real-life experiences, vibrant discussions and practical planning.

The motivational speakers brought the conferences to life.

London’s New and Aspiring Heads event kicked off with oodles of energy and verve by inspiring speaker, Andy Cope, founder of motivational training and development company, Art of Brilliance. Attendees were reminded of the importance of staying positive and the power of making the decision to be happy on a daily basis and to not reserve happiness solely for weekends and special occasions.

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The following week, keynote speaker Ben Walden opened the Manchester conference by identifying the attributes of effective leadership. Walden is one of the founding associates of transformational leadership training and development company Olivier Mythodrama. He presented an unusual and compelling case study of Shakespeare’s Henry V as a good example of visible leadership.

And our very own general secretary, Russell Hobby, also gave an inspirational speech to those new to headship. He reminded new heads to keep perspective and to always try to maintain a personal life outside of school.

Above: Andy Cope of Art of Brilliance Above right: Delegates take part in one of the workshops Below: Shakespeare’s legendary leader, Henry V

7 FIND OUT MORE ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS We hold an array of events and conferences across the UK to support school leaders in furthering development and sharing experience on current educational topics. You can find more information on our events at www.naht.org.uk/events.

• See page 61 for details of NAHT’s upcoming Early Years Conference on 6 October and Primary Conference on 24 November.

What did the delegates think?

At the end of the conferences, we asked delegates what they will take away.

AFTER THIS CONFERENCE, WHEN I GO BACK TO SCHOOL I WILL BE ...

“BRILLIANT EVERYDAY!” Merushka Hansraj, deputy head teacher

“More confident in my own abilities.”

Anne Willis-Fisher, deputy head teacher

“More thoughtful about myself as a leader and my needs.”

Sharon Kearns, deputy head teacher

NEWS ROUND UP

IF YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY TO SHARE THEN CONTACT THE EDITOR Email: nic.paton@headlines.uk.com

NEWS IN BRIEF

INVITE A COLLEAGUE TO JOIN NAHT TODAY

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With a new term comes the inevitable movement of people. They may have changed roles, climbed up the career ladder, taken on more responsibility or added to their current commitments. With these changes comes an opportunity for you and your colleagues to share in the rewards of NAHT and NAHT Edge membership.

You already know the benefits of membership so why not strengthen your team by encouraging your colleagues to join NAHT or NAHT Edge too? As a thank you, if someone you refer joins us, you’ll receive £20 in M&S or Amazon vouchers and they’ll receive vouchers to the same value too.

To help you to spread the word about the advantages of membership we’ve included a booklet with some vouchers in this magazine. The booklet explains how to refer to NAHT and NAHT Edge and who’s eligible for referral.

If you run out of vouchers simply visit www.naht. org.uk/voucher for NAHT recommendations or www.nahtedge.org.uk/ referralvouchers for NAHT Edge. Or, if you would prefer to refer colleagues online, visit www.naht.org.uk/refer to recommend senior leaders for NAHT membership or www.nahtedge.org.uk/refer to nominate middle leaders for NAHT Edge membership.

School Leadership podcast – for leaders and learners

Our monthly school leadership podcast provides an opportunity to hear from some of the leading voices in education.

In recent weeks, we’ve covered a plethora of subjects from Nicky Morgan reflecting on her time as education secretary of state, to supporting school leadership in schools, to upcoming changes to data protection rules.

Earlier this term, we also had the pleasure of speaking to Professor Mike Askew about maths mastery, fluency and the Government’s proposed times tables checks for primaryaged pupils. Having taught at all levels, including teacher professional development, Mike Askew led research projects throughout the world and has written numerous books and articles on the subject of maths teaching. In his podcast, Mike speaks about the importance of encouraging effort in maths learning, implementing a maths mastery approach and assessment.

You can find our latest School Leadership podcasts with the leading voices in education on SoundCloud or you can listen to our podcast as soon as it’s released by subscribing on iTunes. We’d love to hear your suggestions for podcast topics and guests. Simply drop us a message nahtedge@naht.org.uk.

Anna Freud National Centre Increasingly, at school leaders are dealing with complex social issues such as children’s mental health. This demand is putting significant pressure on all school staff and is creating a real need for trusted information. One such invaluable source is the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families’ Schools in Mind network; a free network for school staff and allied professionals.

Through this network the Centre provides a source of innovative, evaluated, evidencebased resources and accessible information that school leaders and teachers can use to support the mental health and wellbeing of their whole school community. Free resources include a toolkit to help schools measure and monitor children and young people’s wellbeing, a downloadable framework for mental health and resilience in schools, and a leaflet with simple fun tips on how to improve mood and emotional wellbeing for children in secondary school.

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In September the Centre will launch the ‘You’re never to young to talk’ mental health campaign, to help primary schools equip children to talk about mental health.

Resources include a booklet offering practical guidance about what to do if you are worried about a child or young person. It is supported by a series of short online films, presented by the Centre’s senior clinicians, covering topics from low mood to looked-after children.

The Centre will also be launching Talking Mental Health, an animation produced by children to help them find the language to talk about mental health and how to listen to others that want to talk. It comes with guided lesson and assembly plans and will include free training in London, Bristol, Newcastle and Manchester.

• If you would like to access these freely available resources, please join the free Schools in Mind network at: www.annafreud.org/services-schools/ schools-in-mind.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

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Healthy lunches We know that eating regularly can help to stabilise blood sugars which, in turn, gives you enough energy to get through the day and stops you getting ‘hangry’ (definition: a combination of hungry and angry). When you start skipping lunch it can really take a toll on your health and your mood. Do you find yourself tired, run down and ready to eat a metaphorical horse by the time you leave your office for the day? If so, try dietician Jennifer Low’s top tips and snack ideas for staying healthy.

TOP TIPS:

PREPARE IN ADVANCE Planning is key to a healthy food intake. You could plan on Sunday what food you are taking to school for the week ahead.

KEEP HEALTHY SNACKS ON YOUR DESK AT WORK Perhaps take a bowl of fruit in with you at the beginning of each week.

If it’s available, you will eat it.

TAKE A PACKED LUNCH INTO SCHOOL WITH YOU Small items that you can snack on through the day may suit you better than a big meal you don’t have the time to eat.

Keep unhealthy snacks out of your office for exactly the same reason.

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STAY HYDRATED Sometimes when you become dehydrated you will feel tired and lethargic. By keeping a jug of water on your desk you can ensure you sip on it throughout the day. Teas and coffees count too.

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LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Everyone needs time out to ‘recharge’ – try to prioritise your own health.

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For more ideas on healthy snacks and quick meal ideas, have a look at the Healthy Food Guide magazine website www.healthyfood.co.uk..

LUNCH BOX SNACK IDEAS: • A small packet of unsalted nuts • A low-fat natural yoghurt • Carrot sticks and hummus • 3-4 wholegrain crackers with 30g cheese • Sachet of porridge with milk • Tinned fruit.

DIVERSITY

Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Focus takes a look at the equality challenge that exists within school leadership.

et’s get the self-flagellation out of the way early. Here’s what former Portsmouth head teacher and advocate for black and minority ethnic teachers leader Sandra Miller has to say about NAHT when it comes to diversity and inclusion: “When I first went to an NAHT conference, about seven years ago, it did strike me how white and male it was. There was, I think, one Asian man and one black man there that I could see,” she recalls.

“I raised it with Russell [Hobby, NAHT general secretary] who completely agreed with me. It would be good to see more BME faces and for NAHT to have a

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larger contingent of BME leaders within its membership. I think this is something where it would be really valuable for the union to make an effort to change things,” she adds.

While these words may be painful for members to hear, the truth is it is not so much that NAHT is failing to reflect the diversity and inclusiveness of school leaders. It’s that British school leadership as a whole is still not that diverse or inclusive – and it is simply this that NAHT is inadvertently reflecting.

As we highlight in the panel (see pg 15), it is estimated by the Department for Education (DfE) that just 3.1% of head teachers are

of an ethnic origin that isn’t white, white-Irish or of another white background. There is no reliable data on the percentage of head teachers who class themselves as disabled or having disabilities.

The extent to which head teachers are ‘out’ or LGBT is also worryingly opaque, with as few as 20% of gay teachers estimated to be out to their pupils, and nearly half feeling, at best, unsupported by colleagues and managers and, at worst, experiencing active discrimination as a result.

Finally, according to the DfE, while 73.8% of all classroom teachers are female, only 62% of head teachers are female.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

What this all highlights, as Sally Bates, chair of NAHT’s equalities committee argues, is that, whatever your colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation, diversity and inclusion is an issue school leaders – and NAHT – need to be grasping and taking a lead on.

“It is about, as a head, fulfilling your responsibility as a school leader for the wellbeing of your staff. The way we portray ourselves within a school reflects the way we present ourselves to the outside community. If we do not take a lead, then we are not fulfilling our responsibilities to our leaders and our teams within the school. It is about the wellbeing of staff as much as it is about changing attitudes and promoting tolerance,” she points out.

“In terms of LGBT, for example, if as a teacher or school leader you are out, that may be fine with colleagues, but it is also important to remember that someone may not necessarily be confident about being out in the wider community. It is often not so much about sexuality per se as about identity. I have heard some tragic stories over the years, of heads not feeling able to bring their partner to their retirement party because

not everybody knew, for example.

“Once you grab hold of it, it is quite an easy conversation to have; it is just about being committed to it. My school, for example, recently introduced some resources from Stonewall, backed by the Church of England. Staff were very keen to put up posters in classrooms; we also had time devoted to it in PSHE; it went down very well,” she adds.

The role and responsibility of governors and governing boards or trustees in an academy structure, is also vital, agrees NAHT Head of policy Valentine Mulholland.

“One of the big barriers to headship for those with protected characteristics is around the issue of governors and trustees who will be responsible for making appointments. We have long argued that there should be mandatory training for governors and we believe that no governor should be involved in recruitment without the right level of diversity and inclusionawareness training,” she explains.

Sometimes, too, apparently minor changes can make a big difference.

As Allana Gay, deputy head teacher at Lea Valley Primary School in London and co-founder of the

#BAMEed network, highlights on pg 13, just being cognizant of the language used in meetings or during the school day can be important.

Sally Bates very much agrees with this. “It can sometimes be apparently small things. So, for example, does your bereavement policy talk about ‘husband’ or ‘wife’? But what about someone’s gay partner if they’re bereaved?

“Then it is also about having that discussion with the wider school and community; and that might mean some difficult conversations with some individuals who have not thought it through. But this is important, for both governors and leaders. Evidence of diversity and inclusion is something that Ofsted is also keen on, something it very much sees as a strength within a school and a team.”

As part of its ongoing efforts to close the gender gap in school leadership, NAHT has also backed The Leading Women’s Alliance’s regular Women into Leadership conferences and its Women into Leadership pledge (see pg 17 for more details). Indeed, Bev Sheppard, deputy head of The Deans Primary School in Salford and chair of

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NAHT’s Deputy and Assistant Heads Committee, attended the alliance’s summit in January to find out more.

“The summit had a lot of inspirational speakers. It was very much focused on debating the most apt suggestions to put into the pledge, such as blind shortlists, that were not necessarily things that were specific to women but which, in fact, work for everybody,” Bev tells Leadership Focus.

“In many respects, when it comes to women in leadership roles, I do not think massive change is what’s needed, rather a slight change of perception, a slight shift in thinking.

For example, I don’t think things like women-only shortlists are the right way to go; they’re not fair either.

“It is also about coaching and bringing people on, the gentle ‘tap on the shoulder’ to let someone know that they may have the potential to be a future leader, and that works for both men and women.

“Women do still tend to earn less than men in senior leadership positions; there is still a gender pay gap – it is decreasing but it is still there. At primary, there are lot more heads now that are female, although that may in part be because, when they were starting out in the profession, there were very few male teachers working in primary anyway. But in secondary it is still the case that a lot of heads are male,” she adds.

Unconscious bias when it comes to promotion and even recruitment may still be an issue, she agrees, and schools could do more to help, encourage and support middle and senior leaders to better juggle parental responsibilities with the stresses and responsibilities of a school leadership role.

“Women will often reach a certain level and will then be torn between their career and their family and children. So, it is about helping women not to have to choose either/or, helping them to see that, yes, they have got that potential,” Bev points out.

“For example, how many male teachers, or female for that matter, job share or leave work on time?

Women sometimes assume they cannot go for that senior job because they are ‘only’ working four days rather than five. So, it is about

73.8% of all classroom teachers are female; only 62% of head teachers are female.

advertising the fact that that is OK, and explaining what the pledge is about.

“Women, in my experience, do also tend to be less likely to walk into a room and demand attention. But leadership does not need to be about that, it does not need to be about who can shout the loudest.

It is about knowing when is the right time to speak, and when is the right time to listen,” Bev adds.

• The Women in Leadership summits are running at regular intervals throughout this year, with one taking place in Belfast later this month (27 July) followed by London in September and Leeds in October.

More details can be found at www. womenintoleadership.co.uk

RESOURCES

NAHT has a range of useful online resources for heads around diversity, inclusion and equality. These include: • A short overview guidance of equality legislation • A schedule to support school leaders in developing compliance protocols • An explanation and analysis of a school’s Equality Duty • An equality model policy • An example of an equal opportunities policy, written independently for NAHT. All these, and more, can be found at www. naht.org.uk

THE STATE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WITHIN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP LGBT

NAHT has committed to developing advice for school leaders on LGBT staffing issues.

School leaders, it pointed out, “are in an ideal place to create environments where their staff can feel safe to be open with colleagues and with pupils”.

As well as being positive from a workforce perspective, LGBT staff can provide an important role model for pupils, especially given that research has suggested that 90% of LGBT students report that they have been bullied because of their gender or sexuality and many struggle with depression and anxiety.

“Children who see school staff being open and authentic about who they are may be more likely to believe that they will be accepted and welcomed into the diverse community of the school. However, this positive impact is only the case if they see those members of staff being treated with the same respect as others,” NAHT has pointed out.

However, there still appears to be a long way to go. While many teachers wish to come out at school, both for themselves and so they can be role

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

CASE STUDY

Allana Gay is deputy head teacher at Lea Valley Primary School in London, and co-founder of the #BAMEed network (https://bameednetwork.com/), a network to design, promote and foster debate about the recruitment, retention and progress of BAME educators, as well as connect educators at all levels.

“I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and came to the UK around 15 years ago, beginning my teaching career in Hackney.

“I began moving through the ranks but, at each stage, it became harder and harder. For example, my interest was very much on the academic side, but I found a real sense, a real bias, towards people from an ethnic minority background being pushed more down the pastoral support side – student behaviour, social and emotional issues and so on – rather than the teaching, learning and academic side.

“As a black teacher, you experience things differently, significantly differently, to your white colleagues. You tend not to speak out about racism because you fear you’re going to be accused of ‘playing the race card’. But I do think I have, over the years, been overlooked for positions because I did not fit the image of the leadership team.

“For example, I have had situations where I have been told I am ‘too relaxed’ or that I need to bring more ‘intensity’. But I come from the Caribbean, that’s how we are! It’s about people not understanding that.

“Sometimes it’s hard to put a finger on it, and normally it’s not deliberate, but it can be things like the language leaders are towards me in a meeting compared to

‘You tend not to speak out about racism because you fear you’re going to be accused of ‘playing the race card’” how they’re speaking to their other, white colleagues. Or it can be little things like, say, at school dinner, a jokey comment such as ‘oh I expect you like jerk chicken’.

“I’ve been a regional co-lead with the WomenEd network (www.womened. org) since early last year and it just struck me, why not have one for BAME? Let’s set up a network. So, it has been running since January this year. I’m also a Future Leaders Trust Future Leader.

“How do you change the perception of

models for their pupils, there is often still a reluctance to do so. This is not only because of worries around having to deal with homophobic language and abuse from children and parents, but even because of a perceived lack of support from colleagues, the charity Stonewall has argued.

