Lead Spring 2019

School diversity Creating a safe learning environment for all. See page 20.

Final word Ofsted’s new inspection framework. See page 22.

NEU Leadership

The magazine for NEU Leadership members

Spring 2019

Linda Emmett

How ethical leadership fixed a broken school See page 10

Interview

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Welcome

Lead.

Spring 2019

Linda Emmett, All Saints Catholic School, Tameside. Photo: Kois Miah NEU joint presidents: Kim Knappett & Kiri Tunks NEU joint general secretaries: Mary Bousted & Kevin Courtney Editor: Sally Gillen Administration: Sarah Thompson

SUPPORT is the theme of this first issue of Lead, the union’s magazine for leaders.

Head teacher Linda Emmett found it was in short supply when she took on a school with long-standing problems (page 10). There were plenty of people “rolling up their sleeves to have a dig at us,” she recalls, but no help was offered. Sound familiar?

In the end it was the support she generated from within the school, by trusting and investing in her staff, as well as by getting the parents on board, which made the difference. Together they transformed the school.

The united efforts of leaders, staff, unions and parents are also powering the campaign on school funding. Not so long ago, it was rare for education leaders to speak out. Now you are at the heart of the campaign (page 4), the constant reply to Schools Minister Nick Gibb’s repeated claim that schools have more cash than ever before.

Support, as we know, has the power to make or break. When it goes, the consequences can be devastating. A member who lost the 27-year career she loved because she was left unprotected by the system tells her story (page 16).

Remember: the union is here to help.

Students, as well as staff, also need support, of course. Member and assistant head Faheem Khan offers a masterclass on making sure your LGBT students feel safe so they can succeed (page 20).

There’s plenty more besides in this edition, including a piece on the draft Ofsted framework, which, unsurprisingly, is causing serious concern within the profession. My colleague Mary Bousted has the final word on that (page 22).

I hope you enjoy the issue. If you’re going to the first NEU annual conference, I look forward to seeing you in Liverpool.

Kevin Courtney Joint general secretary National Education Union

neu.org.uk

Contents

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Published and printed on behalf of NEU by Century One Publishing, Alban Row, 27-31 Verulam Road, St Albans AL3 4DG Publisher: Sarah Simpson t: 01727 893 894 e: sarah@centuryone publishing.uk To advertise contact: Leanne Rowley t: 01727 739 183 e: leanne@centuryone publishing.uk Art editor: Heena Gudka Ad artwork coordinator: Caitlyn Hobbs

Features

Regulars

8

4

Ofsted framework

Will it take the focus off data?

10 How I...

Turned around a failing school

16 The Interview Except where the NEU has formally negotiated agreements with companies as part of its services to members, inclusion of an advertisement in Lead does not imply any form of recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, the NEU cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods or services offered. Lead is printed by Walstead.

Where was the support?

19 Campaigns

Join our rally on 22 June

Update

Funding cuts and new-style inspection

15 Leading question What should you do if you are finding it hard to cope at work?

22 Final word

OK, Ofsted, let me ask you – HOW?

20 Masterclass

Leading on LGBT lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

3

Update

MPs tell Government it must tackle the school funding “national emergency”

MP for Blaydon Liz Twist shows her support for the funding campaign

MPs have called on the Government to address the “national emergency” facing schools following year-on-year cuts during a three-hour Parliamentary debate.

Campaigning by three head teachers, whose petition calling for a funding boost has been signed by more than 112,000 people, forced MPs to discuss the issue.

Leading the debate, Liz Twist, Labour MP for Blaydon, said head teachers are being forced to make “impossible choices”.

A head teacher in her constituency told her: “I feel every cut I have to make – well concealed, painfully made, shamefully felt.”

“This is a national emergency,” said Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for

PHOTO by Rehan Jamil

East Worthing and Shoreham. “We need to have fair funding now; it is a false economy for our children if we do not.”

The failure to fund schools adequately has resulted in 5,400 fewer teachers and a loss of support staff. Arts and foreign languages are being removed from the curriculum and extracurricular activities cut.

Schools cannot afford basics, such as books and pens, while many school buildings are in a state of disrepair. Urgent asbestos surveys are not being carried out.

Ahead of the debate, which took place last month, the National Education Union (NEU) urged members to email their MP about their own experiences.

Mike Kane, Shadow Schools Minister, read some of these out: “It is shocking how much of our own salary is spent on classroom resources,” said one member, while another stated: “Schools are dirty because they cannot afford proper cleaning.”

NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “It is nothing short of scandalous that Government is refusing to recognise the impact a lack of funding is having on schools. Teachers, head teachers, support staff, parents and MPs on all sides of the house are not fooled or impressed by the mantra of those on Theresa May’s frontbench who insist there is no crisis.

The real losers here are our children and young people.”

In the debate, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said that an extra £1.3 billion had been invested in schools since 2018.

This was over and above what had been allocated in the spending review plans, he said.

However, Ms Twist responded: “The minister must know that those measures do not go anywhere near far enough to meet the real-term cuts that schools face year on year.”

MPs urged the Government to provide additional funding in the comprehensive spending review later in the year.

See page 19 for more on the National Education Union’s campaigns

More cash needed for Welsh schools NEU Cymru members spoke to assembly members about the impact of funding cuts on their schools at a drop-in session at the National Assembly for Wales.

The event, held in March and also attended by members of other education unions, is part of the campaign for more funding.

Wales secretary for NEU Cymru 4

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

David Evans said: “Our members are clear – more funding is needed to ensure that schools in Wales can provide the education for our learners that everyone wants.”

He added: “Education professionals are facing more pressure in terms of workload and expectations, without the funding needed. This can’t go on.”

PHOTO by Natasha Hirst

Update

Opposition to baseline assessment is growing THE campaign against baseline assessment is gathering pace.

A petition, started by campaign group More Than a Score, has been signed by over 60,000 people.

Kevin Courtney The petition calls on Schools Minister Nick Gibb to rethink his decision to introduce baseline assessment, which will be piloted later this year, and introduced in England from 2020.

Mr Gibb announced the requirement

in February, on the same day as research was published showing 74 per cent of leaders do not believe it is possible to reliably assess four-year-olds.

