Issue 54 May/June 2012
£5
THE BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR ALL SCHOOL LEADERS
INSIDE DISMAY AT OFSTED FORCED ACADEMIES TWITTER ADVICE MEMBER BENEFITS
READ ALL ABOUT IT
ALL THE NEWS AND BIG DECISIONS FROM ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012 01_cover_FINAL.indd 1
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Putting reading in the spotlight
In light of the New Ofsted Framework, GL Assessment is offering NAHT members an exclusive 5% discount on all primary reading tests* From January 2012, huge emphasis was placed on pupils’ achievement in early reading and literacy by Ofsted. Unveiling the new framework last September, the then chief inspector, Miriam Rosen, explained, “An important aspect of this framework is the priority given to pupils’ achievement in early reading and literacy. Teaching children effectively to read so that they attain the expected standards by age seven is a core duty for primary schools. Otherwise we know children will struggle at secondary school and later in life. Inspectors will give this area of school life the highest priority, including hearing pupils read.” In light of this, GL Assessment is delighted to offer NAHT members an exclusive 5% discount on all of our primary reading tests*.
*The exclusive 5% discount applies to NAHT members only, who have not previously purchased the primary reading assessments outlined in the offer. Please see terms and conditions on www.gl-assessment.co.uk/naht for further details.
Visit our new website: www.gl-assessment.co.uk/naht to view a full listing of the products included in this offer
Look out for the following key assessments… New! Diagnostic Test of Word Reading Processes – a phonological reading assessment designed to benchmark and test pupils’ foundation skills in word reading processes, thus providing diagnostic information to guide intervention. New Group Reading Test (NGRT) – an ideal screening/monitoring test for groups of children, NGRT enables an assessment of reading and comprehension in a single test. York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension Primary (YARC Primary) – an ideal follow-up to NGRT, YARC Primary enables the in-depth individual assessment of a pupil’s decoding and comprehension skills.
www.gl-assessment.co.uk
To discuss your requirements or to place an order, please call:
0845 602 1937
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and quote GLA458
LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MAY/JUNE 2012
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robert sanders Editorial
Make your voice heard There was a real buzz at the Annual Conference this year as debate ranged from forced academies to raising standards and Ofsted, among many others (see pages 6-17, 32 and 38). Delegates are always passionate about the issues that are being debated, but this time there seemed to be an extra willingness to tackle things head-on – a real belief that we can change the world for the better. Perhaps it was the conference title, Fighting for Change, Protecting our Futures. A few well-chosen words can make a big difference to the way things are viewed, especially when the press are hanging on those words. Coverage of the event in the national media was excellent this year, and the impact on public opinion does us real favours in terms of our negotiating position with the Government on your behalf. But can the individual members of an organisation like NAHT make that much difference just by talking? And what about the members who didn’t go? How can you get your voice heard? Sometimes it can feel that we are limited even in our ability to influence our immediate environment. How can you change the policy that impacts on your school? The answer is yes, you do so every time you get involved, and that involvement can be as little effort as sending us an email, or responding to a survey. For example, our new School View survey, in which members can evaluate their Ofsted visit, will “help us shape a better school inspection system” (p7). So far, Ofsted has been “something that’s done to us,” as Steve Iredale, National President, says (p11 and p33). With your help, we can change that.
If you feel you can contribute more, then you can go further and contact your local branch (our “centre of gravity” according to Russell Hobby on page 23). By being a member of NAHT you are a significant part of a powerful network. Why not attend a meeting and offer your services? It could easily be you at the microphone in a year’s time helping us guide NAHT policy. At the very least, make sure you keep in touch with us and ensure that you know about all the benefits and services that you have signed up to receive (p28). Subscribe too to the revamped Leadership Links email alert (p8) so that you are kept up to date with our news, policy and advice. Don’t forget also, that you can email us with your comments (naht@redactive.co.uk), follow us on Twitter (@nahtnews), or call our advice line (0300 30 30 333) which is now open 8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 5pm on Fridays. See you next year for the 2013 Annual Conference in Birmingham?