For example, a survey back in 2006 by the Teacher Support Network (now the Education Support Partnership) concluded that two-thirds of LGBT teachers had experienced harassment or discrimination at work because of their sexual orientation. For 81% of this cohort, the discrimination had come from pupils but, worryingly, nearly half (46%) said it had come

education, how do you change the balance and encourage more people to come into education in the first place? I do think we need to be changing the way we recruit, to look at our selection processes. Do we, for example, over-emphasise coming from a Russell Group or similar background? Do we look too much at academic qualifications rather than the quality of the teacher?

“You see all these people who come into teaching because they want to change the world, but then leave within three years because it’s ‘too hard’. But then there are what I call the scrappers – many of whom will be from a BAME background – those who have struggled to get their education, who will understand what it is like to work hard.

“There is, I feel, unconscious bias, too much selecting on bias of white, male and British. I do think governing bodies should be required to undergo training around unconscious bias and awareness of unconscious bias.

“Things like blind recruitment could be useful, where there are no indicators to tell you even which university someone has been to. It is just about what you can bring to the school in terms of your own personal qualities.

It is about bringing awareness of our global society to how we work.

“You get told the reason why not enough people from ethnic minorities go into teaching is because of their historic relationship with education and educators. Yet, when people from ethnic minorities do enter the profession, more often than not they will have a negative experience, especially when it comes to their career development.”

from colleagues and 33% pointed to their managers or leaders.

Similarly, the Schools Out charity has estimated that as few as 20% of gay teachers are ‘out’ to their pupils.

NAHT, as part of this process of developing guidance, recently held a roundtable debate precisely to focus on these LGBT issues. This highlighted a number of important topics that school leaders should be addressing or considering in this context: • Many schools are not covering LGBT issues in the curriculum, potentially because of a lingering fear of Section 28 (the 1988 Conservative law that banned local authorities from portraying homosexuality in a positive light,

but which was overturned by Labour in 2003) • While senior leaders broadly support the idea that LGBT issues should be ‘addressed’, too often ‘equality issues’ gets compartmentalised, perhaps being delegated to an ‘equalities teacher’ or automatically passed to an LGBT member of staff simply because of their sexuality.

The roundtable emphasised that it is up to senior leaders to be stepping up to give strategic leadership on LGBT issues • School staff can be hesitant to cover LGBT issues and topics because of fear of complaints from parents. Head teachers

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CASE STUDY

Grace Kew is director of Enhance Education Consultancy and was previously head teacher at The Orchard School in Sandwell, in the West Midlands.

“I was born in Zambia and have lived in Zimbabwe and Scotland. But my teaching career began in the early 1990s in Denmark before I subsequently moved to the UK in 2000.

“This experience, I think, makes my story a little different; not only do I come from a BME background but I also started my teaching career in Denmark, which is a more homogeneous society compared to the UK, which is much more multicultural. My opportunity in teaching arose due to the Danish society recognising that their positive immigration policy at the time necessitated the need to recruit teachers with a BME background to reflect the growing population of BME pupils within schools.

“When I was applying for headships back in 2012 I attended a number of interviews and noted that, at each instance, I was the only non-white candidate and, furthermore, the panels overseeing the interview process showed a significant under-representation of those from a BME background.

“I finally became head at The Orchard School in September 2013. I loved it; I really enjoyed the challenge, and successfully ensured that the school maintained its outstanding status within a different Ofsted framework. In March 2016, I decided to set up my own consultancy business as I wanted to have a wider impact in areas such as measuring progress in special education.

‘School leaders need to be more proactive when it comes to supporting BME teachers’ “Governing bodies are, in my experience, not that representative or mixed; they don’t tend to represent the make-up of the BME groups in the school. School leaders, I feel, need to be more proactive when it comes to supporting BME teachers in their schools.

Furthermore, if BME teachers and leaders are to be recognised, then inclusion and diversity should begin at the top of the chain, like at the DfE and local authority level also.

“Those responsible for providing future education and training have a responsibility to ensure that the numbers coming through far better reflect the representation of people from BME backgrounds in the UK.”

therefore need to feel empowered to take responsibility and stand up for inclusion. The guidance that NAHT is working on will therefore be a valuable resource • Quality training and ongoing CPD from providers who demonstrate active commitment to inclusivity is vital to keeping this issue on the radar • Schools should have a clear statement on their website specifically outlining their policy of inclusivity and linking it to their public sector Equality Duty. A move towards an inclusive school environment should be celebrated and made transparent from day one via social media and other channels.

DISABILITY

One of the challenges with disability is how you define someone as ‘disabled’. The Equality Act 2010 argues it is “if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”.

But, again, defining ‘substantial’ or ‘long term’ can be problematic. The Equality Act argues that ‘substantial’ should mean ‘more than minor or trivial’, for example the fact it takes longer than it usually would to complete a daily task, such as getting dressed. For ’long term’, it argues this should mean a condiition that has been going on for 12 mo onths

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

or more, for example a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection.

Schools and school leaders, like any employer, have a duty of care to provide ‘reasonable’ adjustments to any employee with a disability.

But, as a school leader, do you define an employee as only being disabled if they are, say, receiving disability-related benefits or have a medical diagnosis? What about if it is simply a recurring, yet perhaps low-level or age-related, ‘struggling on’ condition? Clear and well communicated policies, procedures and protocols are going to be an important part of this mix.

What, even, is the extent of disability within the profession?

This is hard to gauge. The recent NAHT roundtable (as highlighted previously) heard evidence from the November 2015 census that suggested that just 0.5% of teachers considered themselves disabled.

But, as the response rate for this was poor, the likelihood is this may be significantly understating the full extent of the picture. For example, there was no information available at all on the percentage of head teachers with disabilities within this.

BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) The Department for Education, using the acronym BME (black ny and minority ethnic, or an

ethnicity other than white British) rather than BAME, in 2015 calculated that 13.7% of classroom teachers identified in this way.

Yet, when you removed ‘white-Irish’ and ‘any other white background’ from the equation, only 7.9% of teachers were of an ethnic origin that wasn’t white, white-Irish or any other white background. The largest ethnic groups included here were Indian (1.8%) Pakistani (1%) and Black Caribbean (1%).

When it came to head teachers, the percentage of head teachers recorded as white British was 93.4% (a small decrease from 93.7% in 2014), meaning that the percentage of BME head teachers as defined by DfE was 6.6%.

However, again, if you remove ‘white-Irish’ and ‘any other white background’ from the equation, only 3.1% of head teachers were of an ethnic origin that wasn’t white, white-Irish or any other white background.

The largest other ethnic groups were Indian (0.7%), Black Caribbean (0.7%) and Pakistani (0.3%).

WOMEN

When it comes to gender, the issue is less the number of women within the profession as a whole – teaching remains a profession dominated by women, particularly witthin

primary – and more why there is still such a stubborn disparity between men and women at senior leadership and headship level, and what can be done.

According to the DfE’s 2015 data, while 73.8% of all classroom teachers are female, only 62% of headteachers are female.

The Future Leaders Trust, for one, has argued the ‘motherhood penalty’ may be one important factor.

Research from its Leadership and Parenthood Survey suggested half of respondents (a mix of male and female teachers) believed women’s pay was negatively affected by motherhood, while 60% said training opportunities were hit. Meanwhile, more than 75% said that both promotion and opportunities for additional responsibilities were negatively affected by motherhood.

The Solent Teaching School in Hampshire recently carried out a research project on just this area, interviewing 12 teachers about how being a mum had affected their career.

Gilly Smith, a former head teacher with two children, said: “I think what has become clear from this project is that it is not about the age of LGBT students of the children; it’s just report that about having children, they have been or family commitments bullied because for that matter, whatever of their gender or they might be. It’s about

90% sexuality.

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DIVERSITY 16

combining motherhood with teaching, at any level.

“If you’re got family-friendly strategies in place, then teachers are going to come to work refreshed, energised, ready to do a good job.

And I think they’ll do their job more effectively, and I think children will learn as a result.”

Kerry Shilling a head teacher with one child, added. “It’s very hard when your child finishes school at midday, and to take a half day on the last day of term.”

Helen Holton, a deputy head teacher with two children, continued: “You feel guilty for not being with your children enough. And you feel guilty for not putting in the hours that you would have done previously.”

Rose Taunt, an assistant head teacher with twin girls and a boy, said: “Those are the guilt moments - when you’re not at your child’s sports day and everyone else is there. So, a school that allows their staff to go to their children’s school events, things which matter, takes a lot of the guilt away from working.”

93.4%

the percentage of head teachers, recorded as white British (a small decrease from 93.7% in 2014)

• The full Solent Teaching School report can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/user53106835

CASE STUDY

‘There are barriers as a BME teacher, but the barriers are sometimes about perception and sometimes just about confidence’

Sandra Miller is an education consultant, having founded her own company, Aspire Coaching Consultancy, in 2012. She was formerly head teacher for 10 years at Charles Dickens School in Portsmouth, Hampshire “I grew up in the West Midlands and trained in Birmingham and was a teacher for almost 30 years. I think there are barriers as a BME teacher, but the barriers are sometimes about perception and sometimes just about confidence.

“For example, as a BME teacher or leader, there is sometimes an expectation you will stay within the community you come from ‘to give back’ rather than move around to other parts of the country. But my view is that, if you are a head teacher, you can be a head teacher anywhere.

“When I went to Portsmouth the school was in a pocket of deprivation, and it still is.

Standards were poor, behaviour was poor, but there were children at the school – as there are at all schools – who were amazing.

I was the city’s first black head teacher.

“In Portsmouth, I had a parent of a child who was attending another local school who stopped one of my parents at the school gate and said she was not going to allow her child to come to the school because I was black, and I was a black head. But then a load of the other parents starting having a go at her and standing up for me, so you really can’t generalise or make assumptions.

“Similarly, I achieved my first senior leadership position at 29 and I remember one woman once coming up to me at a local authority meeting and saying, ‘bet you work hard for your money’. My counterpart was in her 40s and, in effect, this woman was saying to me ‘how did you get that job?’. That comment stayed with me – was it because I was black? Or because I was just 29?

“The barriers are sometimes simply what we perceive we might face; sometimes people do not go for things or put themselves out there because they do not want to deal with what they think they’re going to come up against.”

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

THE WOMEN INTO LEADERSHIP PLEDGE he Leading Women’s Alliance is an alliance of leadership and academic organisations (ASCL, The Future Leaders Trust, UCL’s Institute of Education and #WomenEd) and schools (Mulberry School for Girls in London and Hackney Teaching School).

The initial alliance came together to plan and deliver a ‘Leading Women to Headship’ summit in January 2016, out of which was born the idea of developing a ‘Women into Leadership’ pledge for schools and school leaders to embrace, adopt and commit to.

The pledge was initiated by the alliance and then further developed by more than 100 female delegates from across the education sector at the alliance’s 2016 summit. NAHT’s Equalities Committee sent a member to the summit and, to learn more about the pledge, sent member Bev Sheppard to attend the alliance’s summit in January this year.

As a result, NAHT has now adopted the pledge, with NAHT itself ‘working towards it’ as an organisation. Those agreeing to the pledge state that: “We want to encourage and empower more women to take up headship.” Organisations that sign up agree to the following:

T

3

As leaders and mentors, to nurture female talent in our schools and communities, and champion aspiring female leaders at all levels. This should include: • Use appraisal and professional reviews to systematically identify talent and potential at all levels (including for non-executive roles) • ‘Aiming off’ for your own unconscious biases to ensure potential leaders from diverse and underrepresented groups are spotted • Have explicit conversations with those whose talent has been identified • Work across schools in a multiacademy trust, local authority or region to consider how best to identify, nurture and deploy talent to maximise opportunities for talented individuals • Create a culture of opportunity – distribute leadership opportunities; create and point people in the direction of training, mentoring and support programmes • Champion wellbeing, flexible working, job shares, etc. and ensure staff are aware of their rights • Be a role model of how to be a great leader and still have a life outside work.

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To manage explicit and unconscious bias in the recruitment process and offer flexible working.

This should include: • Adverts stipulate openness to job shares or part-time working, where feasible • Use blind shortlisting • Design interview and assessment to minimise impact of individual bias • Ensure assessor training includes training on unconscious bias and taking an unconscious bias test • Ensure independent quality assurance of recruitment processes • Identify and monitor ineffective or discriminatory interview practice by governors, liaising with the National Governors’ Association to improve practice.

As employers, to ensure there is no pay gap between men and women doing the same role.

This should include: • Develop and publish fair and transparent pay systems • Audit current pay structures and address any discrepancies • Publish salary differences between male and female school leaders.

As leadership development organisations, to provide programmes, mentors and support to empower women and build their confidence to be authentic leaders. This should include: • Facilitate networking and match-making between people looking to job share • Provide more coaching/ mentoring opportunities • Offer more conferences and training opportunities tailored to the needs of women • Give feedback • Encourage individuality • Share success stories.

As individuals, to be determined, resilient and committed to leading our schools so that every child receives a great education. This should include: • Always keep the ‘why’ in mind – vision, values and ethos with children at their heart – and revisit often • Take time to reflect • Look after your own health and wellbeing • Recognise that you don’t have to have mastered everything before taking the next step.\

Developed by more than 100 female delegates from across the sector

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As colleagues and role models, to create a diverse and supportive network of female leaders and aspiring female leaders, who share our goal of transforming the life chances of children and young people. This should include: • Walk the talk. Be a role model of how to be a great leader and have a life; collectively demonstrate that there are many different approaches • Join networking forums and contribute to them as speakers, on Twitter, and so on • Commit to mentoring/coaching an aspiring female leader • Act as a role model: aspire and inspire; challenge and take risks • Recognise and address your own unconscious bias • Have the same high expectations and openness towards adults as we do to children • Champion and advocate BAME leaders • Be a governor • Ensure male colleagues are attuned to the challenges women can face.

17

Celebrating 25 years 6–7 October 2017 Business Design Centre, London Join us at the UK’s largest special educational needs show, with two days of ideas, inspiration, networking and innovation, to bring learning alive for pupils with SEN. • 42 CPD sessions exploring the latest research and trends • FREE practical workshops led by our exhibitors • Opening keynote and panel debate with the DfE, NAHT, Ofsted, Rochford Review and Made By Dyslexia ; G:2$FI )'18 1/.3$3* C5 "1+0 ($6 %3$*'&4 -.) AI1CFI "&09) chief education adviser ; B72$&$3* 3.8 +.)1#+2.) ,+16 '#30+.0) 1, .7'$C$&1+)

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

Annual Conference 2017: THE BEST BITS

On the weekend of 28 April 2017, over 300 delegates arrived at the Telford International Centre to represent our members from all sectors and regions of NAHT’s membership. The annual event serves as NAHT’s sovereign decisionmaking forum and comprises a wide range of workshops, guest speakers and exhibitions. Hosting hundreds of school leaders with a myriad of specialisms and backgrounds under one roof, the conference invariably leads to three days of lively debate and policy making. Here’s a rundown of the highlights from this year.

19 by asking: “If you care about education, where are you?”

Anne concluded by thanking Kim and Colm for furthering the association’s work for schools with special educational needs, and pledged to delegates that she will campaign for an education system for all pupils.

Day two began with a range of workshops covering some of the most difficult challenges schools are currently facing,

nnual Conference 2017 kicked off in style as the association reflected on its 120 years of supporting school leaders and set out its key priorities for education. The opening ceremony saw Anne Lyons take the reins from Kim Johnson as NAHT president. In her opening speech, Anne issued some stark advice to the next government regarding grammar schools and the state of education funding. Two head teachers from Anne’s own district, Sue Hammond and Carole Tobin, paid tribute to

A

her, praising her for her commitment to children, and for her philosophy of inclusion. Their speeches were followed by a number of performances by children from Anne’s own school which received rapturous applause from delegates.

The opening ceremony also hosted discussion around the launch of NAHT’s five priorities campaign. Anne commented that it was disappointing that Justine Greening had decided not to attend the conference, and challenged all political parties

Above: Over 300 delegates attended this year’s Annual Conference in Telford Right: Anne Lyons, NAHT’s new national president addresses the conference

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 20

before delegates were treated to a rousing address from Dame Alison Peacock, chief executive at the Chartered College for Teaching.