The National Education Union (NEU) will support primary school head teachers who decide not to take part in the pilot.

NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “Baseline assessment is a waste of teachers’ time and public money.”

He added that the Government should listen to what school leaders, teachers and education experts are saying, and stop thinking that the answer to problems of assessment is to introduce new tests.

reviewed, according to most senior leaders surveyed by YouGov. The poll of 200 leaders, commissioned by coalition group More Than a Score, found that 93 per cent believe there should be a review, while 87 per cent believe the Government does not listen to head teachers when it makes education policy.

Head teacher Andy Richbell said: “I should be held accountable for the taxpayers’ money I spend in each school, but testing each child isn’t an effective way of holding me to account.”

Year 6 SATs come in for heavy criticism, with 98 per cent of leaders

teachers, and 94 per cent on pupils.

The majority – 93 per cent – also believe that the pressure of tests narrows the year 6 curriculum, which becomes focused on English and maths.

Head teachers have shared their thoughts on SATs in a new video, describing the tests as “unrealistic”, and a source of “increased anxiety in schools”, with children a “failure” before they have reached secondary school.

New inspections will Heads hit out at high-pressure testing increase workload, warn members PRIMARY assessment should be saying they place too much pressure on

To hear what other school leaders are saying about the tests go to morethanascore.org.uk/ headteachers/

EIGHTY-SEVEN per cent of members say Ofsted’s plan to introduce new-style inspections in September will not give schools and colleges enough time to prepare. The union’s survey of more than 6,000 members on changes to the Ofsted inspection framework also found 87 per cent believe it will add to their workload, while 93 per cent say it will increase that of colleagues.

The union surveyed members to feed into Ofsted’s consultation on the inspection reform, which closed last week.

See feature page 8

Figures show 91 per cent schools have less money THE School Cuts coalition analysis of Government school funding figures shows a shortfall in funding of £5.4 billion over the past three years which has affected 91 per cent of schools.

The figure has been produced after

examining the schools’ block allocations (in 2018-19 this includes the Teacher Pay Grant), the pupil premium and sixth form funding. It also includes the Government’s figures for school costs – published for the first time – which are rising faster than

inflation. National Education Union joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “This is an intolerable situation. Children and young people are being short-changed by a Government that believes education can be run on a shoestring.” lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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Update

Academy chain proposal to scrap unfair PRP ONE of the biggest academy chains is proposing to ditch performancerelated pay (PRP) for its teachers.

E-ACT chief executive Patrick Murphy David Moran has written to staff at the chain’s 29 schools saying he plans to replace PRP with a “fairer pay policy”.

In the letter, he acknowledged PRP can exacerbate silo working, undermine the power of the team and add to workload.

“Fundamentally, the quality of teaching cannot be measured, quantified or ranked in the way PRP demands, which is why we have developed, with input from teachers, our own approach to teaching and learning,” he said.

He added: “I want to be in a position to recommend to trustees a fairer pay policy for all of our staff and an end to performance-related pay.”

Trustees may sign off the policy change at a board meeting in July.

Patrick Murphy, National Education Union (NEU) executive member responsible for negotiations with E-ACT, said: “Hopefully, this is the first small step towards the end of PRP in schools.”

“We put our arguments patiently but tenaciously over the years and now they are being heard,” he added. “We want to publicise this development as widely as possible and encourage others to abandon the damaging and wasteful process that is PRP.” Academies do have certain “freedoms” to depart from national directions, and the union would rather see them used in this way, he said.

NEU lead officer for health and safety Sarah Lyons told Lead: “Following long-standing pressure from the NEU, E-ACT’s chief executive has finally accepted the culture of its schools must change radically so it can recruit and retain the staff it needs.”

“The NEU welcomes this belated recognition that assessing teachers on a narrow set of data from a single year is both absurd and unfair,” she added.

Give your views on curriculum THE long-awaited Donaldson Curriculum in Wales will be published for consultation this month.

NEU Cymru has always supported the new curriculum in principle.

However, the union has said repeatedly that there must be sufficient funding and training for education professionals. We urge members to respond to the consultation.

The Welsh Government is also consulting on increasing the number of INSET days from five to six while the new curriculum comes in, which the union has been calling for, to ensure there is more time for training.

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lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

In the new curriculum, which will be introduced in 2022, there will be greater emphasis on ensuring children with additional learning needs can also access it.

The four purposes of the new curriculum will be to support children and young people in becoming: ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives; enterprising creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work; ethical, informed citizens of Wales in the world and healthy confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

COURSES

NEU Leadership

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The union’s one-day course will help you reflect on different leadership approaches and discover your voice as a leader, as well as understand the importance of creating an ethical workforce.

Moving into management THIS one-day workshop focuses on supporting and helping new or aspiring leaders to develop their understanding of leadership and management in education. It offers a practical and theoretical introduction to leadership and management, leading to improved learning and communication skills.

Outstanding teaching and learning THIS practical one-day course will address this area of crucial importance for all of those who occupy leadership or management roles: how to lead outstanding teaching and learning. The course will look at how to put student experience, development and progression at the heart of teaching in your school or college, and how to create a strong vision and climate of outstanding teaching.

It will also look at how to build and manage successful teams including developing colleagues and ensuring high standards and expectations for all.

For more details on all courses, including ways to book, go to neu.org.uk/learning

Update

TUC women’s conference debates

PHOTO by Janina Struk

AN 18-strong National Education Union (NEU) delegation at this year’s TUC women’s conference debated a wide range of issues including the menopause, child poverty and the gender pension gap.

Supporting women teachers during the menopause should be high on any school leader’s agenda, but often it isn’t.

That was the message delivered by one NEU speaker, Vale of Glamorgan branch and district secretary Mairead Canavan, who told the conference some women are forced to give up work because of their symptoms.

Workplace environments and practices can make them worse, she said.

Yet half of requests for adjustments, such as small fans, are turned down, despite costing little or nothing.

“We desperately need to normalise the menopause because women are now working longer because of raised pension ages, so have many more years to suffer through these symptoms,” said Mairead.