‘Why not attend a meeting and offer your services? It could easily be you at the microphone in a year’s time helping us guide NAHT policy’
redactive publishing limited Editorial & Association enquiries NAHT, 1 Heath Square, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1BL www.naht.org.uk Tel: 01444 472 472 Editor: Robert Sanders Editorial board: Russell Hobby, Steve Iredale, Bernadette Hunter, Chris Harrison and Robert Sanders @nahtnews @LFmagNAHT Leadership Focus is published by Redactive Publishing Limited on behalf of the NAHT
17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP www.redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6200 Email: naht@redactive.co.uk
Editorial team
Managing editor: Steve Smethurst Assistant editor: Kate Williamson News and features reporter: Hollie Ewers Designer: Adrian Taylor Senior picture editor: Claire Echavarry Production manager: Jane Easterman Cover illustration: Alex Hedworth Printed by: Wyndeham Heron
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ISSN: 1472–6181 © Copyright 2012 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 electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. While everycare has been taken in the compilation of this publication, neither the publisher nor the 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 publishers. The views herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor or the NAHT.
may/june 2012 l Leadership Focus 3
CONTENTS
TOP STORY, PAGE
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DEBATE & DECISIONS
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NEWS FOCUS 6 CONFERENCE CRITICISES HMCI Delegates at Harrogate back a motion expressing their disappointment with approach taken by Sir Michael Wilshaw.
7 NAHT LAUNCHES SCHOOL VIEW The NAHT launches its own audit of inspection performance as a rival to Ofsted’s Parent View.
8 FORCED ACADEMISATION IS ‘BULLYING’ Forcing schools that are ‘failing’ into academy status is iniquitous and often fails to respect the wishes of the local community, Conference hears.
9 NAHT TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT NAHT’s ‘focused partnership’ will use expertise from within the profession to help schools under threat from Ofsted. 4
LF’s coverage of the NAHT Annual Conference 2012, which took place in Harrogate in May, begins on page 6.
9 HARNESS PARENT POWER School leaders should use existing relationships with parents and families to target public opinion, according to General Secretary Russell Hobby.
10 GOVE BOWS TO PRESSURE Minister Michael Gove offers olive branches on unpopular policies and praises heads, but his flattery receives a lukewarm response. Plus, Stephen Twigg on no-notice inspections, primary places and the phonics debate.
11 CONFERENCE SPEECHES New NAHT president Steve Iredale urges heads to become Ofsted inspectors, while Russell Hobby reminds delegates that being a head teacher is a good job, despite the criticism.
12 CHARITY OF THE YEAR ShelterBox provides essential survival kits for people caught up in the aftermath of disaster situations – and also offers thoughtprovoking assemblies for schools.
LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MAY/JUNE 2012
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Features
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14 Annual conference round-up
All the resolutions made at the recent NAHT conference.
28 Behind the headlines
F speaks to some of the people at the NAHT who work L hard to add value to your membership.
32 Heading off course? School leaders discuss the impact of the current inspection regime – and what changes they would like to see.
38 Forced academies If conversion to academy status is not in the best interests of your school, how can you fight back?
42 Halting homophobia Deputy head Shaun Dellenty on why school leaders should treat homophobia as they do racism – by confronting it.
Regulars
46 Twitter masterclass
Sue Street’s dos and don’ts for head teachers on Twitter.
21 Rona Tutt’s column
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The fact that schools are becoming increasingly diverse is also creating new opportunities for staff and students to work together.
23 Russell Hobby’s column The NAHT membership can prove that a collaborative and constructive approach to school improvement works.
24 Heads up Three school leaders reveal their favourite biscuits, best jokes and what they’ve learned during their careers.
26 Strange but true A five-year-old boy discovers a novel way to contact Michael Gove; sixth-formers attempt to sell school to pay tuition fees; and a pre-schooler joins Mensa.