Peacock shared her views on a number of key issues including the perception of teaching as a profession, and the Ofsted ratings system.

The motions debate saw a series of impassioned speeches being made by delegates on the crucial issue of funding, with a number of motions being approved which will now become NAHT policy.

After lunch, delegates received an engaging presentation from NAHT’s new charity partner, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, chosen as a result of former vice president Colm Davis’ diagnosis with the disease. (See pg 53 for more details.)

Funding once again became the main focus of the afternoon, with general secretary Russell Hobby chairing a panel featuring Mary Bousted from ATL, Jack Dromey MP, Sally Bates from the F40 executive committee, and Jo Yurky from Fair Funding for All. Delegates enjoyed a rich discussion which considered all aspects of the funding debate, including cross-union collaboration and how to support parents in moving the campaign forward.

Attention turned to motions for the final session, where delegates continued to participate in meaningful discussions relating to grammar schools, curriculum,

Left: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn Below: Delegates attending a workshop Below Left: Dame Alison Peacock

Our #5priorities Annual Conference saw the launch of NAHT’s five key priorities campaign.

To fund education fully and fairly, reversing the £3 billion real terms cuts that schools are facing and providing enough money to make the new national funding formula a success.

1

To put forward a national strategy for teacher recruitment and retention that recognises teachers as high-status professionals and guarantees enough teachers for every school.

2

To adopt fair methods to hold schools to account, recognising that test and exam results are only part of the picture when judging a pupil’s success or a school’s effectiveness.

3

To value a broad range of subjects in the school day so that pupils’ opportunities are not limited and they are properly prepared for adult life.

4

To make sure that schools are supported by health and social care services to allow schools to fulfil their role to promote pupil wellbeing rather than making up for cuts to other services.

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FIND OUT MORE ...

You can find extensive coverage of Annual Conference 2017 at www.naht.org. uk/nahtconf.

accountability and how schools work with health and social care services. There was also concern about the terms and conditions for our members, both in terms of the real-terms decline in pay and the impact of workload on the wellbeing of teachers and school leaders.

On the final day of the event, general secretary Russell Hobby delivered his final address to conference before standing down in September. He reminded delegates that the profession must continue to take responsibility for each other, and take back ownership of standards.

Hobby paid tribute to NAHT and its members, saying: “We are a union of leaders. And we have been true to our roots. You have shown leadership: moral leadership, courageous leadership and long-term thinking with the interests of pupils first.”

Prior to Hobby taking the stage, delegates received a special address from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. A late addition to the agenda, Corbyn laid out his vision for education, stating that Labour would be “brave enough” to reverse the £3 billion of savings schools will have to make by 2019-20 and spoke of his plans to create a National Education Service. Corbyn went on to answer

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

WORKSHOPS

KEY MOTIONS FROM ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017

PRIMARY ASSESSMENT Attendees to this workshop heard an overview of the current chaotic state of assessment, as well as an update on the latest news from NAHT’s assessment campaign so far. Significant achievements included the removal of the Year 7 resits, end of Key Stage 1 SATs and a move away from secure-fit writing assessment. They emphasised the need for high-stakes accountability to not be used as absolute proof of a school’s success or failure. The session, facilitated by Amanda Hulme, chair of NAHT’s Assessment and Accountability sub-committee, contained a series of break-out discussions for school leaders to share their experiences and thoughts on assessment reform.

THE FUNDING CRISIS Concern surrounding the universal squeeze on school budgets was rife in this year’s motions session.

A sizeable portion of the motions focused on the impact that the funding crisis is having on all schools. Speaker Tony Roberts highlighted the importance of galvanising parents to support the funding campaign through highlighting the impact the crisis is having within their children’s classrooms. Roberts continued by stating that school leaders should work with local press and other third parties wherever possible to keep the funding crisis in the public eye.

THE CHALLENGE OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING STAFF Facilitated by NAHT National Executive Committee’s Professional Committee chair, Chris Knowles, this session covered the current difficulties schools face in recruiting and retaining staff. Issues ranged from the quality of new recruits, to balancing personal life with the demands of teaching, to wages not keeping up with cost of living in many areas of the country. Discussion also touched upon the teacher retirement age increasing from 68 to 70 and the concern around the physical demands of the job.

SCHOOL COLLABORATION: ACADEMIES AND FEDERATIONS Chaired by Sally Bates, National Executive Policy Committee chair, this session provided an overview of the structures of academies and the impact this has on cross-school collaboration. Much of the discussion focused on the various strengths and challenges of working in a hard federation and a multi-academy trust. It concluded with school leaders highlighting the importance of head teachers having sufficient time to make large structural changes within their school, especially if that head is required to teach.

questions on a number of issues including workload and special educational needs, and addressed a number of the points raised in NAHT’s #5priorities General Election campaign.

NAHT’s annual conference is the highlight of our year and 2017 did not disappoint. This year’s conference hosted critical discussion on the current state of our education system and, through catching the attention of the media, we were able to clearly lay out the realities of the funding crisis within schools in the public arena. With all of the activity of that April weekend now brought into our campaigning plans, we will continue to promote our priorities and look forward to seeing how they will be addressed by the future Government.

GRAMMAR SCHOOLS Below: Russell Hobby delivered his last Annual Conference address as general secretary, and received a standing ovation

The expansion of existing selective education was unanimously opposed as evidence shows that increased selection does not promote social mobility. The education system should prepare young people for an inclusive society and the structure of grammar schools does not reflect this. Selection can demotivate young people with existing grammar schools far less likely to include disadvantaged children.

HIGH STAKES ACCOUNTABILITY Issues surrounding high-stakes accountability and an over-reliance on data was another area of concern. Graham Frost outlined the need to expose and discredit the statistical and politically motivated manipulation of test and grade boundaries and to raise professional and public awareness of the harmful and unjust implications for both students and professionals in all phases of education. There was also a stark reminder that value-added is not measured in end-of-keystage results, leaving the hard work that schools do in improving individual outcomes not referenced in accountability measures.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

A vote for education?

Results on election night, 8 June 2017, took many of us by surprise.

With a hung parliament, one thing’s for sure – the political landscape for the weeks, months and years ahead is likely to be anything but, just to pick a phrase out of the air at random, ‘strong and stable’. ducation was, of course, one of the battlegrounds of the election campaign, and education spending especially. According to a Survation poll after the election, one in 10 voters changed their mind in the run up to polling day because of school funding. This confirms just how powerful NAHTs’, and our fellow teaching unions’ campaigning on the issue proved to be. In their manifestos, the Conservatives pledged £4 billion extra for education, Labour outlined a

E

6% increase in spending per pupil, and the Liberal Democrats promised to protect per-pupil spending over the course of the parliament.

But, in many respects, the outcome that we saw unfold through the night of June 8-9 does not change anything, especially as it is the

Conservatives who are still leading the country, at least for now. Yes, the uncertainty is clearly bad for huge political question marks such as Brexit, but it is not going to make a great deal of difference when it comes to the pressures, tensions and arguments that are going 23

A VOTE FOR EDUCATION

to need to be articulated around school leadership and education.

Why? Very simply, because the intense challenges currently faced by school leaders are not going away anytime soon. And this means that, irrespective of the result of this election, there remains an important job to do for NAHT

er v e t Wha ges the len ds, we l a h c hol that e r u fut e sure tion b a can in educ will t w a cu ing no us fund ve serio ns ha cussio r repe 24

members, both nationally and on the ground locally.

Elsewhere in this edition, for example, we’re highlighting the ‘perfect storm’ of funding, recruitment, curriculum and assessment pressures facing secondary heads, but many of these pressures of course extend well beyond secondary schools.

The respected Institute for Fiscal Studies also argued in May that, despite its manifesto pledges, a new Conservative Government would leave schools in England worse off financially than they currently are (see panel on pg 27).

This is why NAHT’s five election priorities (see box on pg 28) remain very much ‘live’ post-election.

Much of the political and media noise in the coming

weeks and months will undoubtedly be around Brexit, perhaps with the ongoing dire financial straits of the NHS occasionally breaking through (in all likelihood during this winter, for example).

But, if anything, this simply means it is even more beholden on school leaders, unions and teachers, working with parents and communities, to be keeping the pressure on MPs, ministers and the media, to ensure education’s voice – its priorities, pressures and pinchpoints – continue to

6%

increase in spending per pupil outlined

by Labour

be heard and recognised.

As outgoing NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby explains: “In the wake of the general election, it’s imperative that the incoming Government recognises that, without a clear focus on getting the basics of education right, other policy proposals will not succeed. We have seen a focus on structural changes in recent years at the expense of these core issues. We hope now that those in power, and those elected as opposition MPs, will continue to fight for these key priorities.

“Whatever challenges the future holds, we can be sure that a cut in education funding now will have serious repercussions later in the ability of UK businesses to compete on a global stage.

Our future economic prosperity post-Brexit is inextricably linked to our ability to educate the next generation. From the new Government, we now expect clear reassurances that schools will get

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

CASE STUDY

Paul Williams is head of Shaftesbury High School in Harrow, a special needs school catering for approximately 160 students aged between 11 and 19. He is also chair of NAHT’s SEND committee.

“To an extent, NAHT’s five election priorities are all inter-related, with funding and assessment, for me, the two biggest issues. When a credible organisation like the National Audit Office says there is a £3 billion gap that schools will have to find, through foul means or fair, that is serious.

“If we can lobby over the summer, on the assumption that a summer election is normally followed by an autumn budget – and that is of course when the main budget is now due anyway – then we can hope that this may be addressed, that things may be able to be clawed back. But I do think funding will continue to be the big issue.

“In terms of SEND, high-needs funding will remain a particular issue. It is a real postcode lottery, depending on where you are in the country. You can have the same need as a school, yet attract significantly different amounts of money. For me, this is an issue of specific concern for special schools.

“Recruitment and retention is very much an issue in the SEND world, as it is elsewhere in teaching. For example, our governors have made three attempts in the past

We need to be getting the message down to the grassroots, to parents and communities, so they can apply pressure on their MPs 18 months to try to find a replacement for myself, because I am retiring this summer.

We’ve had just six applicants shortlisted.

“People do not want to be school leaders, or remain as school leaders, because of the pressures that are put upon them, around funding, around assessment, around accountability – it is just not an attractive option for many people. The support mechanisms for heads have also become more distant.

Being a head or an executive head is now more about bureaucracy rather than it being a child-centred role.

“Wellbeing and mental health – promoting mental health and wellbeing – is a further issue that I feel needs to rise higher up the agenda, both for pupils and staff.

“Overall, we need to be getting the message down to the grassroots, to parents and communities, so they can apply pressure on their MPs. But, of course, we also need to be politically neutral.

“We need to make sure the postelection discourse, especially in the media, is not all just about Brexit. It is about encouraging people to get out and speak to their MPs, to keep on raising the education message and point of view, even if Brexit will, inevitably, continue to dominate the agenda.”

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A VOTE FOR EDUCATION 26

enough cash to get on with that important task,” he adds.

With a Conservative administration (albeit a wounded one), the main education battleground is going to continue to be funding, Paul Whitman, NAHT general secretary designate, also emphasises.

“Number one, one, one is funding. All the other issues are clearly important, but everything drops off from funding. A shedload of schools are making redundancies at the moment, especially in the secondary sector.

It is a real issue. I think there will be a massive slashing in the number of support staff and TAs in schools, as well as numbers of heads, deputy heads and assistant heads,” he articulates.

“Whether the National Funding Formula is right or wrong or whether it is the right thing to do is not the issue. The issue is the umbrella amount of money.

It needs to be levelling up, not levelling down. In the postBrexit competitive economic environment that we’re likely to find, we need to be, if anything, prioritising our children’s education even more,” he adds.

The consensus among many within education is that the new Government simply cannot continue to fall back on its preelection argument that record amounts of money have been invested education; it will need at the very least to address and face up to the counter arguments that investment has not kept pace with rising costs, demands and expectations.

“The schoolchildren of today are our economy of the future.

So, yes, Brexit will clearly be the big issue for the next Government going forward. But we must not lose sight of the impact, and the importance, of investing in education for the future,” agrees NAHT senior regional officer Rob Kelsall.

“Failure to reverse the cuts, and failure to implement the new funding formula, will have dire consequences. 99% of schools are going to be losers by the end of this Parliament, because costs are increasing by around 8%.

CASE STUDY

Jonathan Smart is head of Brookvale Primary School in Erdington Birmingham, part of the Brookvale Groby Learning Campus MAT. The school has around 200 pupils on its roll.

“For me, the big one of the five pledges definitely is funding; it is a huge issue for my colleagues and I. If we want to sustain an educational system that is world class, as the UK’s is, we need to fund it properly.

“We are really struggling to continue to do the things outside of simply putting a teacher in front of the children. So, all the pastoral things, the added value. We all want an education system that is fit for purpose, which creates social mobility. But without the money to make it work, then we are really going to struggle.

“The accountability system, as it stands, is not right, too. We have around £1 million or so of public money that we have to make sure we are spending properly to ensure children are getting the best deal.

But it is far too heavily weighted towards the academic side.

“We, of course, are totally bought into the idea of standards, quality and social mobility. But I feel there is not enough understanding within the system that for schools. particularly rticularly in high-deprivation areas like ke mine, y system a high-stakes accountability y to fulfil simply decreases our ability the things that Ofsted wants us to do.

“The teacher shortage also definitely needs to be sorted out. My colleagues and I are really struggling to recruit high-quality teachers; it is becoming increasingly difficult. There are not enough people out there and the teachers we do have – in the profession roves. generally – are leaving in droves. al There is not the professional s. recognition there once was.

“It is only recently that MPs Ps have worked out the fact that school chool funding is an issue. We all know the counter argument – that at there is more money than there has ever en there are e been in the system. But then

more children in education than there have ever been, costs are rising, there’s pensions, wages, National Insurance, the apprenticeship levy and so on.

“Our politicians have, I think, only just woken up to this fact, so it is the message we need to keep pushing.

NAHT has a real job to do to put this message out there, loud and clear, and make it heard above all the others.”

We are struggling to continue to do the things outside of simply putting a teacher in front of the children - all the pastoral things, the added value

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

“Clearly, the Government is going to be concentrating on getting the best outcome it can from the Brexit negotiations. But it cannot also afford to take its eye off the ball in terms of ensuring the next generation has the skills and education it needs to help us thrive in the post-Brexit economic landscape. We need to find the wherewithal properly to fund the education of the next generation of school children,” he emphasises.

“During the election, education did seem to be one of the top three issues on the doorstep and in the media, after Brexit and the NHS. So, I do think education is an issue people are talking about and are concerned about. People are beginning to understand the funding crisis and what is happening, the impact it is having on children’s education,” echoes NAHT head

of policy Valentine Mulholland.

“It is not just about schools not having enough money to do this or that; it is about the impact this is going to have on a child’s education, on the clubs and activities, trips and visits they love to attend, on their mental and emotional health support, on the things that will enrich their education experience,” she adds.

While funding is and will remain the top issue, and the one that affects everything else, another core battleground will be around curriculum and assessment.

One priority NAHT will need to be pushing is for the Government to take forward its work on reforming primary assessment, and to progress the proposals coming out of the Rochford review on assessment for pupils working

below the level of the national curriculum. The “purdah” rules of the General Election have delayed progress.

“There has been a huge delay; the whole process has been incredibly slow, and that has meant schools have been left in limbo for too long,” outlines Amanda Hulme, chair of NAHT’s assessment and accountability group.

“Obviously, Brexit is going to be the key focus. But if any government forgets about the home agenda, people will not be happy,” she adds.

“We want to make sure that

What the IFS said Each of the three main party manifestos – Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat – committed to increase overall school spending in cash terms over the next parliament.

Notionally, therefore, this should be ood news for school leaders and would go ap ppear to suggest that the warnings from ed ducation unions, NAHT among them, ha ave been listened to by politicians. And th he fact that one in 10 voters changed th heir mind on how to vote because of th he school funding issue (according to a Su urvation survey) gives us huge impetus ass we push ahead with lobbying.