The motion called for three things: for the TUC to work with affiliates to ensure campaigning and bargaining for gender-sensitive occupational health policies remain a high priority for trade union activists; to continue to raise awareness of the impact of workplace stress and workload as symptomatic factors of the menopause; and to provide training and good practice guidance on securing appropriate workplace adjustments for women with menopausal symptoms.

Other NEU speakers at the event,

held in March, included Julia Neal, executive member and joint Devon district secretary. Julia spoke about the impact of Universal Credit on child poverty. It is a “degrading cruel system, full of flaws, not fit for purpose,” she said. “Members of my union see the impact of Universal Credit failure in their classrooms right across the country – and every single day. It is heartbreaking.

“Remember, child poverty is not a natural phenomenon. It is political, the product of choices and actions by Government – and Universal Credit is one of them,” she added, before urging delegates to support the motion demanding that the Government halts the national roll-out of the scheme.

Earlier, Julia spoke in support of a motion calling for the gender pension gap to be closed. “The pension pay gap is at 38 per cent,” said Julia. “The average pension was £16,093 for men and £12,675 for women in 2017/18.”

She added that women were especially vulnerable because of the Government’s austerity agenda.

Member Emma Parker moved the NEU’s motion on the impact of the SEND funding crisis on women.

It called for the TUC to work with affiliates to: survey members to assess the full effects of the SEND crisis on women; call on the Government to fund school and local authority SEND provision properly to enable every child and young person to achieve their full potential; and to campaign for the right to flexible working for all carers of disabled children.

Tell your MP about cuts at your college THE NEU has devised a survey for MPs to send out to college principals to gauge the impact of finance cuts.

Findings gathered by MPs can be used to lobby central Government for colleges, which have faced cuts of 30 per cent since 2010.

College staff have had their pay cut by 25 per cent since 2009.

Among the 13 questions included in the survey are whether staff have been denied a pay award because of funding cuts, and whether the college has approached charities for donations.

The union is urging members in colleges to complete the survey to help their local MP press the Government for a muchneeded funding boost for post-16 education.

Post-16 national official Norman Crowther urged members to complete the survey. He said: “The NEU is encouraging a real dialogue about resources and local need with the key people involved.

MPs need to fully understand how their colleges are faring, following years of austerity, and principals have a chance to supply that evidence.” lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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Feature

Will Ofsted dial back The new inspection framework will be published in the summer.

Sally Gillen spoke to some leaders to get their views on whether it will deliver what was promised.

IT should be an easy sell: less focus on data, more focus on the curriculum and the quality of education. Yet five months away from the launch, it is clear many leaders remain unconvinced by Ofsted’s new vision for inspection.

The tight timeline hasn’t helped. The National Education Union (NEU) has made clear since the new framework was announced in October that bringing in massive change in less than a year would be problematic for the profession.

Downplaying the scale of change Ofsted has brushed aside concerns that it will increase the workload for schools and colleges.

Its consultation on Education Framework 2019: Inspecting the Substance of Education, which closed last week, sought to downplay the scale of change, describing it as an “evolution”, when there is no getting away from the fact it looks more like a revolution.

Findings from the union’s survey of more than 6,000 members showed 85 per cent believe schools and colleges haven’t been given enough time to implement the new framework from September (see box).

Under the proposed changes curriculum will, apparently, be centre stage.

Inspectors will ask in-depth questions about the curriculum’s intent, implementation and impact.

“These three words are already causing a storm, with people writing intent statements for different subjects, and creating assessment grids for different subjects,” says Jon Le Fevre, head teacher of Pilgrims’ Cross Jon Le Fevre, head teacher

8

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

Church of England Primary School. “This is not what I believe is intended.”

Three words already causing a storm Robin Bevan, who leads Southend High School for Boys, describes the section on curriculum as probably the “craziest” part of the framework. “You have this enhanced emphasis on the curriculum and then a minimal set of case studies. From these you have Ofsted’s intent, implementation and impact model. There is no reference to what that looks like. It appears that Ofsted has visited 15 or so schools and decided it likes some things and not others. It’s very

“Sadly, with data still in the framework, schools will continue to focus on data outcomes.” thin, and to that extent irresponsible for a national inspection service to be saying 500,000 education professionals are going to be judged against this model.”

He adds: “The curriculum research evidence feels a bit like an A-level project and that’s probably unfair on some of my A-level students.” As someone who responded to the consultation, Robin says he found the process deeply frustrating.

He had plenty to say on the curriculum and other topics, but there was no space for him to give those views. “You couldn’t say what you wanted to say, and I’ve spoken to lots of other heads who feel the same,” he argues. “There was no facility to be critical of the EBacc, for example, and almost any secondary head will tell you

there is a preoccupation with the EBacc.”

He anticipates attention will need to be focused on preparing middle leaders for the new-style inspections. “We are confident that what we do is based on and aligned with our vision. However, there’s a risk that if the middle leaders don’t say ‘the right thing’ it could expose the school to a downgraded judgement.”

The 90-minute notice of a preinspection meeting, the day before an inspection starts, is, says Robin, “deeply arrogant of Ofsted,” adding: “It bothers me that they think they can phone at 11am, and that, as a head, I will have nothing else planned for the rest of the day, and that I, and the chair of governors, will be available.”

Jon agrees, saying the proposal is neither feasible nor respectful.

Data a double-edged sword The crunch point though is, of course, moving away from a data-driven system.

Internal data will no longer be looked at by inspectors, the rationale being that it will stop schools and colleges continually tracking, documenting and over preparing for inspection.

There is, however, a possibility that another problem arises, says Robin. “If you can’t use internal data to show you are making progress, and all you have are last year’s test results and a bit of a walk around the school, you’re really exposed.”

For Jon, the framework is a “step in the right direction,” but he adds: “Ofsted has said it will look at how schools prepare for the tests but it will not take SATs results out of the framework. All data sets – internal and external – should be removed. Sadly, with data still in the framework, schools will continue to focus on data outcomes.”

See final word on page 22.

A primary head involved in piloting the new inspection framework describes the experience

on data?

“It is a lot more intrusive to staff than the section 8 one-day inspection. The inspectors spent a bit of time with me, and then a lot of time with the subject leaders. That was quite difficult logistically because my maths and literacy subject leads were out for half a day.