48 What’s new
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Insects, school sports, British food and Howard Jones.
50 Susan Young’s column How have schools – and school leaders – changed over the past century? A project in Sussex is finding out.
may/june 2012 l Leadership Focus 5
NEWS FOCUS
CONFERENCE: OFSTED
HMCI fails to inspire confidence Conference declared itself ‘saddened and dismayed’ by the new Ofsted chief’s approach
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STEVE SMETHURST
An emergency motion that was presented to delegates at the NAHT’s Annual Conference in Harrogate spelled out just how frustrated school leaders are with Ofsted and its chief inspector, former head teacher Sir Michael Wilshaw. The motion – toned down from an initial version – said Conference was “saddened and dismayed” by the approach taken by the new HMCI, who was appointed to the role in January. It was passed with almost unanimous support. Oxfordshire head teacher Mike Curtis proposed the motion and he was applauded when he said there was no reason to rule out passing a vote of no confidence in the chief inspector in the future, adding: “Michael Wilshaw has said that he wants to work with good heads. I suggest he ought to work with all heads.” Mr Curtis painted a vivid picture of what the current Ofsted regime is doing to NAHT members, making reference to “bully-boy tactics” and “negative rhetoric”. “Successful careers are being damaged or destroyed, more schools are going into a category and confidence is waning as Ofsted waves its stick… Are we going to stand around and let Wilshaw get away with that? He’s saying we should be lone heroes who beat everyone in our schools into submission. The suggestion that we get the best out of people by bullying them is outrageous.” In a passionate speech, Mr Curtis said that he agreed that school leaders should not be afraid to upset staff if it is for the good of the children. “I agree with this: it is difficult to do the job without sometimes upsetting people. However, this does
Mike Curtis: “The suggestion that we get the best out of people by bullying them is outrageous.”
not mean bullying them or dismissing their ideas. Challenge them, yes. Rubbish them, no. Mr Wilshaw is wrong and a strong message from us is imperative.” Mr Curtis added he had yet to meet a school leader who was not committed to school improvement. Fellow Oxfordshire head teacher Eugene Symonds, seconding the motion, talked of a “leadership vacuum” which could be the result of the current climate of fear. “There is
uncertainty and trepidation in taking on leadership,” he said. NAHT General Secretary Russell Hobby echoed these views when he said: “The emphasis on failure risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. It ignores the significant achievements of the past and, by doing so, saps the pride and ambition that are needed to fuel the achievements of the future.” • See page 14 for a full list of Conference resolutions. • See page 32 for our Ofsted feature.
E-PETITION SOUGHT ON OFSTED Head teacher consultant and NAHT Executive Member Brian McNutt urged Conference to support an e-petition on Ofsted – called for in the emergency motion – which would lead to a Parliamentary debate. “To ensure it’s debated by MPs, 100,000 signatures are needed on an e-petition. By my reckoning, there are 400,000 people in the profession. Working with other unions, it should be possible to get 25 per cent of the profession signed up within the year for which such petitions are live. I think we can do it in super-fast time,” he said.