However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ (IF FS) analysis of what the reality is likely to be e makes distinctly grimmer reading for sc chool leaders already struggling to keep th heir various financial plates spinning.

Under current plans for school sp pending in England, spending per pupil is set to fall by about 6.5% between 20 015-16 and 2019-20, the IFS pointed ou ut and could, in fact, be more like 8% % when you factor in things such ass higher pension contributions.

Although the Conservatives committed to o “increase the overall schools budget y £4 billion by 2022”, once you strip by ou ut inflation, this equates to a real-

“If delivered, this would increase terms increase in the schools’ budget spending per pupil by 6% over the of around £1 billion compared with the course of the parliament, leaving it about level in 2017-18, the IFS calculated.

1.6% higher in real-terms compared “Taking account of forecast growth in with its historic high in 2015-16 (the pupils, this equates to a real-terms cut small real-terms increase results from in spending per pupil of 2.8% between compensating schools for some of 2017-18 and 2021-22. Adding this to past the additional costs they have faced in cuts makes for a total real-terms cut to recent years),” said the IFS. per-pupil spending of around The Liberal Democrats, 7% over the six years between 2015-16 and meanwhile, pledged that spending per 2021-22,” it argued. pupil would be Labour may The full not be in power, frozen in real-terms report can be over the course but its position found at www. of the parliament, was much which would strengthened ifs.org.uk/ require a total on election night publications/ and, certainly, increase in the 9252 school budget of it is clear many around £2.2 billion of its arguments cut through with compared with today.

The IFS’ view on voters, especially this was: “These different younger generations. commitments imply quite different levels Its manifesto pledged to reverse realof spending per pupil by the end of the terms cuts to spending per pupil since next parliament. For instance, under 2015 and then protect it in real-terms Labour plans, we project secondary over the course of the next parliament. school spending will be about £6,500 per This would require an increase in school spending of around £4.8 billion in 2017-18 pupil, which compares with about £6,000 under Conservative spending plans.” prices compared with its level in 2017-18.

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A VOTE FOR EDUCATION

NAHT’S FIVE ELECTION AND POST-ELECTION CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES To fund education fully and fairly, reversing the £3 billion real-terms cuts that schools are facing and providing enough money to make the new national funding formula a success

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To put forward a national strategy for teacher recruitment and retention that recognises teachers as high-status professionals and guarantees enough teachers for every school

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To adopt fair methods to hold schools to account, recognising that test and exam results are only part of the picture when judging a pupil’s success or a school’s effectiveness

3

To value a broad range of subjects in the school day so that pupils’ opportunities are not limited and they are properly prepared for adult life

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To make sure that schools are supported by health and social care services allowing schools to fulfil their role to promote pupil wellbeing rather than making up for cuts to other services.

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the steps that we have made towards changing the government consultation on assessment are followed through and not lost; that is a key thing that has to happen.

It is about improving the system of statutory assessment and balancing the amount of statutory assessment that has to go on, so that primaries can deliver a broader range of subjects without such a focus all the time on maths and literacy,” agrees NAHT policy adviser Sarah Hannafin.

The need for a more ‘rational’ accountability system is another important goal that will be on the NAHT radar, adds Sarah. “Ofsted needs to focus on improvement, a far cry from where it is at present, although chief inspector for England Amanda Spielman is sounding a slightly different note.

It is simply the sword that hangs over schools and school leaders.

Having people constantly on high alert does not help anybody.

“Ministers can get curriculum and assessment right by listening to the profession; we need to be removing the politics from education, and the

Government needs to accept that school leaders really are the professionals,” she says.

Finally, there’s the question of Wales and Northern Ireland.

“The key thing in Wales, of course, is that education is devolved, which means that the only thing under central direction is funding. The reality is that, from a £1.7 billion budget last year, schools in Wales for 2017/18 will be getting £1.6, so there is a big drop,” explains NAHT Cymru director of policy, Rob Williams.

“This year, settlements with local authorities will be slightly better than expected. Next year we’re hearing phrases like ‘armageddon’ around local authority funding. It is all just about sustaining what you have as best you can or minimising your losses, nothing else.

“Brexit could well be another big issue, as a lot of EU funding into Wales went to schools. For now, that still seems quite under the public and political radar.

“More generally, we are seeing infant class sizes creeping up, they are now above 30 in many schools, so that is going to have a big

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

CASE STUDY

Sabrina Hobbs is principal of Severndale Specialist Academy my in Shrewsbury. With some 400 children on its roll, it is one of the largest est special schools in the country..

“The main priority, for me, is s m protecting the professionalism of educators. The boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred. We are taking more and more responsibility for the e health, emotional and social, care of children; schools are even now, as announced earlier this year, going to be expected to deliver mental health ‘first aid’. As the professional organisations, such as CAMHS (the NHS’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), become more and more asingly stretched, their roles are increasingly arena being pushed into the school arena.

“Clinical areas, like working with children on a one-to-one health need, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and so on, are all very specialised areas that often not even a GP will be prepared to take on. But we are increasingly asking teaching staff and TAs to get involved in these areas, supporting the health needs of, often, quite poorly children.

“The difficulty, for me, in this is that there is no line of accountability. We are not specialists; I cannot performance manage any member of staff undertaking those sorts of activities because I am not a specialist in those areas. There is no way to monitor the quality of service or provision undertaken, and yet the liability for whatever has gone on sits with me and the governors or trustees.

“It all comes back to funding, and this is the straw that has broken the camel’s back. Our school, too, has grown in size over the past six years, yet the size of the nursing team hasn’t. If anything, because of longterm sickness, it has gone down.

“You cannot teach a child unless he or she is safe and well, and yet there is no additional funding to support that; there are no clear lines of accountability to ensure the right expertise is in the right place. This is what keeps me awake at night.”

We are taking more and more responsibility for the health, emotional and social care of children. As the professional organisations become more and more stretched, their roles are increasingly being pushed into the school arena

effect. Overall, we in Wales very much agree witth the five priorities.

It iss about sustaining equitable and transparent funding for schools, because at the moment it is absolute haos,” Rob adds. ch Much as elsewhere in th he UK, funding, recruitment and ntion, accountability reten and in nspection, curriculum, and pupil eing, will all be wellbe prioritie es for head teachers in Northern Ireland, whatever the future po olitical landscape, agrees NA AHT policy director na Maccormac.

(NI) Helen On funding, for example, there needed to be a “comprehen nsive, transparent and effective e review of funding that supports schools and gives schools the autonomy necessary to provide the quality of education that we require,” she argues.

“Recruitment and retention practices between the controlled and maintained sector are different and this has opened up a potential pay gap. The Education Authority’s advice to governors to lower the starting point of some salaries may affect recruitment,” she continues.

“To retain teachers and ensure an adequate supply of future senior leaders, there must be a commitment to reduce long working hours, reform the punitive accountability and inspection system and address the fall in real pay since 2010,” Helena adds.

There will also need to be more professional dialogue between the Education Training Inspectorate and schools while, on curriculum and assessment, there needs to be a “fair and managed system” for assessing each child’s progress, Helena emphasises.

“A self-evaluative dashboard of measures must be developed in partnership with school leaders so that schools can tailor assessment measures to meet the needs of their unique context and pupil population,” she adds.

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FEATURE NAME HERE

Meet Pau ul Whitem man In this issue we speak to the new general secretary designate PAUL WHITEMAN. aul Whiteman is clearly delighted to be taking up the role of general secretary of NAHT, particularly, he says, in the year the organisation celebrates its 120th year.

“That impressive history shows how NAHT has been fighting the corner for school leaders and their pupils for a very long time now. We should be proud of that legacy, and the ongoing credibility we have in the education sector as one of England’s key education unions. Of course, for me, it’s an honour to be leading such an auspicious organisation,” he says, with his trademark twinkly smile. Paul’s father was a committed trade unionist, who led the local branch of the National Geographical Association print union and eventually took on a full-time official post.

Having started out in retail banking and becoming a Lloyds TSB bank manager in 1986, Paul soon found himself involved in the Banking, Insurance and Finance Union and UNIFI in the late 1990s. His interest in trade unionism grew, leading him to work for over a decade for the FDA union, representing senior civil servants. In 2000 Paul comp pleted an MA in industrial relations and employment law at Keele University, and this sealed his admiration for those who dedicate their lives to education, and the power of what can be achieved through learning.

In 2012 he joined NAHT as director of representation and advice and, in the intervening years, has seen first-hand the complex issues faced by school leaders.

“My time leading the representation and advice team for the past five years has given me a unique insight into what motivates school leaders and what keeps them awake at night,” says Paul.

“It’s clear they do an incredibly tough job. These are some of the hardestworking public servants in the country.

I’m confident that with my background of listening g to them,, and fig ghting g for them, I can bring that experience to bear when in Westminster or elsewhere.”

Taking up the role in September, following a lengthy hand-over from Russell Hobby, Paul will focus on two

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key issues. “Firstly I want to ensure that educattion remains high on the agenda in gove ernment, and is not allowed to be squ ueezed out by Brexit,” he says.

“Secon ndly I want to bring home the fact that NA AHT is a community of leaders, who ha ave a unique contribution to make within the education debate, and who need to o take responsibility for each other in these changing times.”

His view is that the new Government has an obligation to keep the domestic agenda a going, alongside the political wranglling of Brexit negotiations.

“There’s plenty still to be done - on funding g, young people’s mental health, recruitment, to name just a few areas – it’s ou ur responsibility as leaders in educattion to keep those issues at the forefro ont of politicians’ minds, to work

NAHT is an association of leaders, so there’s a unique perspective that we bring to the education debate. with th hem to help them make good decisio ons, as we’ve done on assessment.

We also need to hold their feet to the fire wh hen necessary, which we’re doing now on n school funding.”

As an internal candidate, Paul feels he is brringing a degree of stability to the asssociation. “We haven’t brought in someone new from outside, which means there will be continuity to the messag ges we’ve been using over the past couple of years. We can continue to work proactively and passionately on behalf of membe ers and the pupils in their care.”

Whille Paul says “mergers are not on my y to-do list”,, the likelihood is that under Paul’s leadership, NAHT will continue to collaborate on campaigns with the other unions. “Just look at the school funding campaign – ATL, NUT, ASCL, UNISON, GMB are all on that ticket. I

think it’s very pow werful when lots of different organisattions echo and amplify each other. I’m surre that where there’s common ground, we’ll work together.”

Russell Hobby, NAHT’s outgoing general secretary is credited with having been a change-maker in education during his seven-year tenure, so does Paul feel he’s a tough act to follo ow? “Russell certainly has achieved a trem mendous amount for the association, and d really raised its profile.

I’m confident that I can build on that. My experience as a pro ofessional trade unionist stands me in good stead and I’ve got a great team behind me, not to mention the 29,000 school lead der voices to help get our message acrosss.”

Paul is looking fo orward to working with education professio onals who have the power to instigate meaningful change in government. “NAH HT is an association of leaders, so there’s a unique perspective that we bring to the education debate,” he says. “Our mem mbers are the decisionmakers in schools. They carry the can when things go wrrong. They have to cope with that presssure, so their views are valid. And when NA AHT speaks, politicians, the press and the general public do take notice. We’re more e than a union, we’re a professional asso ociation. We have a research and policy y team that would be the envy of any y think tank or government deparrtment, so we base our argumentts on evidence, which gives us legiitimacy.”

With the reducttion in recent years of centralise ed provision and sources of sup pport for schools and their staff, NAHT has increasingly ta aken on the role of filling that void for its members, providin ng great advice and represe entation, help with training, help with understandin ng new government policiies, says Paul. “This of course will continue. And all the time our presence e will be felt where it matte ers. It’s about taking respo onsibility for each other and d about presenting a progrressive view of what modern education should be about.”

Photo by Russell Sach/TES

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

PROfiLE Age: 49 Born: Croydon Education: John Ruskin High School Croydon, MA in industrial relations and employment law, Keele University (1998-2000) Hobbies: Spending time with my wife, three children and dog. I love golf, running, and I’ve just completed my first triathlon!

CV 1986-1997: Lloyds TSB bank manager 1997-2002: UNIFI finance sector trade union 2002-2012: National officer for the FDA civil service trade union 2012-present: NAHT director of representation and advice

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DEPUTY AND ASSISTANT HEADS 32

Lynchpin leaders Here we celebrate the work of deputy and assistant heads, and viceprincipals. We hear about the role of NAHT’s Deputy and Assistant Heads’ Council, review the pressures on members, and find out what those who’ve made the transition to headship have learnt along the way.

eputy and assistant head teachers, and vice-principals, work at the beating heart of school leadership.

Their many and varied responsibilities are weighty and wide-ranging, with critical roles including: curriculum leadership; management of assessment strategies; monitoring and tracking of pupils’ progress; pastoral management; leadership of

D

safeguarding; and promoting the mental wellbeing of staff and pupils.

And we haven’t even mentioned extra-curricular activities, such as school trips and sports events.

At NAHT, through the DAH Council, we aim to bring to light the pressures these pivotal senior leaders are under, but we also want to celebrate the hard work and dedication this group of members is delivering in schools across the

country. “Deputy and assistant heads, and vice-principals, really are the lynchpin leaders, the all-rounders who teach but also carry out huge amounts of staff management and operational work within schools,” says Valentine Mulholland, NAHT head of policy. “This is why we’re eager to tap into their experience of front line school management, to help inform the policy areas and campaigns NAHT is working on.”

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

MEET THE CHAIR OF NAHT’S DEPUTY AND ASSISTANT HEADS COUNCIL

LIFE AS A DEPUTY HEAD

I became chair of the Deputy and Assistant Heads (DAH) Council two years ago, and absolutely love the role. Engaging regularly with such an energetic group of school leaders from across primary, secondary, and special schools, gives me valuable insight into the wider issues being faced by deputy and assistant heads, beyond what I see day-to-day in my own primary school.

At meetings our discussions are always lively, there’s incredible support for each other and, most importantly, we are making progress for NAHT’s deputy members by bringing the perspective of deputies and assistants to the table at National Executive.

By sharing deputies’ unique perspective on life in schools we are directly contributing to NAHT’s vision for education, and the union’s campaigning and policy work with government. Recent issues including the pay gap, gender inequality, workload management and mental health and wellbeing have all seen campaigning and policy work shaped by the DAH Council’s input and suggestions.

Being a member of National Executive alongside fellow deputy head Adam Robbins, means we are required to regularly update Exec on issues and concerns affecting deputies, and the progress of the DAH Council.

Involvement at this level allows us to learn from a melting pot of highly experienced school leaders – executive heads, academy heads, SBMs, special school heads. Everyone from across the leadership spectrum has a voice, with each member contributing different skills and approaches. As Exec is so solution-focused, you feel problems are being tackled head-on by leaders who care passionately about the education system. This involvement in itself is a very worthwhile professional development opportunity which I’d recommend to fellow deputy and assistant members of NAHT. We’re involved in policy developments at a very early stage, so we really understand the issues of the day.

Often it’s said that deputy and assistant heads, and vice principals, keep the cogs of schools turning in the work they do. I’d

Glenn, 34, became a deputy head teacher in 2015, having previously been assistant head teacher at The Hundred of Hoo Academy in Rochford, Kent. In his current role he has responsibility for achievement, data, assessment and raising standards. Glenn has been teaching for 14 years with special interests in modern foreign languages and pedagogical research. He is building his leadership skills as a deputy head, in the hope of a headship in the future.

I joined leadership several years ago because I wanted to make a difference, and take the next step in my career. I’ve found that having a strong voice and being solution-driven has helped me with the transition to my new role. As I continue to have some teaching responsibilities, I am able to keep my ear to the ground and understand staff needs.

When I first became an assistant head, one of the hardest things for me was losing my form class, as I’d grown with them for several years and I worried that I was letting them down. However, in my new role I am still able to look after their successes, in a variety of new ways, so now I feel I’ve made the right choice.

For me the greatest reward of being a deputy head is seeing success in our students. Our parents are very supportive and a thankyou card or a quick email from them is always a great motivator as it’s lovely to be recognised for doing something that we all love.

From a professional point of view, I am always interrogating the data; seeing that upward trend, closing the gap – and attaining that golden ‘positive’ figure at the end of the year is always a great reward.