The methodology and the questioning are far deeper. So, as teachers do, they gave the answers that they thought were correct, but then Ofsted delved a bit more, then a bit more, which made the teachers feel ‘well, what have I done wrong?’ They found it quite overwhelming on the first day.

Findings from the union’s survey

87% YES

Are you concerned the timescale will add to your own workload?

93% YES

Are you concerned the timescale will add to your colleagues’ workload?

Ofsted has produced a new framework for inspection that is focused on the curriculum offer made by schools/colleges/ sixth form colleges. Do you feel confident that inspectors will be able to meaningfully judge?

NO 65%

28%

38%

YES

NO UNSURE

YES 35%

34%

For school/ college/sixth form college leaders: do you feel confident that you can assess the quality of the curriculum offer in another school over the course of an inspection lasting two to three days?

It still felt like we were being done to We did speak to the inspectors and they changed their approach the next day.

The problem is that subject leaders don’t know how to talk to an Ofsted inspector – they aren’t used to it. So, the senior leadership needs to think about how they are going to train their middle leaders in particular, and how they are going to prepare them for the questions.

Ofsted has been saying inspection will be more of a professional discussion, but it still felt like we were being done to.

Yes, there is less focus on data because Ofsted isn’t interested in internal data, but that also means you can’t discuss any discrepancies. Ofsted admitted when we did the review at the end of the inspection that if your maths and English data is iffy their two deep dives will still be maths and English.

Inspectors weren’t interested Our school is in a very interesting area and our year cohorts are nothing like each other. Two years ago, 60 per cent of our year group had vulnerabilities including lots of problems. They came in significantly low, 35 per cent combined, but their progress was national average.

And they came in with three higher achievers from our feeder school. Last year’s year group was much more settled – under 30 per cent vulnerabilities but we had 21 per cent higher achieving children, so attainment was twice as good as the year before, and we were roughly 50 per cent combined – they still struggled with maths. But when we tried to explain that internal data would have clarified that context, the inspectors weren’t interested.

It’s a double-edged sword, data.

This current year 6 is probably the calmest, most settled we have had in 15 years. We only have eight higher achievers. We are probably going to be on track to get national average across the board and for progress as well, but Ofsted wasn’t really interested in our predictions.

You can’t not be interested in data but be interested in data. It’s got to be one or the other.”

Source: The National Education Union’s survey of more than 6,000 members March 2019

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terview How I...

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“You need to have a relentless focus on people, wellbeing and morale.�

When Linda Emmett became head teacher of All Saints Catholic College, it was at “rock bottom”, but she has turned it around by taking an ethical approach.

Everything we need is in this school.

Photos Kois Miah

Words Sally Gillen “THERE were plenty of people rolling up their sleeves to have a dig at us, but nobody offered to help.” Linda Emmett’s memory of taking over a failing school is a sad comment on the position a head can find themselves in when they take on one of the toughest challenges in education.

“There was just no money coming into the school. I had to find it all myself,” remembers Linda, who went on to secure £60,000 from the Talented Leaders programme which she spent on badly needed staff training. The programme is targeted at coastal schools, but Linda persuaded the grant givers to make an exception for her school so she could bring much-needed funds in for staff development.

All Saints Catholic College in Tameside, Greater Manchester, was “at rock bottom,” she says. “Staff told me behaviour was terrible, and they hadn’t had any training for quite some time. It was really difficult to listen to.

“They had got into the mindset that they were responsible for everything that had happened, and I said ‘no, you’re the solution.

Everything we need is in this school.’”

Staff had been ground down The fifth head to join the secondary school in as many years, when Linda arrived in September 2015, she found staff were “so willing” but had been ground down, and, while most students were desperate to learn, a behaviour problem had taken hold.

Five months in, the school was placed in special measures.

Fixing the “broken” school took time, but by July 2018 Ofsted graded it good. Its transformation is testament to the effectiveness of employing an ethical approach. At All Saints “the principles of ethical and sustainable leadership are paramount,” said Ofsted. “Ethical and sustainable leadership drive all aspects of school improvement. The headteacher and her senior leaders focus on building capacity at all levels.”

Linda’s leadership style, with its emphasis on the “we” rather than “I”, a focus on staff wellbeing, and crucially, her belief that the role of leaders is to be “in the service of staff,” incorporates many of the principles of servant leadership.

Union support phenomenal A philosophy based on listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualisation, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community, servant leadership was founded by American author Robert K. Greenleaf.

Personal clashes aren’t viewed as a source of concern at the school, but as a sign of a workplace culture where healthy professional challenge is expected. Two years ago, the senior leadership team (SLT) code of behaviour was introduced (see box on page 12), which is based on many of the principles of ethical leadership.

“To me, being an ethical leader is about being someone who leads by example, who is highly visible and supportive,” says Linda. “You need to have a relentless focus on people, wellbeing and morale. I don’t send emails. I walk round and speak to people, so I can find out how they are, and while I’m there talk to them about what I wanted to ask them. I engender that in my leaders and staff too.”

Transforming All Saints has been “exhausting” for everyone, Linda readily admits, adding: “The hardest thing about being a head is when you have 25 things happening at once seriously going wrong. It’s like being pelted with rocks.”

But there has been help along the way. “The support of the local union reps has been phenomenal,” says Linda, who meets them every half term for coffee to discuss any issues.

National Education Union (NEU) rep and teacher James Watson says: “One of the first things Linda did was to say: ‘Just come and speak to me please. My door is always open, come and speak to me.’ From her point of view, her job is to put solutions together.

“As staff, we began to be viewed as the solution, whereas previously we were seen as the problem,” he adds.

For her part, Linda says turning around a school takes time. “You really need to hold your nerve. It needs to be done slowly and cautiously, so you don’t end up with staff leaving after two years because they are exhausted.”

Linda describes how tackling three areas in particular helped drive improvements at the school. lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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How I...