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CONFERENCE: OFSTED
School View to check on Ofsted The NAHT has launched its own audit of inspection performance. The survey, School View, was launched at Conference and is a direct rival to the flawed Parent View operated by Ofsted. School View is the Association’s means of capturing what happens during school inspections. The Association hopes that evidence – submitted through a portal on the
‘The survey will help us to shape a better school inspection system’ NAHT website or via the link below – can be used to persuade Ofsted to address the variable quality of its inspection teams and to concentrate on helping schools improve rather than simply criticising them. An introductory letter to the survey from General Secretary Russell Hobby says: “As part of the NAHT’s campaign to ensure that our schools are assessed impartially and consistently, we are seeking your views on your most recent Ofsted inspection. “Your experience will help to expose the reality of the inspection process; what works and what doesn’t. The information gained will enable us to press for changes to make Ofsted a cornerstone of a supportive education system
and a genuinely informative resource for parents.” Crucially, and unlike Parent View, school leaders will be required to enter their name and the address of their school for the NAHT records. This will be confidential, but will allow the NAHT to base its judgements on traceable data. Mr Hobby added: “The survey should only take around five minutes to complete and will help us to shape a better school inspection system.” The innovation is important as Ofsted inspectors often appear to arrive at schools with their minds already made up. Furthermore, many lack experience of the type of school they are inspecting. In a recent NAHT survey, completed by more than 2,000 school leaders, almost 90 per cent said they were unhappy with the tone and content of recent Ofsted announcements. Almost all (98 per cent) said they believed that Ofsted judgements were subject to political interference, while 45 per cent said Ofsted was either making no contribution towards raising standards or actively preventing schools from doing better. Just 2 per cent thought Ofsted was actually helping to improve school performance. • School View: tinyurl. com/cew2x2o
NEWS IN BRIEF GOVERNORS UNDER FIRE Conference delegates called for a review of the role of chair of governors after hearing that colleagues had lost their jobs because of the inappropriate behaviour of some such individuals. Wolverhampton head teacher Cheryl Gould said individual chairs of governors had “wreaked havoc and ruined lives” due to micro-management, the belittling and undermining of heads, and even cases of dementia.
BANDING IN WALES NAHT Cymru used the union’s UK conference in Harrogate to restate its opposition to the current banding system for secondary schools. School leaders in Wales believe that publishing a single grade to indicate the performance of a school is unhelpful in terms of both resource allocation and informing parents and other stakeholders. Anna Brychan, Director of NAHT Cymru said: “We are happy to talk about a system of accountability that takes a hard look at what a school achieves and makes a forensic examination of all its performance data but we don’t think this is it.”
SOCIAL MEDIA ABUSE Gloucestershire head teacher Paul Woodward told Conference that the DfE needs to provide guidance on the use and abuse of social media in schools. “Personal attacks on staff are an ongoing issue that needs action by DfE,” he said, adding that the Government need to produce tips and guidelines on this, in the same way as they have for bullying. He also suggested that the DfE needs to put pressure on social networking sites to deal more quickly with reported abuse.
PHOTO COMPETITION The Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres and the NAHT have announced the Outdoor Adventure Photographic Competition 2012. Entries will be by judged in four categories – photos taken by primary, secondary and SEN pupils, plus teachers/ instructors. Each category should feature photographs taken during an off-site outdoor/adventure activity. Schools can enter a maximum of three photographs. Entries must be submitted no later than 30 September 2012 and the winning school/centre in each category will win a Go Pro waterproof video camera. For more details, visit tinyurl.com/cknqfyl
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News Focus conference: academisation
Forced academies are ‘bullied’ The practice of forcing schools into academy status against the wishes of parents, pupils, schools and the larger community has been condemned by NAHT members in Harrogate in a number of motions (see page 14). Delegates heard Keith Rogers, a Leeds Life Member, say that the policy of forcing schools that are ‘failing’ into academy status is iniquitous and fails to respect the wishes of the local community. Then NAHT Past President Dr Rona Tutt told them that Michael Gove is creating a fully centralised system “giving him the powers of an elected dictator”. Tony Roberts from the Lancashire Branch said that the academy concept had originated in political think-tanks, and was always intended to be optional. He said the current approach had a “highly undesirable underlying philosophy”. He also pointed out that only 3 per cent of academies have taken on weaker schools as was originally promised. Les Turner, also of Lancashire Branch, suggested that a better name for forced academies would be ‘bullied’, rather than ‘forced’. Other speakers on this issue were Derek Gray and Sandra Bailey from Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham respectively. They pointed out that Birmingham is facing upwards of 60 academisations and that these are mostly primary schools. Yet many of these are making good progress. The policy was described as a “cynical political move” to enable Michael Gove to crow about the number of academies at party conferences. • For more on forced academies, see the feature on page 38. 8 Leadership Focus l may/june 2012
steve smethurst
Conference heard NAHT members speak out against the process of academisation
Lancashire’s Tony Roberts addresses Conference on the subject of academies.