A deputy’s role is to represent the head and the school. To do this well I think a deputy needs to be resilient and tolerant. There will be times when we are faced with issues from staff, parents, a particular student or

GLENN ATKINSON – DEPUTY HEAD OF SCHOOL AND SLE FOR MFL, ITT AND TEACHING AND LEARNING, GREENACRE ACADEMY, CHATHAM, KENT.

BEV SHEPPARD: DEPUTY HEAD OF THE DEANS PRIMARY SCHOOL, SWINTON, SALFORD

agree that we keep the school functioning; there is never a dull moment because we are connected to everything in school.

Deputies typically take on a vast number of responsibilities, helping to alleviate the burden on heads by carrying out a lot of leadership and staff management work ourselves. We remain very much in touch with teaching – supporting teaching staff, mentoring subject heads and NQTs, reassuring parents and of course influencing the daily lives of a great many children. Increasingly the head teacher’s time is taken up dealing with issues beyond the school itself, such as liaison with the LA or MAT, along with strategy and the bureaucracy of education, which means that much of the operational work in schools that heads traditionally carried out has been absorbed into the deputy and assistant role. In this sense deputies have never been more critical to school life.

My view is that deputies thrive when the right support is in place, and the DAH Council has work to do in making sure this is the case in terms of CPD and workload. Not every deputy, assistant or vice-principal, aspires to headship, with many enjoying the rewards of playing such a pivotal role in schools.

But for those who do, there needs to be better succession planning in schools, opportunities for mentoring and shadowing, and closer involvement when Ofsted inspections take place. All of this builds confidence and experience.

It’s exciting to think that we are the heads of the future, if we want to be. And that’s why I feel it’s vital to have as much influence as possible within NAHT. The things we are fighting for now will affect our work, our lives, and the future of our pupils, whether we choose to become heads, or opt to continue to thrive on the challenge and rewards of being the deputy or assistant head.

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DEPUTY AND ASSISTANT HEADS 34

group, where patience is required to resolve the situation. Perseverance and listening skills are critical, as is respect for other people’s opinions and needs. If I could choose one other word to describe an essential quality for a deputy, I’d have to say ‘energetic’. The work never stops, it’s relentless, and you’ve got to love it to be able to handle it every day. Some people, like me, thrive on it. To be successful you’ve got to be hungry for that pace.

For me exam time is the toughest, whether this be for mocks/PPEs or the real thing. The pressure kicks in when time runs short, when I know that staff are up against it with controlled assessment deadlines and coursework commitments, and when the students start to feel the pressure. I’ve found that relieving the pressure for pupils also makes things easier for our staff.

I’m hoping to reach head teacher level, but understand it’s not for everyone. I think it’s important to remember that, like any role in teaching, we have to start somewhere and we have to learn how to do the job properly. It’s such a worthwhile role, where one can truly make a difference through one’s actions.

When I get to that stage, I’d hope that the deputy of my school would be driven by the same moral purpose that I have; always putting the students first. It would be important that they are driven and motivated but also consider ‘what comes next.’ I’d be keen to have a deputy who continues to experience classroom teaching as I do, because it’s important to

Balancing Act

What is the Deputy and Assistant Heads (DAH) Council and what does it do?

maintain that insight. However, first and foremost, I’d want someone who is honest with me at all times, who is not afraid to say I’m wrong, and who will accept challenge equally as confidently.

The DAH Council has been vital in helping me keep abreast of the latest education policy. It allows me to support my team by making them aware of, and preparing for, the changes to come. It’s so valuable to give deputies and assistant heads a voice in the education sector, and although I know I am making changes from an Academy point of view, my next aspiration is to effect wider change and to support education nationally. The DAH Council gives me the chance to network, understand change, and recognise the hard work and thought processes that go into these developments. Specific NAHT campaigns have fought the cause for colleagues and the Council has allowed me to be a part of that fight for equality and success for all teachers and students. I look forward to forging further advances in the future, and continuing to grow my voice and making those necessary changes for the better.

Above: Glenn Atkinson

The DAH Council is one of our six Sector Councils, aimed at providing wider understanding of, and representation for, issues affecting deputy and assistant heads, and vice principals. The council meets four times a year and considers a broad range of policy areas including – but not restricted to – assessment, accountability, pupil wellbeing, recruitment and retention, and funding. It reports to our National Executive and helps to set NAHT policy, campaigning priorities and guidance to members.

The main aims and objectives of the DAH Council are: • To discuss and determine matters of business and areas for action in relation to deputies and assistant heads across a broad range of policy areas, and make such recommendations to National Executive as the council may determine in relation to its powers • To seek to influence key policymakers in all areas of education with regard to deputy and assistant head issues • To ensure a high profile of the work of the Association for deputy and assistant heads • To represent the interests and to negotiate on behalf of YOU CAN FIND deputy and assistant head THE BALANCING members of the Association ACT REPORT • To ensure that members ON THE NAHT are kept informed and up to WEBSITE. date on matters of relevance to deputy and assistant heads.

Last year NAHT published The Balancing Act: a report into the working lives of deputy and assistant head teachers and vice principals. Key findings were: • The vast majority (88%) of deputy and assistant heads and vice principals who responded to the survey taught in the classroom as part of their role, although the amount of time they spent teaching varied significantly depending on their role and the type and size of their school.

• Most respondents had additional school responsibilities as part of their role. Most commonly, they were the designated person for child protection (61%).

• The survey also showed that the National College for Teaching and Leadership qualifications are still important to this group; with 56% having studied for one; and the majority rating the courses as useful. Of those without these qualifications, 47% are keen to study for the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).

Recent areas of interest for the DAH Council Curriculum and Assessment As teaching leaders, the Sector Council members have been able to provide a unique perspective into the development of NAHT’s positions and campaign on securing changes to primary assessment, and removing the Year 7 SATS resits. The Council has provided feedback and direction to inform NAHT’s evolving position.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

Pay and conditions The Council has spent a lot of time discussing the wellbeing of deputies and assistant heads, including workload concerns, based on the Balancing Act survey which they commissioned by NAHT. In light of the findings, the council developed ideas regarding the advice and support that NAHT should create to help deputy and assistant members manage their teaching and management responsibilities.

More broadly, the Council continues to support the National Executive in the wider policy work on pay, ensuring that our positions and responses to government consider the impact of any changes to terms and conditions for deputies and assistant heads and principals, both as individuals and as line managers.

Supporting the mental health of pupils The Council has reviewed the Association’s key partnerships and activities taking place regarding the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, with particular reference to the projects and resources being developed, providing feedback on their relevance and usefulness for school leaders.

Structures and accountability The council reviewed the presentation delivered to the Ofsted annual conference for inspectors about inspection approaches for 2016/17, and identified areas of particular importance to highlight to members.

Recruitment and retention The Council has been monitoring research on the teaching workforce, with a particular focus on current and future supply/demand for school leaders and equality within the workforce and school leadership. The Council also recommends that NAHT takes the Women into Leadership pledge.

Reports from the latest DAH Council meetings can be found on the NAHT website.

NEW HEAD TEACHER ANGI GIBSON ON MAKING THE TRANSITION TO HEADSHIP ANGI GIBSON, HEAD TEACHER AT HADRIAN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL, WALLSEND, NORTH TYNESIDE

Angi, aged 42, made the transition to head teacher in September 2014, having started her teaching career in 2002, and progressing rapidly through a Graduate Teacher Programme in North Tyneside.

With a business and finance degree, Angi originally worked in the oil and gas engineering sector before teaching, and says she used her engineering management experience while at deputy head level. She also learnt as much as she possibly could from different heads she’s worked with and by taking secondments into other schools.

Becoming a head teacher was absolutely what I wanted from day one in teaching, because I’m passionate about creating the best possible learning environment for children. I’m the sort of person who wants to see things improving, progress being made, so I think I’m well suited to my current school role, where I’ve come in as a new head with a fresh pair of eyes, new ideas, and a willingness to introduce change.

Being a deputy head allows you to really hone your craft, and learn how to lead.

Liaising between SLT and parents in the DAH role sets you up with a solid understanding of what’s needed to communicate clearly, make the school run smoothly and perform well. You get to grips with the people management side of school leadership too.

So it’s vital that DAHs aiming to take on a headship are given the opportunity to shadow their head, be mentored, take on new leadership skills wherever possible. I was lucky in that over 10 years my local authority (North Tyneside)gave me the opportunity for secondments to different schools where I took on a host of various roles, responsibilities and challenges year by year. I’ve taught across the age range in Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 and experienced several different types of schools.

It hits you when you become a head that the buck stops with you, and you have to be mindful of that huge responsibility

to colleagues and children. The one area I felt challenging in my first year was the financial aspect of the job – budgeting, handling the accounts – it’s an area where more training is needed for those making the transition. I’d recommend aspiring deputies, assistants and vice principals focus on this area to build knowledge – ask your head to show you what’s done and when. It’s also easy to ‘de-skill’ yourself as a head, leaving the teaching skills behind, so I work hard to be visible in classrooms, run clubs, cover lessons sometimes, and grow relationships with the children.

My ethos as head is to engage, consult, and inform staff at every level across the school so that we can progress as a team, with shared goals. When you introduce change it can be unsettling and unpopular for teams who are used to doing things differently. I make it clear that things are happening for a reason, and that these reasons are always professional, never personal. I’m known for being firm but fair in everything I do, and I believe that if I consistently support my staff and the school leadership team, they will support me in what I’m aiming to achieve. I value my deputy head hugely now that I’m a head.

She has been in the role for 15 years and has a wealth of knowledge for me to tap into. We involve each other at every stage.

My advice to deputy and assistant heads who are interested in becoming a head is to adopt a growth mindset – believe that it’s not what you don’t know now, it’s what you don’t know yet. Be prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone when it comes to people management – don’t be scared to lead; be resilient, tenacious and resourceful, and never lose your sense of humour.

My ethos as head is to engage, consult, and inform staff at every level across the school so that we can progress as a team, with shared goals.

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SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 36

I have made some fantastic friends and learnt so much just form talking to people who in my normal life I would never have met. It was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful to everyone who voted for me - I hope I represented SBMs well.â&#x20AC;?

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

School Business Management Conference This year’s NAHT’s School Business Management Conference, which took place on 20 June 2017, was a bittersweet moment for National Executive member NICKY GILLHESPY. As NAHT’s second conference for its school business management members, this was a vibrant and positive day, but it also saw Nicky stand down as the elected SBM representative on NAHT’s National Executive after four years as the first ever incumbent of this role. "

had to take the difficult decision to stand down this year and let someone else take up the baton, as my new role as chief operating office of a growing multi-academy trust (MAT) needs my full attention. Interestingly, the progression of my career from the SBM of a large primary school to my current role tells a tale of how fast the school business management profession is changing. And, whilst the profession is changing, I’d like to think that the position of SBMs within NAHT has also changed significantly in the time that I’ve been representing them on the national stage,” says Nicky.

NAHT’s head of policy Valentine Mulholland is in no doubt about that: “Nicky has been hugely influential in bringing SBMs into the heart of NAHT’s work and that change in four years has been extraordinary and reflected in our growing membership of SBM professionals.”

Nicky saw it as a personal quest, she says: “When elected, I decided it was a chance to show head teachers and other school leaders that SBMs are a benefit to them, both at school and as members of NAHT, so I embraced the opportunity and gave it my all. I ensured that every policy position, every

I

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SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 38

I have really enjoyed working with th the other National Executive members and NAHT staff, appreciatin appreciating the link between p politics and education w which I was quite naııve about before ehand.

topic discussed in n National Executive, every service developed, took into consideration the needs of our SBM members an nd I was delighted when in 2014, it was agreed to set up an SBM Sector Council to provide a wider representtative group that could inform the association’s view ws and positions.”

The SBM Secto or Council is chaired by Nicky and includes represen ntation from primary, secondary and special schools, frrom academies, MATs and maintained schools, from fina ance directors and SBMs, and from as far apart as Co ornwall and Newcastle. Vice chair Grahame Colclough attributes its success to Nicky’s approach to chairring the group.

“It’s a great gro oup – really busy and productive but we’re also all therre to support each other both in the meeting and outsside it, and that’s very much Nicky’s friendly but profe essional style. We see directly how our discussions and decisions impact on how NAHT supports its SBM members, and we all enjoy the meetings – it’s rarre that someone will miss one.”

This reflects Nic cky’s contribution to National Executive as she says herself: “I have stayed true to myself and not been afraid to o air my views. I like to think I have kept my sense of humo our. I have really enjoyed working with the other National Executive members and NAHT staff, appreciating the liink between politics and education which I was quite naïve about beforehand.”

And there’s no doubt that the four years have seen some significant p policy developments for NAHT’s SBM membership.

In 2015, NAHT d developed our pay principles for SBMs, clearly statting that SBMs in leadership roles, as all NAHT SBM me embers are, should be renumerated on the same level as other school leaders. Whilst the Association continues to campaign for this to be available to all SB BMs, and not just those with academy

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

freedoms of employment, we have also developed advice to support SBMs through local authority pay evaluations. Our 2016 survey of SBM members suggested that 80% of those whose pay had been reevaluated had secured an increase, and a quarter of those had used NAHT’s advice to secure this increase.

However our 2016 survey still painted a bleak picture on pay with 58% of SBMs surveyed reporting that their current pay level did not reflect their level of responsibility, and whilst this continues to be disappointingly high, it was down from 71% in NAHT’s last survey of members in May 2014.

Securing the right status and recognition for SBM professionals is also about professional standards.

NAHT and the SBM sector council have worked with the National Association of School Business Management (NASBM) to influence the development of their professional standards for SBMs and we now sit on the qualifications board seeking to develop new professional qualifications that will reflect the competencies and knowledge set out in the standards.

Our expertise as a professional Association and trade union for SBMs has also meant that we work closely with NASBM, and are the only trade union with a membership deal with NASBM so that members of both get a discounted membership. It’s led us to undertake a number of pieces of joint work including our recent Essential Guide to Academy Conversion for School Business Professionals. Too often, the process of selecting partners or academy sponsors focuses on the teaching and learning impact and fails to take full account of the SMB implications, or indeed involve the school’s SBM in early discussions.

On what has been the biggest impact of NAHT’s SBM representation on NAHT’s policy work, Valentine

58%

NAHT pay principles for SBMs: ● Where SBMs are performing leadership roles, then it should be possible to pay them on an equivalent pay scale to assistant and deputy head roles in the school as they, in effect, deputise the school management parts of the head teacher’s role. Determination of whether an SBM is operating as a school leader is that they: • are formally included in the school’s senior leadership team; • perform at a level of competence of ‘SBM’ or above in the National College competency framework for SBMs; and • have a minimum of a level-five qualification such as a relevant diploma in SBM or other levelfive qualification in a relevant discipline. ● The determination of whether their salary should be at the level of an assistant or deputy head would be down to the governing body and employer to consider based on the level of accountability and responsibility in the role.

of SBMs surveyed thought that their current pay level did not reflect their level of responsibility.

Mulholland adds: “It’s got to be the area of school funding – long before the noise about school funding had reached the levels it has now, I remember clearly our SBM committee members telling me they weren’t sleeping with the worry about future budgets. This led directly to our first Breaking Point survey of school funding that put the issue on the table in October 2015 when the Government was still defending its record levels of funding.”

So as Nicky Gillhespy makes room for a new SBM National Executive member, is there one thing she’d like to put on their list of things to do? “It’s got to be professional recognition of SBMs through their pay framework. Whilst those of us working in academies are increasingly able to secure pay parity with other members of the leadership team, local government pay scales continue to present a barrier for many SBMs and it’s just not acceptable. As funding pressures grow, it’s more and more important that all schools have access to a senior-level SMB professional and their salaries have to match those of assistant and deputy heads.

Schools and heads generally get it – the problem is the local government framework. So now is probably the time to ask for a different set of pay scales. It’s a major challenge but one that NAHT has to press on behalf of SBM members.”