1. Tackling behaviour Before Linda took up the post, she spent a month speaking to each member of staff who told her about the “terrible behaviour” at the school. “It had been blamed on their teaching but actually no matter what kind of lesson they planned, they couldn’t have taught it because behaviour was so bad. There would be disruption in lessons from pupils who weren’t even in the lessons. A member of staff would plan a great lesson, and then another student would burst into the room and disrupt it. Teachers lost heart.”

“As I see it, we are in service to the staff. We are there to help them.”

Poor behaviour was a problem Linda addressed personally, walking around the school several times a day to deal with disruptive students. “That won the staff over because they thought ‘hold on, we’re getting support here,’ and the behaviour really began to improve. We don’t take our eye off the ball even now. We have an on-call system that staff can use as many times as they like without judgement. If a teacher needs help, we can go in and remove a student from the lesson so they can teach their lesson.

As I see it, we are in service to the staff. We are there to help them.

We provide the environment in which they can be successful, because feeling that they are successful is the thing that has the biggest impact on staff morale.”

Outside of lesson time, the biggest change Linda made was to rearrange the school day, with lunch split into three sittings, with two year groups in each. “It has reduced the number of children moving around the school at any one time, and it has resulted in really quiet corridors and calm queues in the canteen,” Linda explains.

2. Parental support Although it was expected, when the school went into special measures it was a low point for all. “We met with parents and let

them get everything off their chest. That was a cathartic moment for the parents, to have their voices heard, and they said ‘we will help you make this place better,’” says Linda. Building a good relationship between the school and parents has been achieved by ensuring effective communication. There is an expectation that a parent who contacts the school will receive a response within 24 hours. “In the long-term this reduces workload because it means there are fewer complaints,” says Linda. The vast majority of parents would recommend the school now, whereas before only 20 per cent would. Attendance at parents’ evenings has also gone up to at least 75 per cent with over 90 per cent of year 8 parents attending options evening.

3. A new vision “Be excellent. Be inspired. Succeed.”

“The vision of the school had been lost,” Linda recalls. “The children didn’t recognise themselves as being there to be successful. They didn’t recognise their part in the whole ethos of the school. They felt no pride in wearing the uniform.” Partway through the first year at the school, with the senior leadership team, the parents, governors and pupils, Linda started to rewrite the vision for the school, asking them what they wanted the school to look like in three years’ time. “The children were saying they wanted to be inspired in their lessons,” says Linda.

“They wanted to be excellent – not average – so they can be successful in life.”

The senior leadership team code of conduct Taken from senior and extended leadership expectations 2018-19: n being visible at break, lunch and lesson changeover n not shying away from tension... there’s nothing

wrong with professional clashes and we won’t take it personally n operating an open office door and classroom policy n saying “we” not “I” n celebrating the importance of all staff.

NEU Leadership resources

NEU Leadership

National Education Union annual conference If you are attending the annual conference in Liverpool from 14-18 April, don’t miss our session on “Leading transformational change in schools and colleges”, which includes a presentation on ethical leadership.

Publications on ethical leadership are available for NEU Leadership members including “Leading in tough times: keeping ethics at the heart of your practice”, and “The WHOLECARE code of leadership practice”.

Training courses on ethical leadership are run for leaders throughout the year (neu.org.uk/learning)

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Leading question

What should you do if you are finding it hard to cope at work?

NEU national official for leaders Steve Cooper offers some advice on recognising when pressure has turned to unmanageable stress, and explains how, as a leader, you can help colleagues.

ACCOUNTABILITY, workload, league tables, inspection. In many ways the pressure on leaders is more acute than for other staff, so it is unsurprising that it often turns into prolonged stress.

Around 40 per cent of the calls leaders make to the National Education Union’s (NEU) AdviceLine are about stress, a state described by the Health and Safety Executive as “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them”. Stress is not a disease. However, it is recognised that excessive or prolonged stress can cause mental and physical illness.

Erratic behaviour How do you know if you are developing a mental health condition? You may feel overwhelmed, as if you cannot face going to work. You may start to experience headaches and find it difficult to sleep.

Your behaviour may become erratic or you may experience extreme mood swings and become tearful.

Often it is partners, friends or colleagues who may recognise that there is something wrong before you are able to admit it to yourself. Most head teachers and school employees are extremely dedicated to their job and will try to carry on for a long time before recognising that they cannot cope any more. It is, therefore, those around them who are most likely to notice changes in personality or behaviour,

NEU Leadership resources

so try to recognise your limitations when under extreme pressure that leads to stress.

If someone who cares about you, and whom you trust, suggests that you seek help, then please consider doing so. Early intervention is recognised as being a major factor in recovery and in many cases can prevent a problem from becoming a fullblown crisis. n Caring for yourself means taking the necessary time out to re-energise. n Inform your line manager and employer and ask formally for help and support. n Seek medical advice from your GP sooner rather than later. n Embrace any invitation from your employer to attend occupational health. It is there to help and support you and guide the employer as to the most productive way of assisting your recovery. n Think about working adjustments that YOU know will help, if still working, or upon your return to work, and ask your line manager to consider these as part of a risk assessment process. n If prescribed medication, take the whole course and follow your GP’s advice. n Make a conscious effort to be active and use exercise as a way of revitalising both body and mind. n Make sure you are getting enough sleep, at least eight hours. n Seek advice – as a union, we are here to help.

n Never return to work unless you feel fit to do so and only after your GP advises it.

Safety obligation As a leader you must have regard for your own health and wellbeing, for your own good, and that of those around you. Bear in mind that the signs of stress you exhibit can also be passed on to staff, who can in turn suffer stress-related symptoms as a result.

If you become aware that a colleague is suffering in this way, a few words of support and advice may encourage them to seek the help they need. It is critically important that you are aware of your health and safety obligation or duty of care to your employees.

Pressures becoming stressful Legislation you should be aware of includes Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations 1999 (specifically regulation 3 pertaining to risk assessment) Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stress management standards. All schools and organisations should have a policy statement on how they will generically manage the potential of work pressures becoming stressful.

Let us be clear, pressure can be enabling to get the job done. Stress is NEVER a positive outcome and, left unchecked, will negatively affect quality of work and result in staff absences.