Keep in touch with the latest news NAHT’s bi-weekly e-newsletter, Leadership Links, has been re-designed to ensure that members can quickly access key information, news and advice. The newsletter has been sent out since 2007 and each issue contains short introductory information on: • the latest news from NAHT with updates on key campaigns; • topic-related updates, news and information; • a round-up of coverage of NAHT in the media; • specific, tailored advice on key aspects of a school leader’s role; • highlights of events and courses run by NAHT for its members. These brief pieces link to more in-depth versions in the online version of the newsletter, which can be accessed either by linking direct from the email, or by visiting www.naht.org.uk/leadershiplinks where back issues are also available. The email is one of the best ways stay up to date with the Association. If you didn’t sign up to receive Leadership Links when you first logged into the NAHT website (www.naht.org.uk), have previously unsubscribed, or are not receiving it for some other reason, simply follow these instructions to sign up: 1. Log in at www.naht.org.uk 2. Click on ‘My NAHT’ and go to the ‘My subscriptions’ panel. 3. Select ‘e-news’ and tick the box next to ‘Leadership Links’. Provided your email address registered with NAHT is up to date, you will start to receive Leadership Links. Please ensure your email software is not sending mail from Communications@naht.org.uk to your junk folder. If you need any help, please call 0300 30 30 333 or email webteam@naht.org.uk And if you already receive Leadership Links, the NAHT would love to hear any comments or suggestions you have that could help to drive future developments and improve communication with members (please email webteam@naht.org.uk).
CONFERENCE: SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
NAHT to help raise standards The General Secretary added that he hoped schools would be free from outside interference while they are engaged in this process and showing progress. The Government has already agreed to provide match funding for the pilot project and the General Secretary said that while this would mean working within the “official definitions of success” not shared by all NAHT members, it would help schools in the longer term. “By removing the immediate threats, we can focus on the
STEVE SMETHURST
The NAHT is to pilot a schoolimprovement programme using expertise from within the profession to help schools under threat from Ofsted. NAHT research has shown that almost 40 per cent of school leaders in England – including many from good and outstanding schools – feel so demoralised by the adversarial climate that they plan to quit the profession, compounding fears of a recruitment crisis. The NAHT is therefore seeking to reduce the threat of dismissal for leaders by encouraging their schools to join a ‘focused partnership’ that will help them to drive up standards. This includes helping schools in the new ‘requires improvement’ category. Russell Hobby, General Secretary of the NAHT, said: “We are uniquely placed to help our members. Our membership contains the talent, the ideas, the support and challenge. Our role as a trade union gives us a unique perspective and our partnerships with organisations such as the National College and the Schools Network will give us tools and structures.” The NAHT aims to help schools who want to move to ‘good’ within three years but who may lack the resources or encouragement to do so.
creative curriculum and the wider contribution of schools to their communities,” he explained. “Few unions have gone so far in offering this sort of protection to their members. This is new territory for us but I think we can grow over time. It won’t stop the processes of forced academisation where it has begun, but we may be able to stop it getting that far in the future. “Advocates of ever-higher targets need to understand that the way to get results is to harness the drive and goodwill of school leaders,” he said.
Russell Hobby: “The way to get results is to harness the drive and goodwill of school leaders.”