And, on a personal level, Nicky adds: “I have had the opportunity to visit many places around the country that I have not been to before and been given the opportunity to attend meetings in the Houses of Parliament and at the DfE as well as a behind-thescenes tour of Stormont in Northern Ireland.

I have made some fantastic friends and learnt so much just from talking to people who in my normal life I would never have met. It was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful to everyone who voted for me – I hope I represented SBMs well.”

39

SECONDARY HEADS

Under pressure

A quick note to secondary head teachers: make sure you get a proper break - some genuinely relaxing dow wn time - this summer. Why? Because looking at the autumn and beyond, there are going to be crunching pressures and challenges aplenty for secondary school leaders.

40

ack in April, as members gathered for NAHT’s Annual Conference in Telford, general secretary Russell Hobby presciently warned of a looming ‘perfect storm’ of pressures descending on secondary schools across England.

Russell said: “The combination of challenges facing secondary schools and their students has never been greater. Many school leaders are concerned about maintaining high standards in the face of simultaneous upheaval on so many fronts.

It’s a perfect storm.”

To be fair, none of these pressures – funding, recruitment and retention, rising pupil numbers, rising costs, curriculum and assessment reforms (and see panel on pg 45 for more details) – are exactly new.

It is simply the fact that so many are piling up one on top of the other that is so worrying.

Compounding this grim picture is the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit and what this may mean

B

aching staff. in terms of EU tea And then on top of all this, of course, is simply the everfaster, ever-more dizzying accountability pla ate-spinning required these days from the modern secondarry head teacher.

As Robert Campbell, NAHT’s secondary represe entative and executive principa al of Impington Village College in Cambridge, puts it: “If you’re head teacher of a standalone seco ondary school, the pressures you u’re under are going to be differrent to if you are

running a trust, and different again if you are leading a MAT. But there are common pressures and challenges all secondaries are facing, regardless of structure.

“The first of these – and the one that is the most massively challenging – is funding. When all you are thinking about every day is ways of saving money, of looking at where or how you can take costs out, then that is really difficult.

The combination of challenges facing secondary schools and their students has never been greater. Many school leaders are concerned about maintaining high standards in the face of simultaneous upheaval on so many fronts. It’s a perfect storm.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

41

SECONDARY HEADS

Secondaries are struggling to maintain as broadly balanced a curriculum as possible under the current pressures, as well as trying to balance recruitment and funding pressures.

42

“For example, we are an academy trust within a MAT. We are currently working on preparing our budgets for September, and it is very much all doom and gloom.

How can we save money? Where can savings come from? How can we do without this, that or the other? We are going through the processes and really challenging ourselves, but it is very hard. What are we doing currently that we can do without next year?” he adds.

Although our march out of the European Union is still at an early stage, Robert is also worried about the potential impact of Brexit on his school, both from a staffing and a pupil perspective.

The average secondary school in England is facing losses of almost

£300K over the next five years

“Historically we have been lucky in this part of the country in that most schools have been successful at recruitment. But Brexit, depending on how it turns out, could have an impact here,” he explains.

“For example, we have for many years recruited students from the EU into the sixth form, on average around 60 students. Young people from across the EU come here, and we of course get funding for that, around £4,000 per student.

Post-Brexit that is not as likely to happen, and so that’s nearly a quarter of a million pounds off our budget. There’s also the fact it may be harder to recruit EU staff.

“Then it is also things like funding for staff professional development, which is important not just in terms of general standards but also in terms of ensuring we fully understand and are delivering the various new qualifications. When you are constantly trying to tighten your belts, it also has a knock-on impact on morale,” Robert adds.

“Secondaries are struggling to maintain as broadly balanced a curriculum as possible under the current pressures, as well as trying to balance recruitment and funding pressures,” agrees NAHT senior advisor Sarah Hannafin.

“Subjects will start to

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

CASE STUDY

disappear because schools will not be able to afford to fund some specialist subjects in the current climate. Out of necessity more schools may have to focus only on what they are judged upon, what they are held accountable for,” she warns.

“How schools are held to account is another area that will need to be looked at, especially the current over-reliance on performance data. We need to remember this is about children and young people, and schools being able to put their needs first as far as possible.

“We also need more clarity on the new GCSEs. There is still too

Liam Collins is head teacher of Uplands Community College in East Sussex, which caters for just over 1,000 pupils “All the pressures NAHT has warned about are ‘live’ issues for us.

When it comes to funding, we’ve restructured this year and, hopefully, that will be the end of it. But we are still £465,000 down on 2016/17; that’s 10% of our budget that has gone.

“I’ve been trying to recruit a maths teacher and an English teacher, but it is almost impossible. Last year it was costing me around £400 in advertising and recruitment costs to recruit each candidate. Now it is around £5,500 per candidate because you have to do so many advertisements, just for one candidate.

“The curriculum pressures are a massive issue, too. For example, we normally sit Year 10 mocks at the end of the school year. But this year we may physically not have enough time to do them all because there are so many new GCSEs. We normally do them over seven days but it’s already looking like it may take 15.

“Given the number of Year 11 exams also going on, we are struggling to work out how we are going to do it all, how we are going to accommodate all the requests from the different faculties to do exams. There is just not going to be enough time for people to sit the mocks and then to have them marked.

It is going to be hugely intense at the end of the school year for Year 10.

“Then there is the issue of the new grades, and the fact it’s going to be such a mixed bag. In terms of being able properly to compare cohorts it’s

looking like 2022 will be the first time anyone will be able to see what has really changed. But how does that fit into our current accountability framework?

How will that look to Ofsted?

“We can see our way through, but it is going to mean we won’t be able to do anything else beyond the curriculum-based activities; any of the wider support – counsellors and mental health; the fabric of the school; trips, visits, and activities; after-school clubs.

I have gone through the expenditure line by line on the spreadsheet.

“NAHT has been incredibly successful at lobbying, and that has to continue, that is incredibly important. But I wonder if we are reaching a point where perhaps we have to consider withdrawing some things, some goodwill? For example, perhaps not doing the census? Protesting in those sorts of ways? It has reached the point where there’s a sense that we’ve tried talking and that hasn’t worked, so we now need to go beyond that.

“We also, I think, as a collective need to look after, and look out for, each other as head teachers. There is a record outflow of head teachers, and I look into the eyes of my deputies and they are looking at me and looking at the job and I can see they’re thinking, ‘do I really want that?’. There is a real danger that we see head teachers moving abroad or moving into the independent sector and those left behind picking up the pieces, just with less and less money.

“There is no way schools can operate on the amount of accountability that is expected, with the safeguarding that is expected, without sufficient money. We just cannot do these things on the cheap.”

I wonder if we are reaching a point where we have to consider withdrawing some goodwill, protesting in some way? We’ve tried talking and that hasn’t worked, so we now need to go beyond that

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SECONDARY HEADS

CASE STUDY

44

Stuart McLaughlin is head teacher of Bower Park Academy in Romford, Essex, which has around 820 pupils.

“I took over this school in January.

It went into special measures before Christmas and so I have a big challenge on my hands to turn it around. But it is really hard to improve things while also having to make cuts to your budget.

“I’m head of a school that, clearly, needs better teaching. But better teachers cost more money. We are in outer London, and good teachers know they can command higher salaries. If I want to hire, say, an outstanding maths teacher, I know I’m going to have to pay over the odds.

“Up to now with recruitment we’ve done OK. There’s been a lot of use of existing networks plus I’ve used agencies extensively, which has helped me find some really good people. I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to fill the posts I need.

“Funding is a real issue. At this school, we’re needing to make £250,000 worth of savings by September. At my previous school – Brittons Academy, which is, like Bower Park, part of the Empower Learning Academy Trust – we were looking at £500,000.

“Savings of that magnitude you’re not going to be able to make by cutting down on photocopying and paper clips. It has to come from losing staff. One way I’ve had to do it at Bower Park is lose three senior leaders, which hasn’t been ideal at all.

“Another big challenge is curriculum and assessment, especially EBacc and Progress 8. When Ofsted comes through the door, it naturally wants to know what progress the children have been making.

“But we cannot calculate that until the children have sat their exams and so, right now, we won’t have a clear picture until we get their marks back, which is hugely frustrating. The fact that the new GCSE grades are norm-referenced rather than criterion-referenced also means we cannot tell where pupils are; we genuinely do not know what their grades are going to look like. We’re not, of course, alone in this; all secondaries are finding this very difficult at the moment.

“I am pessimistic about the future and a lot of people I speak to seem to be the same. We’ve got enough money to make things work this year, but I just cannot see a way to balance the budget in the coming years. We have cut staff as far as we can already. Where else can we save money? It is really quite bleak.

“I want NAHT to keep the pressure on, to keep campaigning to get the Government to put more money into schools. We have all heard the rhetoric about school funding being at its highest level ever but that is just nonsense. We have more children than ever within the system, our costs are higher than ever. Looking over the next three years, our costs are going to be going up 8%, which is a massive increase.

“I’d also like to see NAHT continuing to push for more clarity on grades and how we should be measuring progress. When we are all under such pressure to show improvement, the current situation is just ridiculous.”

I am pessimistic about the future. We have cut staff as far as we can already; where else can we save money? It is really quite bleak

much confusion around the new grades, especially given that for the next few years we are going to have a mixed economy of old and new grades.

“The Government has announced that a grade 4 will be a standard pass and a grade 5 a strong pass. This has done nothing to help. The performance data for schools will be based on grade 5 pass but a grade 4 is linked to the old C grade. And if the bar is set at 4 for students, what does that say about 1-3 grades? If 4 is ‘standard’ does that mean all grades below that are ‘substandard’? It is still too confusing, for parents, employers, schools and governors,” Sarah adds.

So, where will this all end?

Truth be told, no one knows. But what is clear is that secondary school leaders, with, through and alongside NAHT, need to be making the argument that the current trajectory very much appears to be unsustainable.

As Russell Hobby ominously warned delegates in Telford: “The Government is loading more uncertainty on to the secondary system than ever before. There is a real risk it will break.”

• You can find out more about these, and general stress management, at www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

The ‘perfect storm’ facing secondaries FUNDING

Schools are facing £3 billion of real-terms cuts to budgets. For secondaries in particular, the respected think-tank the Education Policy Institute has warned that the average secondary in England is facing losses of almost £300,000 over the next five years (to 2019/20), or the equivalent of budget reductions of between 6%-11% or, in more practical terms, the loss of six teachers, it calculated.

Cuts in educational services and grants, notably the £600 million cut to the Education Services Grant, are simply a further pressure in this context, as are increasing pupil numbers, as highlighted below.

As Russell Hobby explained: “All schools are operating under unacceptable levels of financial pressure. In order to balance their budgets, 66% of school leaders are reducing the hours of teaching assistants and 31% said they

were reducing staff hours.

“NAHT’s annual Breaking Point survey showed that 72% of school budgets will be untenable in two years’ time. This is a result of the Government’s choice to freeze spending and keep it at 2010 levels for each pupil. The 2010 cash isn’t going as far as it used to.

You can’t expect it to. But the Government is flatly refusing to admit the reality.”

Compounding the lack of money coming in is increasing money going out, including rising pay, pension and National Insurance costs, stumping up for the apprenticeship levy and, of course, higher inflation, which can have a knock-on effect on ongoing costs such as maintaining school infrastructure.

RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, BREXIT AND GRAMMARS

Figures from the Department for Education in May concluded that the rate of secondary teachers dropping out of profession increased from 6.6% in 2011 to 8.7% in 2015. The overall ‘wastage rate’ increased in every subject at secondary level in this period, it added.

Compounding this, secondary pupil numbers are expected to spike by more than 500,000 to 3.3 million by 2025, the House of Commons Education Select Committee warned in February, adding that teacher shortages were already at ‘crisis’ point.

A further complication is the continuing uncertainty over the status of EU nationals working in the UK post-Brexit, which is raising concerns that some schools might experience a brain drain of EU teachers both during and after the Brexit process.

Government interest in increasing the number of grammar schools could be revisited at any time, NAHT has warned.

As Russell Hobby has put it: “Year after year, the Government has missed its own targets for teacher recruitment. 30% of new teachers leave the profession after five years. NAHT’s own research shows school leaders have struggled or failed to recruit in eight out of 10 cases this year.

Recruitment has never been more challenging.”

CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT

The Government’s expectation that at GCSE level, 90% of pupils must study the subjects specified in the EBacc, is another growing pressure on secondary schools, NAHT has warned.

Indeed, a recent NAHT survey of secondary school members has concluded that 79% felt the EBacc policy had already had a negative impact on the breadth of the curriculum in their school.

On top of this there is the pressure of implementing the new GCSE grading system, with widespread confusion about how the new 9-1 grades compare to the old system. Students will get a mixture of both, numbers for GCSEs in English and Maths, letters for other GCSEs. Russell Hobby said: “The EBacc subjects do not have a monopoly on rigour and value. There are others which also provide a suitable grounding for life and work and which should be valued in the school curriculum. The new Progress 8 measure was a sensible way of balancing academic and non-academic subjects; we do not need yet another change.”

45

A LEGAL VIEW

NAHT SOLICITOR Simon Thomas answers your legal questions.

I have resigned and now changed my mind. Can I withdraw my resignation?

46

The answer normally is: only with the agreement of your employer. Generally, once given, a resignation either oral or written cannot be unilaterally withdrawn.

Neither is it generally necessary for the employer to have accepted the resignation before it becomes irrevocable.

Words of resignation must however be unambiguous. A statement of future intention to resign is not a resignation. In Ely v YKK Fasteners (UK) Ltd Mr Ely told his employer that he intended to take up a job offer abroad and would resign in due course. Later he changed his mind but the company had recruited a successor. His employer said his earlier statement was a resignation and that his employment was at an end. The Employment Appeal Tribunal decided this was a dismissal by the employer. However in another case according to the Court of Appeal ruled that the words “I am resigning” are not ambiguous. They are in the present tense and indicate a present intention of resigning. They have the same meaning as “I am resigning now” or “I resign”. The words do not naturally mean “I am going

to resign in the future”.

There are limited exceptions sometimes referred to as ‘special circumstances’ in which a resignation may be withdrawn.

‘Special circumstances’ include resignations in anger, in the heat of the moment, or under extreme pressure such as an employee being jostled into a decision by the employer. In such cases the employer should allow ‘a reasonable time period’ to ascertain whether the resignation was really intended.

Reasonable time period is not defined but it is likely to be short – minutes rather than days. In Ali v Birmingham City Council, Mr Ali handed a letter of resignation to his manager. He was offered a 20-minute ‘cooling-off’ period to reconsider his decision, extended by a further 10 minutes when he still appeared to be upset. Following this 30-minute period, he confirmed his wish to resign with immediate effect. Several days later, he attempted to rescind his resignation and his employer refused. He tried to bring a claim for unfair dismissal but was unsuccessful, with the Employment Tribunal holding that 30 minutes was sufficient.

The following are some examples from

cases of where ‘special circumstances’ may arise: • Resignation ‘in the heat of the moment’.

An employee may be able to withdraw a resignation given in the heat of the moment, particularly if the employee is ‘immature’, mentally disabled or emotionally disturbed and could not have been expected to have understood the full impact of the words he or she used • ‘Idle words’ have been used under emotional stress, which the employer knew or ought to have known were not meant to be taken seriously • In Millars of Falkirk Ltd v Chapman, Mr Chapman was under severe emotional strain and told his employers that he ‘felt like packing in his job’. His employers refused to allow him to return to work despite The Employment Appeal Tribunal concluding that he had no intention of resigning and those words used were not intended to create any such impression and that a reasonable employer would not have believed that he was giving his calm considered view • In Sovereign House Security Services Ltd v Savage a security guard who told his firm that ‘he was jacking in his job’ after being accused of dishonesty was held not to have resigned by the Court of Appeal. Here it was held that: ‘’where there may be something in the context of the exchange between the employee and employer or in the circumstance of the employee himself, the tribunal may conclude that, notwithstanding appearances, there was no real resignation despite what might appear at first sight.’’

However the ‘cooling off’ period does not apply to all resignations: only where ‘special circumstances’ exist and is only likely to apply to oral resignations.