NEU Leadership

The union has a range of resources to help NEU Leadership members deal with stress. Go to neu.org.uk/stress If you need to talk to someone, call our AdviceLine on 0345 811 8111

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

15

terview

Where was the support? *Alice was head teacher of two good schools. In 2017, she resigned after developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Her 27-year education career had unravelled in just over a year. She hadn’t recognised the signs she wasn’t coping, she tells Sally Gillen.

WHAT happened to me was the equivalent of a perfect storm for a head teacher. It was August and I was away for two weeks on honeymoon. Meanwhile, the Department for Education published a draft of new safeguarding guidance.

September came, I had meetings with my school improvement adviser (SIA) and the safeguarding children board (as head teacher rep). Nobody mentioned the draft guidance, so I didn’t look for any.

Perfect storm A month into the new term, the draft became official. I still wasn’t aware of it, and so I busied myself preparing for Ofsted. In November the inspector arrived. “So, you think you’re good at safeguarding, do you?” Surprised, I said yes. “Well, if you’re so good, why is this information out of date?” came the reply.

Bemused, I queried when there had been an update, and I was told it was August and I should have known.

It started. The inspection was made 16

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

“I began to feel the strain of trying to address Ofsted and having to deal with the letters, some signed, others anonymous.” full, and, although our safeguarding and every other aspect of the children’s experience was found to be good, I was deemed to be overworked because I had missed the guidance. My governors were

considered inadequate. We were given “reason to improve”.

On the same day an email about the new guidance was sent to head teachers.

And I thought well, the horse has bolted.

Also, how long do you give a head teacher to put guidance into practice? It had only been three weeks since the final version had come out, so surely Ofsted should have given us a break? But the inspector was aggressive, and I was told she would have to ring HMI to see if she should “throw me into special measures”. The words stick in my mind. She could see I was rattled, I think, but then I was only dealing with her – the letters hadn’t started – and I felt strong. I got the document and I stayed up all night updating my safeguarding policies.

I was rattled Ofsted was supposed to return in eight weeks, in line with its protocol. But the weeks passed, and there was no indication of when they would return. This was

Interview supposed to be a supportive process.

Instead the staff were on tenterhooks.

In January, the first letter arrived. My SIA had received our Ofsted report, with notes scrawled all over it, things like “who would say this head is good?”. I recognised the handwriting. It was from a parent who had removed her child from the school two years before.

A fortnight later the local authority received a phone complaint about me. I had wasted school funds. I was questioned and had to explain that I had allowed old computers that were destined for the skip to be given to children who didn’t have a computer at home.

I had all this going on while trying to prepare for Ofsted’s return. Who knew when they would be back? In February another letter appeared. This one had gone to Ofsted, which had sent it to the council.

I was questioned by the SIA, who sat in my office with the letter in her lap. I wasn’t allowed to see it. The council wrote back to Ofsted answering all accusations.

By April there had been five letters.

Every time I was called in by the local authority to be “investigated” and I began to feel the strain of trying to address Ofsted and deal with the letters, some signed, others anonymous.

I wondered why they were being taken seriously anyway? The complainant’s child had left the school two years before, and Ofsted’s procedure is that complaints must first be made to the school, then escalated if necessary – they hadn’t been reported to the school – so why did Ofsted not follow its own procedure?

At a meeting of head teachers, I ended up in tears recounting it all. I bumped into my union rep who was brilliant and said the letters needed to be referred to the police. She attended a meeting with the council chief executive and spoke for me because I was so distressed. It was agreed the letters were malicious, and I was allowed to see them for the first time, and they were

referred to the police. I was assured by my rep that because the letters were being investigated by the police Ofsted wouldn’t refer to them.

By this point I was showing serious signs of being under too much stress, and I was referred to occupational health, where I was diagnosed with stress and prescribed antidepressants. I carried on though.

The sixth letter arrived in July, which is when Ofsted finally reappeared, opening with “let’s start with the letters,” and my insistence that they were now a police matter made no difference. For three hours we were in my office. I was emotional and needed a break. Returning, I was told “you need to fix yourself before you can fix the school”. I was tired, so I said nothing, but in my head I was furious.

I looked at the inspector and remember thinking if anybody had been at all supportive I would not be in this state.

Abandoned The school was making enough progress.

Around the same time, the police decided while the letters weren’t enough for a harassment case, the local authority could take out a civil injunction. It did nothing.

Instead a week before the summer break, I received a letter – this time from the council – described as a pre-warning, warning letter, even though they are only for schools in special measures. I was informed all but one of my governors would be removed and an interim executive board (IEB) put in place. It was the final nail in the coffin of my mental health. I felt abandoned.

Then I was told by Ofsted that the action plan I had written was not what was required and instead actions should be put in a new school development plan – and in two and a half weeks by the end of term.

Nobody had told me that. But at the first IEB meeting it got to 10pm and the SDP still hadn’t been raised so I put my hand up – I don’t know why I did that – to say we needed to put the actions into the SDP. I

was told by the chair that it would be done in September. I said: “My anxiety button is saying we need to address governors’ actions because the inspector wants the SDP by the end of July.” Ignored.

The crunch came the next day. I was driving to work, and I wanted to crash my car. Although my last straw was probably way before then. The next day I went to the doctors and I was signed off and prescribed diazepam. Stupidly, I thought I’d be better by September, but on the first day of term I had a panic attack. I was signed off with post-traumatic stress disorder and general anxiety, due to work.

In December, I got a call from my union rep. Another letter had arrived.

By then I was suicidal. Just get me out of there, I told my rep. My stress had been building and building but I just hadn’t recognised it for what it was. I just assumed the letters were emotional things, and I would go home and think I’ve just had a terrible day. I was just trying to make it through to the summer holiday.

But who was protecting me and my staff from this onslaught? Nobody. What is Ofsted’s policy on the malicious treatment of heads? At what point are they there to protect us? There is nothing.

The questions that need to be asked n Where was the support when I

needed it most? n Why was Ofsted investigating

anonymous letters? n Who was looking out for my

mental health and work/life balance? n What is Ofsted’s policy for

protecting staff from malicious behaviour? n Why didn’t the council take

out a civil injunction?

Around 40 per cent of calls to the National Education Union’s helpline are about workrelated stress. If you are struggling, the union is here to help. Please contact our AdviceLine on 0345 811 8111 between 9am and 7pm, Monday to Friday.

NEU Leadership

See page 15 for advice on managing stress. *Not her real name lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

17

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Leadership 18

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

Head strong

Campaigns

School leaders are at the centre of the fight for fairer funding, forcing the debate up the political agenda. Get involved.

Words Sarah Thompson JOIN the growing numbers of education leaders fighting for more school funding by getting involved in the Together for Education rally on 22 June. Make your voice heard and sign up at neu.org. uk/together-for-education National Education Union (NEU) joint general secretary Kevin Courtney will speak at the event. He said: “School leaders can have real impact when they explain the funding problems to parents – and the NEU is committed to working with our leadership members who do that.”

While the Government continues to insist there is more money going into schools than ever before, head teachers around the country tell a different story – one based on their daily struggle to run their school with fewer staff and a lack of basic resources such as pens and books.

For many schools there is nothing left to cut.

And every time Schools Minister Nick Gibb repeats the mantra that schools are receiving more money than ever, head teachers are coming back to tell him there is not enough money.

“Levels of concern are so widespread among head teachers that we are all working together with a united voice.”

7,000 head teachers sent a letter School leaders are now at the heart of the funding campaign, raising their voices and demanding to be heard.

Three head teachers forced a Parliamentary debate on school funding on what one Conservative MP, Tim Loughton, called a “national emergency”. MPs of all political hues are hearing the head teachers’ message (see page 4).

They are also spreading that message to parents. Last month, over 7,000 head teachers sent a letter to three million homes in England criticising Education Secretary Damian Hinds’ failure to address the crisis in school funding.

The letter, which was written by members of the campaign group Worth Less?, says: “Levels of concern are so widespread among head teachers that we are all working together with a united voice.”

Members of Worth Less? want to meet with Mr Hinds to tell him first-hand the desperate circumstances schools are in. The letter states: “We are dismayed that he [the secretary of state] has chosen to ignore our communications and repeated requests to meet.”

As part of our fight for more funding, the union has recently launched the Councillors Network, which allows NEU members and councillors from all parties to work collaboratively, sharing information and ideas to help shape the future of education.

More than 1,100 councillors from across the country have signed our open letter to Mr Hinds, which demands that the Government reverses the cuts that have been in place since 2010 and provides proper funding for schools, including more money for special education needs and disabilities.

The letter, backed by education fair funding campaign group f40, states: “Many schools are now desperately overwhelmed, as more and more students are competing for fewer and fewer resources. Compounded by biting cuts to local council services, in addition to the teacher recruitment and retention crisis, the current settlement is not tenable.”

Find more information, and to read the letter in full, visit neu.org.uk/councillors-network The School Cuts website was updated last month to show how the latest Government spending plans will affect schools across England and Wales. Visit schoolcuts.org.uk/ to search for any individual school across England and Wales.

From next month, a School Cuts site for Wales, which will be bilingual, will be launched. lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

19

terview Masterclass

Leading on LGBT

To engage LGBT students, you must first make them feel safe.

Assistant head Faheem Khan tells Sally Gillen how his school has done just that...

“GROWING up as LGBT can be so scary. You can feel so alone, so overwhelmed. It is no surprise self-harm and suicide rates among young LGBT people is much higher than their straight peers,” says assistant head Faheem Khan.

“I feel privileged that I can help create a space where students feel safe enough to explore who they are and know that they aren’t alone.”

At Woodbridge High School, where he has worked for the last 12 years, six as an assistant head, every subject incorporates an LGBT theme or well-known individual.

There are gender neutral – as well as male and female – toilets and, in September, a gender-neutral uniform was introduced.

“We have male students who wear skirts and that’s okay,” says Faheem. “There is a uniform from which students just pick what they want to wear, whatever makes them feel most comfortable. The more comfortable students feel, the better they will learn.”

Posters around the school invite those interested to weekly meetings of Prism, a Faheem Khan, assistant teacher

20

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

group for LGBT students.

In just five years the East London secondary has introduced lots of changes as part of a commitment to making the school a better place for the 20 students who are openly LGBT, and those who have not yet disclosed. It is estimated that between 5 and 10 per cent of students in every school are LGBT. Up front and clear Although Faheem has led the work at his school, he’s clear that most of the changes – including the gender-neutral uniform – have come from the pupil-led LGBT committee, which as well as helping to organise the annual celebration of LGBT equality, School Diversity Week, works all year round to make sure the school is adopting policies and practices that help make it a more comfortable place for all.

It all began in 2012, when Woodbridge began taking part in School Diversity Week, which is organised by charity Just Like Us. That year there were some calls from parents who wanted to know what the school was doing and why. Some were concerned that the celebration clashed with their religious and cultural beliefs.

“The key is to be super organised about it, up front and clear about what it is you are aiming to achieve and why you are

doing it,” Faheem advises. “Write to parents in advance so they are briefed, and really see it as part of your wider commitment to diversity. At Woodbridge, we celebrate Black History Month, Chinese New Year, Eid and Diwali. So LGBT week is just another component of our diversity programme and presented like that it would be quite difficult for any parent to challenge that in any credible way. My response to parents who oppose what we are doing on cultural or religious grounds is that we live in a secular state, this is a secular school, and this is part of the school’s commitment to preparing students for the real world.

The bottom line is it’s illegal to discriminate under the Equality Act, not to mention the fundamental British values we should all be promoting in our schools, which includes tolerance,” he adds.

Extra layer of protection When School Diversity Week arrived the following year there wasn’t a single complaint.

“There are a lot of teachers who want to do LGBT support events but worry about a parental backlash. And that’s why there’s a huge amount of power in tapping into a national campaign like School Diversity Week. It provides an extra layer of protection and support.”

If you would like to know more, and to get some help on how to tackle this work in your school or college, contact Faheem at FKhan@woodbridge.redbridge.sch.uk School Diversity Week, a national celebration of LGBT+ equality, is organised by charity Just Like Us. 1-5 July 2019. Justlikeus.org

Last year Redbridge Council’s head of inclusion asked Faheem to organise an event for the borough’s 18 secondary schools. “The one message we need to make sure these young people are getting is that they are not alone, so bringing together about 200 students who identify as LGBT or straight allies for a day was hugely powerful and inspiring,” he says.