I am off work on extended sick leave: what sick pay am I entitled to?

Statutory sick pay of £89.35 per week is payable by the employer for up to 28 weeks.

Entitlement to employer’s sick pay beyond that is determined by an employee’s contract of employment. The contracts of nearly all teachers in the maintained sector incorporate The Conditions of Service for School Teachers in England and Wales (aka the Burgundy Book). Entitlement increases with service until, after four years, it is 100 working days of full pay and 100 working days of half pay. This broadly equates to six months’ full and six months’ half pay.

Where the absence arises from ‘accidents, injury or assaults at work’ then, subject to certain conditions, there

is an additional entitlement to six months’ full pay before the above entitlement commences. Some employers have disputed that ‘accidents, injury or assaults at work’ includes absences with stress-related illness. We have successfully claimed the additional six months for several members and it is now widely (though not universally) accepted that absences with stress-related illness is covered.

The Burgundy Book may be incorporated in the contracts of teachers in academies either as a result of a TUPE transfer where a maintained school converts to an academy or the academy may incorporate the Burgundy Book into the contracts of its teaching staff.

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REGIONAL REVIEW

Gettiing Organ nise ed

in Cumbria 48

For this issue of Leadership Focus, we’re taking a look at one of NAHT’s mostt active branches in the North of England, Cum mbria.

et in one of the most rural areas of the UK, Cumbria certainly has its challenges in terms of bringing members together, but this hasn’t stopped the branch taking on the big issues of the day and holding its elected representatives to account on the things that matter most to members and parents alike.

Cumbria’s success, like so many NAHT branches, relies on a core of dedicated local school leaders who have their finger on the pulse and who know their members and what they care about. Branch secretary Graham Frost works with members to build a mandate for campaigning by ensuring everyone is kept in touch with and ensuring everyone is kept informed.

He told Leadership Links: “Cumbria is spread across a large geographical area with mountains in the middle, which presents particular challenges for holding meetings in a central location. We have made the lobbying of MPs across the county a local priority campaign. Seeking to hold head teacher meetings and briefings with MPs in each constituency

S

has helped us extend our reach, and reinforced NAHT Cumbria’s stand ding as a countywide organ nisation, as well as opening up op pportunities to engage in discu ussions at a national level.”

Thiis makes a real difference and has cemented NAHT’s position as the e voice of school leaders in the e county. In the run up to the General Election, the branch worke ed with the local press in the countty to ensure every candidate in eve ery constituency had to come e out publicly in support of the NAHT’s Schools Funding paign, putting NAHT’s camp prioriities at the top of prospective politic cians’ manifesto promises.

However, with so much going on in education it’s sometimes easy for local issues to get lost, but not in Cumbria where excellent organisation of the branch means it is well placed to challenge the local authority and regional schools commissioner on issues which really matter.

Graham explained: “In Cumbria we have a relatively small number of special school places, which has required us to become highly

Facing page,, clockwise: Marching in Penrith, publiic meeting on school fundin ng, Graham Frostt speaking at an event, and La abour parliamentary y candidate Gilllian Troughton signing pledg ge

effective at managing inclusion within mainstream settings over the years. This factor, combined with the requirement to fund the first 11 hours of an Educational Health Care Plan, and the higher than average number of small schools in Cumbria, results in schools periodically facing severe pressure, both operationally and financially. If the National Funding Formula is introduced, we will be looking very closely at the implications of the High Needs Funding Formula for our schools.”

There’s no doubt that there are many challenges ahead for school

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

49

leaders across the country. It is therefore imperative that school leaders work together to ensure the best deal for the children we all serve.

Graham sums up how this can work: “Too often we allow fear or apprehension to determine our response to the half-baked policies and whims of politicians, and we simply do as we are told, much to the detriment of our pupils’ best interests. Head teachers are well placed to speak out with calm, clear and dignified authority on behalf of our pupils. To speak out is empowering, and when

we speak out together we can really make a difference.”

NAHT’s commitment to getting organised is seeing real and positive results in branches up and down the country and, where we are organised, the policy makers have to listen and act upon our concerns.

Whether it’s funding or assessment, selection or accountability we can get a better deal if we get together.

It doesn’t take a lot but it does need people to get involved. To find out more about playing your part in building a better system contact organising@naht.org.uk.

‘Too often we allow fear or apprehension to determine our response to the half-baked policies and whims of politicians, and we simply do as we are told, much to the detriment of our pupils’ best interests.

Head teachers are well placed to speak out with calm, clear and dignified authority on behalf of our pupils. To speak out is empowering, and when we speak out together we can really make a difference’.

POLICY

Northern Ireland – policy update orthern Ireland is experiencing a highly challenging educational climate, with budget cuts, industrial action and political stalemate.

Amidst such pressure, our members have continued to ensure that all children in Northern Ireland receive a world-class education. NAHT(NI) has undertaken significant work in recent months to negotiate for a better inspection system. We continue to negotiate with the employers for reasonable workload for school leaders and, looking to the upcoming Assembly elections, we are developing a campaign around fairer funding for schools.

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the 1 Reforming inspection system

Over the past year, school leaders have been faced with an evermore burdensome inspection system. The absence of a resolution to a long-term industrial dispute between the four other teaching unions and the employers has left many NAHT(NI) members under increasing pressure. Despite tireless efforts to compel the employers to adhere to their duty of care, the lack of progress led our Regional Executive Committee to inform the employers in

March 2017 that we are now in a trade dispute. We carried out a consultative ballot with members and we have engaged in a series of talks with the employers, the permanent secretary and the ETI. This work has led to some notable progress, including an agreement with ETI that enables NAHT(NI) members to participate in inspection at the level that best meets the needs of their school. We will continue to monitor the progress of this agreement and we have launched our ‘inspection watch’ survey so members can provide us with direct feedback (www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/NAHTNIInspectionwatch).

As well as addressing immediate pressures, the ETI has also committed to the establishment of a school leaders forum which will work together with the ETI to create a fit-for-purpose partnership around inspection for the long term.

2 Addressing workload

NAHT(NI) is very aware that while there has been a decline in school budgets and support services, there has been a significant rise in the workload of school leaders.

NAHT(NI) has been working hard to support teachers and school leaders by urging the employers to take an active role in managing the difficulties school leaders are facing in terms of increased workload due to lawful industrial action of some colleagues.

We will be continuing a series of engagement meetings with EA, CCMS, DE, ETI and GBA to scope out the workload issues for school leaders. We are launching a workload survey to help us clarify the issues that matter most to our members. Following discussions with

our sector committees, the areas that seem to be the cause of most concern include SEN, ETI, bureaucracy and HR.

funding for 3 Fairer every child

Looking to upcoming work, an everlooming concern is the uncertainty around the education budget. It is clear that there is a shortfall in overall education spending in Northern Ireland.

NAHT(NI) asserts that it is unacceptable that only 59% of the education budget goes directly to schools. We believe that the amount of money available to educate our children is inadequate and that the incoming Government must address this as a matter of urgency.

Our three priorities for the coming Assembly election campaign are firstly to put more money into the education budget, secondly to give schools control over a greater share of the budget, and thirdly to revise the basic amount given to every child age-weighted pupil units (AWPU) to sustain the real costs of a child’s education.

We are carrying out a survey of school budgets looking at the shortfall in 2017/18 against what was expected. We have asked members to help build the picture of what real costs there are in our schools, thereby enabling us to calculate a basic amount that should be made available to every school for every child. This information will be used to seek the fair and equitable funding of each child’s education.

We would wish to urge all NAHT (NI) members to get involved with lobbying their local Assembly candidates. With the support of other union colleagues, parents and governors, DE, EA and all the political parties, we hope to ensure fairer funding for all.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

Wales – policy y update n 2017, school leaders in Wales continue to face a level of education reform not seen in the Principality for well over 70 years.

Almost every major policy area impacting upon sch hoolls is afffectted d, incllud ding:

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• Curriculum and assessment (Professor Graham Donaldson’s ‘Successful Futures’)

• New Wales-based qualifications - GCSE and A-levels • Accountability changes – New Estyn Inspection framework and changed school performance measures • Changes to Initial Teacher Education (Professor John Furlong’s ‘Teaching Tomorrow’s Teachers’) • Professional Learning – including establishing a new National Academy for Educational Leadership • Developing new professional teaching standards (Professor Mick Waters) • Devolution of Teachers’ Pay and Conditions • Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill.

However, the main focus for nearly all leaders in schools is exactly the same as for those in England, Northern Ireland and probably elsewhere – funding!

Context

• Welsh Government Education Budget £1.6 billion in 2017-18 from £1.75 billion in 2016-17* • Local authority gross schools expenditure £2.519 billion (2016-17) funding delegated to schools £2.123 billion (LA delegation varies between 78% and 88%)** • Total pupils in maintained schools 466,555 – 851 increase since January 2015*** • 7.6% pupils in infant classes of over 30 – year-on-year up from 6.6% in 2013*** • 275 fewer full-time equivalent teachers***

• Wales Audit Office report - total reserves held 22 Welsh local authorities rose by nearly a third - £780 0m 2009 to over £1 billion 2014.****

What now?

The 2017-118 bud dgett setttlementt for locall authorities proved to be very challenging and impacted upon many schools, but apparently it was not quite as bad as initially feared by the council leaders.

Next year, however, is expected to be a much harsher settlement – some councils describing it as a funding ‘Armageddon’.

Twenty-two local authorities having 22 different funding formulae with very few common features simply creates confusion. Add in the layer of resource now used by the Regional Consortia and it is almost impossible to see what happens to funding originally from Westminster via the journey through Welsh Government, local authority (including Regional Consortia) before it actually arrives in schools.

Age-weighted pupil units (AWPU) are one of the only comparable common features of current budget formulae across Wales.

NAHT Cymru’s own figures collected from all 22 local authorities for 2016-2017 show: • Year 2 pupils – highest AWPU in Conwy at £2,813 and lowest in Cardiff at £1,856 = difference of £957 per pupil

• Year 6 pupils – highest AWPU in Gwynedd at £2,635 and lowest in Denbigh at £1,731= difference of £904 per pupil • Year 11 pupils – highest AWPU in Wrexham at £4,196 and lowest in Ceredigion at £3,015 = difference of £1,181

There is gre eat ambition in the Welsh education sector and many of the polliciies, in principle, are on th he right track. Howe ever, schools are un nable to deliver them m effectively witho out adequate resourciing and d for a sch hooll lead der, nott being able to deliver for their pupils is simply unacceptable. Wales has a legacy of good ideas, poorly implemented, and many of the reforms currently under way will once again be at risk of not achieving their intended aims if resources are not made directly available to schools.

NAHT Cymru’s policy position is clear – school-level funding should be sufficient, equitable and transparent.

In terms of AWPU, we see little justification in a system that allows a seven-year-old child to bring more funding into a school in Conwy than into a school in Cardiff. We understand the need for local decision making concerning areas such as school transport, but parents will have a right to expect that their child carries equal value in any school in Wales irrespective of the postcode.

We believe now is the time for an open and honest debate about a fairer school funding formula in Wales.

REFERENCES:

* ’Taking Wales Forward – Budget at a Glance’ – Budget 2017-2018 – Welsh Government (20 December 2016)

** ’Local authority budgeted expenditure on schools: 2016-17’ – Knowledge and Analytical Services Welsh Government (7 July 2016) *** School Census Results, 2016 – First Release – Knowledge and Analytical Services Welsh Government (27 July 2016) **** Financial resilience of local authorities in Wales 2015-16 – Wales Audit Office (18 August 2016).

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

Silence Speaks How THE MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE ASSOCIATION (MND) is raising awareness of the barriers to communication so often faced by those with illness and disabilities. t this year’s Annual Conference in Telford, NAHT’s charity partner – the MND Association – took the opportunity to publicise one of its key campaigns to a vast audience of school leaders. The charity’s flagship ‘Silence Speaks’ event takes place this October, but the campaign is also an ongoing project of awareness-raising, explains Oli Hiscoe, community manager at MND Association.

“Silence Speaks is a twist on the oldfashioned sponsored silence,” he says.

“As many people with MND can have speech problems in the early stages, Silence Speaks is an awareness-raising and fundraising event focused around alternatives to speaking.”

He says that in schools this can take the form of miming in drama lessons, using technology in an ICT class to work out innovative ways

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to communicate or, as played out at the Annual Conference, a silent ‘whiteboard debate’.

The exercise, hosted by Oli, focused on a discussion around nonverbal teaching using laminates and dry-wipe markers. “It was a chance to experience and explore alternative ways of communicating without voice. The exercise was both fun and informative, and generated some silly answers, as well as plenty of serious ones,” says Oli. Our colleague at NAHT, Colm Davis, who is on the National Executive of NAHT (NI), was diagnosed with MND last year and, having spent many years as head teacher of a special school (Tor Bank in Belfast), sees the value in exercises that help others understand the frustrations of limited communication. “I believe that learning through silence can easily be incorporated into many lessons

JUSTGIVING

NAHT will be supporting the MND Association for 2017/18. If you would like to make a donation, please visit our JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Colm-Davis.

Above: Oli Hiscoe of MND Association Below: Delegates on the day had the chance to explore communicating without voice

FIND OUT MORE ...

To find out more about Silence Speaks visit www.mnd association.org/ get-involved/ fundraising/ doyourownthing/ silence-speaks/

within the curriculum,” says Colm.

“Encouraging delegates at the NAHT Annual Conference to think and use alternative means of communication raised awareness among them delegates of how difficult it is for a non-verbal, disabled person to communicate.”

He adds: “In my discussions with delegates afterwards many expressed that children in schools have the capacity to pick up alternative methods of communication much more easily than adults but, at times, are not given enough opportunities to practise these skills. I believe that children should be given opportunities to practise non-verbal communication throughout their curriculum. Team or individual games such as Pictionary and silent snap, or games involving silent spelling are a brilliant way of challenging children to express themselves in a meaningful way that is fun.

“A sponsored silence during a lesson or activity for a designated period challenges them to think outside their comfort zone and helps them to realise the value and importance of using non-verbal communication gestures in a positive way. On the MND Association website there are other activities schools can use to reinforce the use and value of using silence in the curriculum.”

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AHOEC 54

Brilliant residentials

Learning Away â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an action research programme spanning ďŹ ve years - has gathered overwhelming evidence about the numerous positive impacts a school trip with an overnight stay can have on the whole school community writes LOUISE EDWARDS.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

Below: Crabtree Primary School, Bulwell, Nottingham, on its ‘walled garden camping’ Brilliant Residential at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham.

Above: Hanover Primary School, Islington, on its ‘back to basics’ Brilliant Residential in Epping Forest Below: Thomas Tallis High School, London, on its ‘Business apprentice’ Brilliant Residential in London

hrough its action research with 60 schools across the UK, Learning Away has developed 10 guiding principles which can transform school residentials into ‘Brilliant Residentials’.

These principles include: residentials being led by teachers; co-designed with students; fully integrated into the curriculum; and affordable for all.

If delivered in this way, the evidence shows that residentials can have a transformative impact on everyone involved, improving students’ resilience, achievement, relationships and engagement with learning.

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Linda Abbott, Manager of Bulwell EAZ, representing seven schools in north Nottingham, commented:

“Learning Away has helped us to develop low-cost residential opportunities. These are easier to sustain in the long term and are more affordable for our families. The free resources developed through the Learning Away programme will help other heads make sure that the money invested in residentials achieves the best possible benefits for all students and teachers involved.”

The Learning Away website provides all the evidence schools need to ‘make the case’ for residential experiences, as well as a series of practical free resources and over 100 good-practice case studies to plan and develop highquality ‘Brilliant Residentials’.

FIND OUT MORE…

Join the campaign to provide more #BrilliantResidentials and find out about becoming a Champion School at www.learningaway.org.uk

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 56

Dates and locations for the Half Day Briefings

Half Day Briefings on Assessment and Funding

10 October | Birmingham 13 October | Tiverton 17 October | London 20 October | York

Update your knowledge at NAHT’s special briefings this October AHT is holding a series of Half Day Briefings around the country this October to provide school leaders with full updates on the latest developments in both assessment and school funding, with discounted prices for members.