The success of the event led to a secondment for Faheem at the council one day a fortnight as schools LGBT lead. In this role, Faheem helps schools set up LGBT committees and carry out

“There is no subject that can’t incorporate an LGBT-themed lesson.” curriculum audits. He also provides lesson plans and activities that schools can use for each subject. “There is no subject that can’t incorporate an LGBT-themed lesson on a regular basis,” he stresses. “School Diversity Week is a big, shiny, amazing event, and that’s great, but the work must continue every single day, in every single classroom.

The thing that is likely to have the most impact is normalising LGBT throughout the year.”

“If you make students feel safe you will see an improvement in their engagement, achievement and attendance, and so you should see an improvement in your outcomes,” he adds.

“We are privileged as educators, as we are helping shape the lives of these young people in a very real way. This includes not

only their current wellbeing, but also their long-term confidence and sense of self, all of which is developed in the years we have access to them, and with that access comes great responsibility. Each one of us has a responsibility to help them on their individual journey.”

His commitment to the issues comes from a personal place. “I identify as gay, and coming from a Pakistani, Muslim household wasn’t always easy. I didn’t think my lifestyle would be accepted by my community. That’s why I know how important it is to have the support of teachers. That’s what made me feel safe when I was at school.”

Take a leap of faith As an assistant head leading the work, with the support of his head teacher, Faheem acknowledges that their seniority helps to give the work a high profile. It isn’t the key thing, though. The most important thing is the absolute commitment all staff must show, regardless of their position at the school. Head teacher Steven Hogan adds: “I am so proud of the work to support LGBT young people, their friends and their families. This is a vital part of our ongoing commitment to educational inclusion, and our belief in social justice and equality as the route to a better society.”

Faheem agrees: “We really want to empower schools to do what we have done. There are so many teachers out there who want to do something. They should take a leap of faith and hopefully they will be supported by their school community and the parents. If not, remind them of the responsibilities under the Equality Act, the Ofsted Framework and the duty to embed British values in our schools. Other schools around the country will support you too, us included.”

Faheem’s tips for creating an LGBT-friendly school n Set up a pupil-led committee.

Sometimes when you launch an initiative you see how ready the kids are for it. They are ready to move things on, to make our schools safer for all students, regardless of sexuality. You could start with a diversity or equality committee if an LBGT one is likely to ruffle too many feathers.

Introduce ambassadors. Get your message of tolerance and celebration out there. n Next, do some staff training on

the diversity ethos. You need to be clear as a school about equality issues.Make your school’s commitment visible if you can.

That’s important. At Woodbridge, we have rainbow bracelets and staff have a rainbow lanyard. This is important because you might have students in your class who identify as LGBT and them seeing that message of support and acceptance, day in and day out, creates that safe space. n Do some direct work with the

students. It can take the form of assemblies. It can be through your PHSE programme or even enrichment activities. There are so many ways you can reach out to students. The key is to make sure your approach is really diverse.

There should be something for everyone, so every student has a reason to get involved and support this very important cause.

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

21

Final word

“I understand the desire among the profession for something different. But I would advise caution.”

OK, Ofsted, let me ask you — HOW?

Mary Bousted Joint general secretary —National Education Union neu.org.uk facebook.com/ national education union NEUnion

22

WITH great fanfare, Ofsted revealed its plans for school inspections back in January. Great changes are promised – out with in-school data and in with a quality of education judgement is the story Ofsted wants school leaders to hear.

The draft inspection framework, which Ofsted has just finished consulting on, proposes that inspectors will judge whether the school’s curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life; whether the curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and to what extent it reflects the school’s local context.

Ofsted’s proposals have been welcomed by many school leaders and teachers who see the harm that has been done to their pupils by a narrow focus on tests and the endless, spurious, obsession with data.

I understand the desire among the profession for something different.

But I would advise caution. And I would ask Ofsted a one-word question. How? This was a question asked by inspectors involved in the pilots of the new inspection framework when they expressed concern about the “number of subjects that would need to be seen in order to effectively assess the whole curriculum”.

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

I want to add to the inspectors’ question.

I want to ask: How will Ofsted’s additional inspectors, who on average spend nine days a year conducting inspections, come to valid, reliable judgements on highly complex questions of a school’s curriculum quality?

Because Ofsted does not propose that its inspection teams will be made up of subject or age/phase specialists. Inspectors who are maths graduates will continue to inspect English and history teaching. Secondary school leaders will continue to inspect early years provision.

So how will inspectors be equipped with the detailed knowledge and skills to make valid and reliable judgements on the extent to which the curriculum of a subject they have not taught, nor studied at degree level, is well planned and sequenced? How are inspectors going to assess whether the curriculum reflects the school’s local context when they will spend, on average, two days in that locality?

Ofsted provides some potential answers to these fundamental questions in its draft inspection handbook. At key stage 1, the handbook asserts, teachers should focus on ensuring that pupils are able to read, write and use mathematical knowledge, ideas and operations. (It’s not until key stage 2, apparently, that inspectors will expect to see a broad, rich curriculum.)

So, remarkably, the evidence for Ofsted’s judgements on the intent and implementation of a broad and balanced curriculum will, at key stage 1, rely on reading, writing and maths.

At key stage 4, Ofsted’s judgement will rely on the proportion of pupils entered for the EBacc, an accountability measure widely criticised since its introduction for decimating GCSE arts entries, and regarded by many as a key factor in the narrowing of the curriculum offer at GCSE. The small print A careful and detailed reading of Ofsted’s draft inspection handbook has not reassured me that schools will get the inspections they need, nor the judgements they deserve.

I am afraid that it will remain the case that Ofsted has neither the financial nor the human resources to effectively implement its ambitious inspection proposals.

There is no evidence that Ofsted inspection teams will have the necessary expertise and experience, nor enough time in school, to come to valid and reliable judgements on the quality of education provided within it. Indeed, the higher Ofsted sets the bar for its inspection teams, the more unlikely it is that they will be able to do what is expected of them.

Teach

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