Our understanding is that due to workload and time pressures for senior leaders, gaining updates of this kind in shorter half day sessions is sometimes preferable to longer events. We are pleased to offer these events in several regional locations, giving access to members and non-members in the South West and North of England, as well as London and Birmingham. Pricing has been structured to ensure excellent value for money.

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Morning session

Primary Assessment: Where are we now and where next?

Appropriate for: School leaders in NAHT and Edge working in primary schools (England) The morning session (10am to 12pm), led by NAHT senior policy advisor, Sarah Hannafin, will provide a full update on the work NAHT has carried out to influence the system of primary assessment following the significant changes that have been introduced.

The aim is to inform delegates of the Department for Education’s expected plans to change and improve primary assessment, taking into account the stance of a new government.

Sarah will explain the proposals contained in the government’s consultation on primary assessment, exploring what is likely to change as a result.

Afternoon session

School Funding: The national funding formula and the government’s plans for encouraging financial efficiencies Appropriate for: Head Teachers and School Business Managers in all schools (England) The afternoon session (1pm to 3pm), led by NAHT head of policy, Valentine Mulholland, will cover the development of the national funding formula and the formula for allocating high needs funding, looking at the government’s plans for encouraging financial efficiencies.

As the results of the second stage consultation on these funding formulae will have been published, this session will allow delegates to understand the final proposals, in light of the new government policy on funding.

To find out more visit www.naht.org.uk/welcome/naht-events/conferences/naht-half-day-briefings-2017/

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

OPINION

RUSSELL HOBBY: General secretary

Survive and thrive t has been an honour to work alongside NAHT officials and staff to serve our 29,000 members in these last seven years. Tumultuous and challenging years, but NAHT is stronger and larger, better organised and better known, more ambitious and more effective than ever. I also know that whatever the system throws at them, school leaders will continue to make sure that the children and young people in our schools are able to achieve their full potential.

With the privilege of working alongside and representing some of the most talented leaders in the country, I have drawn four lessons for surviving and thriving in these challenging times.

The first is to practise the art of strategic procrastination. We don’t have to be too quick to do the government’s dirty work. Rather than jumping straight into a new initiative, wait and see if it is going to survive; many policies don’t seem to last long before they are torn up and replaced. Don’t second guess the government – steer your school by your vision and values, not by what others expect.

The second lesson is to set a high bar for entry to new ideas.

We should be open to learning from others, but there are many fads and myths in circulation. We are all searching for the big idea that will transform standards.

But the only secret of school improvement is that there are no secrets. It is incredibly hard work, but it is all about great teaching and great leadership. It is far better to do a few things consistently well over a long period, getting a

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little bit better all the time than to chop and change searching for the breakthrough. You have worked hard to make your school a precious place; be careful what you let in to disturb that. You will let new ideas in, but they will meet a very high standard of evidence.

The third lesson is to keep a hold of your sense of perspective.

Under the pressure of demands, decisions, threats and crisis in a senior role, it is all too easy to lose this perspective, and good judgement is often lost shortly after. Make time for yourself and your interests outside school.

Problems that loomed large, one day may seem less significant, or may seem solvable the next. It may be one of the best jobs in the world, but it is still a job and you owe it to your pupils to protect your energy and your judgement.

The fourth and final lesson is to relax into your own skin. There is no one type of personality that

Above: Russell Hobby

There is no one type of personality that makes a great leader. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; situations where we shine and situations where we struggle

makes a great leader. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; situations where we shine and situations where we struggle.

It is far better to be yourself at your best than a mediocre imitation of someone else. Figure out who you are, figure out how that fits in to the needs of your role, and build structures and support to help you in situations where your natural instincts may not be the correct ones.

With these four tips, you may be able to sail more serenely through the turbulence that comes with any senior role. It wouldn’t be important if it wasn’t demanding.

Perhaps government policy may enter a new phase; there are some encouraging glimmers on the horizon, but whatever the external situation, if school leaders continue to take responsibility for each other and to take back ownership of standards, they will retain control of their professional destiny. And they will deserve that control.

NAHT now enters a new phase in support of that destiny.

You have a superb new general secretary waiting to take the helm.

He has worked with you and for you for many years on the front line of protecting leaders. He will help the Association adapt itself to the new challenges ahead. Best wishes to you all.

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TOP 5 ADVICE TOPICS

Summer 2017’s

top 5 advice resources We know how important it is for school leaders to stay up-to-date and be prepared for the most challenging and unexpected situations, which is why we provide our members with free practical advice every week. This term, our team of specialist advisors has created a variety of advice documents to support school leaders with the challenges they face in their schools.

New 2017 coasting calculators

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Do you know what your school can and can’t charge for?

The NAHT Primary and Secondary Coasting Calculators have been updated with the latest data. The calculators allow you to check if your school has met the standard for the last two years, or if it’s at risk of being categorised as coasting in 2017.

At present there is a great deal of pressure on school funding and budgets. It is therefore a good opportunity to review your arrangements for charging for school activities.

A brief guide to polling stations How to deal with bomb threats and hoaxes in schools

Bomb threats and hoaxes are particularly difficult for school leaders to deal with and, while such incidents are rare, they do happen and can be hugely disruptive. Our guidance sets out a summary of the actions schools should take if they receive a bomb threat or hoax.

Recorded conversations

This guidance supports good practice around the management and handling of requests from both staff and parents to record conversations in school. Our advice covers the legality around recorded conversations and their subsequent uses.

In the run up to the General Election, many schools were designated as polling stations.

There were a number of issues schools needed to consider, including closing the school, or parts of it, and ensuring that parents had been notified accordingly.

NAHT members can find all of these advice documents in the advice area on our website at www.naht.org.uk/advice NAHT Edge members also have access to a library of advice for school leaders: www.nahtedge.org.uk/helpandadvice.

To keep up to date with the latest advice as it’s released, look out for our newsletters where we announce a new piece of advice each week. Advice is also shared on Twitter via @NAHTnews and @NAHTEdge.

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Autumn 2017 courses and conferences NAHT ’S professional development offer has been designed to meet the needs of school leaders across all phases. Throughout autumn 2017 we’ll be running the following events, to give you more of the skills needed to thrive in your role. Cut out and keep this page of upcoming dates to help you and your colleagues plan your autumn CPD.

Read more and book at www.naht.org.uk/ welcome/ naht-events/.

COURSES 60

● Exploring academy status 14/09/2017 London ● Pupil premium: making and costing the case 19/09/2017 London ● Being inspection ready: understanding, preparing and managing 21/09/2017 Birmingham ● Appraisal training for new appraisers 21/09/2017 London ● Benchmarking: an important starting point for school efficiency 26/09/2017 Manchester ● Assessing pupil progress for those working below the standard of national assessments: Life beyond the Rochford Review 28/09/2017 London ● Appraisal and difficult conversations 28/09/2017 London ● Early Years Conference 2017 – Celebrating and sharing the principles of high quality early years provision 06/10/2017 Birmingham ● Half-day briefing – Primary assessment (AM) – School funding (PM) 10/10/2017 Birmingham ● School financial health and efficiency 11/10/2017 London ● Moving towards joining or forming a multi-academy trust 12/10/2017 Manchester

● HR essentials for the school leader 12/10/2017 Birmingham

● Leading effective assessment in your school 02/11/2017 Manchester

● Half-day briefing – Primary assessment (AM) – School funding (PM) 17/10/2017 London

● Securing long-term financial viability for your school 08/11/2017 London

● Leading effective assessment in your school 18/10/2017 London

● Decoding mental health: promoting emotional wellbeing 09/11/2017 Birmingham

● Exploring academy status 18/10/2017 Leeds ● Assessment in practice 18/10/2017 London ● Child development in the early years 20/10/2017 Birmingham ● Half-day briefing – Primary assessment (AM) – School funding (PM) 20/10/2017 York ● Half-day briefing – Primary assessment (AM) – School funding (PM) 31/10/2017 Tiverton

● Retirement or working longer: present and future options 16/11/2017 London ● Leading school safeguarding 23/11/2017 London ● Retirement or working longer: present and future options 23/11/2017 Leeds ● Primary Conference 2017 – Leading for excellence in changing times (doing more with less) 24/11/2017 Birmingham ● Strategic leadership of SEND 30/11/2017 London

LEADERSHIP FOCUS | JULY 2017

Learning for leaders Two brand new NAHT conferences this autumn are tailored for school leadership teams in the primary and early years phases.

Primary Conference 2017 AHT’s inaugural Primary Conference will be taking place on 24 November 2017 in Birmingham, and it’s expected to be a sell-out event. The theme is ‘Leading for excellence in changing times (doing more with less)’, and the main objective is to get straight to the heart of issues affecting primary school leadership teams today – not least funding, and assessment.

To inspire and enlighten delegates, NAHT has secured a fantastic line up of speakers and designed seven practical workshops. We’re excited to be joined by much-loved children’s author Michael Rosen, and learning-with-laughter enthusiast Dave Keeling. NAHT’s deputy general secretary Nick Brook will be also speaking, giving the NAHT view on leading primary issues of the day.

On assessment, Daisy Christodoulou, the new director of education at No More Marking will be running a workshop

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about comparative judgement, looking into how it differs from traditional marking and how it can be used to reduce workload and improve consistency in the teaching of primary writing. With a focus on funding, Larraine Cooper’s workshop on ‘Making your money work through strategic planning and prioritisation’ will be invaluable in the current climate.

Further workshops cover CPD subjects that are of particular interest to school leaders in the primary phase, according to feedback from our member surveys. These include ‘Tackling teacher workload’, ‘Emotional health and wellbeing: a whole-school approach’, and ‘Future-proofing your team’.

Whether you are a senior leader, deputy or assistant head, school business manager, or head of a year group or subject – if you work in the primary sector, then this conference is a must-attend event.

Early Years Conference 2017 This autumn sees the first ever NAHT Early Years Conference. The one-day event (Friday 6 October) will be held in Birmingham, with a focus on ’Celebrating and sharing the principles of high-quality early years provision’.

Delegates will choose three workshop options from a range including: ‘Why it’s OK for children to fall out of trees’; ‘Better together: A practical and reflective exploration of effective partnership working with parents’; and ‘No more pretend thinking!

Cognitive challenge in the early years’.

Judy Shaw, chair of NAHT’s National Executive Early Years Sector Council, says: “Those of us working in the early years, leading in schools and Early Years settings, play a crucial role in the lives of our children and families. Simply put, we lay the foundations of learning to come. We set the tone. Sometimes I think our sector can be overlooked and our voices are not heard loudly enough. Let’s come together to establish and strengthen our principles. Let’s share and celebrate our work. It’s time to shout about the early years!”

NAHT has listened to members and invited keynote speakers and experts to lead workshops around current thinking and evidence-based research, new initiatives, inspection and accountability and early years’ pedagogy and practice.

AT THE PRIMARY CONFERENCE 2017 CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

• Michael Rosen, poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter • Dave Keeling, associate of Independent Thinking Ltd. • Nick Brook, deputy general secretary, NAHT.

DON’T MISS OUT! Tickets are being snapped up for both events so be sure to book soon and secure your place. Visit www.naht.org.uk/ welcome/naht-events/conferences.

AT THE EARLY YEARS CONFERENCE 2017 CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE: • Sue Robb OBE, head of early years, Action for Children • Gill Jones, HMI, deputy director, Ofsted, Early Education • Professor Kathy Sylva, honorary research fellow and professor of educational psychology, University of Oxford.

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THE FINAL WORD

SUSAN YOUNG: Education columnist

A drive to nurture

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I feel passionately about nurturing people,” says Ava Sturridge-Packer. “That’s the biggest buzz for me: seeing adults and children succeed. That’s the best thing ever, feeling you’ve been part of their journey.”

Ava’s drive to nurture comes partly from her own journey, which she cheerfully describes as ‘interesting’.

Trained as a secondary French teacher, she made her career in primary teaching and was awarded the CBE after steering her school out of special measures shortly after her appointment 21 years ago.

As a black head teacher in an ethnically diverse city, Ava has learned to deal with racism, and is passionate about supporting staff from every background.

Much of Ava’s approach to leadership and the nurturing of talent emerged from her experiences, both good and bad. There was the school where she waited for an hour to be interviewed. “Then someone came out and said ‘there’s a mistake, you’re not having an interview today, the head teacher thought you were a practising Catholic.’ I’d made it clear that I wasn’t. I knew what it was about: I didn’t look or sound like the head teacher expected me to, so I was quite upset.”

Next time she was called for interview, she told the head teacher she was black. “He laughed and made a joke. It made me very comfortable when I arrived in that school, I worked there with a head teacher who made me feel valued, and I got promoted after a few years. That was the beginning of my career.”

That leader had a double impact, later bringing Ava back from another school in a senior role. “He was a super head teacher who really nurtured his staff, made you feel valued and gave you confidence. He always saw people as individuals.

Whether you were a caretaker or on the SLT you were treated with the same respect and dignity; he was a really good role model and I adopted his approach.”

Other experiences also left their mark. “Early on my journey to headship I had some really challenging situations to deal with, which perhaps helped me be more resilient and to accept that within education and society there is racism and it was about managing my place in that system rather than trying to pretend it didn’t exist or being aggressive about it,” says Ava, recalling parents who questioned whether she was qualified, and the school nurse who assumed she was a teaching assistant.

She talks, too, of wider positives, recalling “a really happy time” in one school after an initial baptism of fire. “I say now it’s one of my most significant roles. I like to think parents became more open minded and the stereotypes were broken down for children because of seeing someone who didn’t fit those stereotypes.”

After many rejections, her headship opportunity came at St Mary’s C of E Primary, a multi-racial, multicultural school in Handsworth where she initially prioritised children’s needs, then standards, and escaped special measures.

These days, the ethos includes ensuring the staffing profile reflects that of the pupils: it’s not about compromising standards but identifying talent and giving opportunities. Three out of four of the current senior leadership team were St Mary’s NQTs, and parents have trained as teaching assistants and teachers.

“The best feeling is when a mother

Above: Susan Young

“The best feeling is when a mother comes to you and says she’s halfway through a degree and would like to be a teacher.

comes to you and says she’s halfway through a degree and would like to be a teacher – and she goes on to be promoted in other contexts.”

What does she say to ambitious, young, minority ethnic professionals?

“You’ve got to believe in yourself, keep trying, choose jobs and catchment areas carefully and have people around you who nurture confidence and keep you motivated.

Do a SWOT analysis of your personal skills, and practise interview technique. Sometimes assertiveness can be described as being argumentative in a black person, so be mindful of the emotional and cultural intelligence of some people in interview contexts.”

She adds: “My personal belief is that it’s challenging to get through to leadership anyway, and challenging plus if you’re from a minority group. There is that pressure of demonstrating that we are good at our jobs if we are black or Asian and, because there are so few of us, people make assumptions. We need to keep talking about it, and be open and honest.”

On the cusp of early retirement, she is still surprised by how far diversity has to go, mentioning the startling fact that the number of black and Asian head teachers in Birmingham’s 300-plus schools has remained pretty constant throughout her career. She counts African Caribbean head teachers on her fingers. “There are six in the whole

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Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). Corsa Limited Edition 1.4i 75PS ecoFLEX, 3-Door: Urban 41.5 (6.8), Extra-urban 65.7 (4.3), Combined 54.3 (5.2). CO2 emissions: 120g/km.# For Partners Terms and Conditions go to www.partnersprogramme.co.uk/terms-and-conditions. 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot requires contract with nominated mobile network operator and active OnStar account. Charges apply after trial period which lasts for 3 months or 3GB, whichever comes first. 4G subject to network coverage and availability. Terms and conditions apply. The OnStar subscription packages could be different from the services included in the free trial package. For details see www.vauxhall.co.uk/onstar. #Fuel consumption information is official government environmental data, tested in accordance with the relevant EU directive. Official EU-regulated test data is provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. General Motors UK Limited t/a Vauxhall Motors reserves the right to change, amend or withdraw this offer at any point in time. Correct at time of going to print 20/06/2017.