CONFERENCE: PARENTAL ALLIANCE
Heads urged to work closely with parents NAHT General Secretary Russell Hobby has called for school leaders to work more closely with parents. He told delegates in Harrogate: “The hardest lesson I have learned over the past 18 months is that we are talking to the wrong people. Our target must be public opinion. And,
given our existing close relationship with parents and families, we have a massive opportunity,” he said. “In this age of parent power, we need to put our case across both as individual leaders and as an Association. If we have a better vision of education, we can’t just deliver it,
we must – for better or for worse – shout about it too.” He explained that this move was necessary to combat the criticism faced by schools and the people who work in them. “We need to blow our own trumpet and talk about the massive achievements we have made. If we use
our trust and credibility and start listening to parents about what they want, and talking to them about what we can do, we could make a formidable team.” He therefore urged members to continue talking to parents and families, and to treat them as partners rather than consumers. MAY/JUNE 2012 ● LEADERSHIP FOCUS
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NEWS FOCUS
CONFERENCE: SECRETARY OF STATE
Minister’s praise isn’t enough Education secretary Michael Gove used his speech to Conference to hint that highly unpopular no-notice Ofsted inspections due to begin in September may not go ahead, as a result of the current consultation on the regime. Mr Gove held out an olive branch to the profession by saying: “One concern of almost all head teachers is no-notice inspections. It’s not that the majority of heads think that they’re going to be ‘found out’. “Rather, people fear that they send out a message that we don’t trust the profession; that Ofsted has become an arm of the Spanish Inquisition or Sean Connery’s Untouchables, that they have to be ready to storm in without any notice in order to deal with something that has gone drastically wrong.
STEVE SMETHURST
Michael Gove appeared to bow to pressure from the NAHT over Ofsted but his flattery received a lukewarm response
“That was never the intention. That is why when we come back after the consultation it will be clear that we have listened to the principle that teachers and heads deserve to have the chance to know when an inspection is coming and to be there in order to present the best face of the school. That message has been heard.” In a further announcement likely to please school leaders, Mr Gove told
‘People fear that we don’t trust the profession... that Ofsted has become an arm of the Spanish Inquisition’
Conference that he understood the profession’s concerns over schools in a category having to show a greater than average level of progress, and the stress this caused. He promised: “No school or head will be penalised for moving in the right direction. We must not put anything in the way of these people, whose moral purpose drives them towards the most challenging schools,” he said. The minister even talked of the possibility of paying inspectors more to ensure they were of the highest quality, and encouraged head teachers to come forward to become inspectors themselves. Mr Gove also ensured that he praised head teachers, blaming the media for not reporting widely enough the OECD pronouncement that English school leaders are some of the best in the world, consistently outperforming other jurisdictions. NAHT General Secretary Russell Hobby thanked him for acknowledging this, but added that school leaders would appreciate it more if he broadcast this information to other audiences, not just head teachers.
CONFERENCE: SHADOW MINISTER
Stephen Twigg puts forward Labour’s view Ofsted, phonics and the crisis in primary school places were all covered by shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg in a wideranging speech to the NAHT conference. Mr Twigg, who was schools minister under the Labour Government, touched upon one of Conference’s burning issues, that of no-notice Ofsted 10
inspections, saying there were “differences of opinion within the profession” on the length of time that schools should get notice for a forthcoming inspection. “One thing that I support, is the importance of head teachers being present at the school when there is an inspection taking place. While I respect the independence of Ofsted,
I think there is a good case for this arrangement to be looked at again.” Mr Twigg then talked about the prescriptive approach to teaching reading through phonics: “When we have Professor Greg Brooks, an expert in phonics, saying that introducing phonics tests is a waste of money, it suggests that ministers should think again,” he said.
Mr Twigg also referred to the growing crisis in primary school places: “To be in a crisis is to be beyond capacity. And it’s not just me saying there is a crisis.” Half a million more places were needed by the next general election, he said, with children currently being “crammed” into overcrowded buildings and Portakabins as a result.
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CONFERENCE: PRESIDENT’S SPEECH
Head teachers need to work together to protect the profession at a time when it is under challenge in many different ways, new NAHT President Steve Iredale told Conference. Mr Iredale said that the consultation on the latest draft Ofsted framework was critical. “Once again, it feels like change for change’s sake as the latest HMCI seeks to make his mark using a high-handed, confrontational approach to which we take great exception. “Let there be no doubt we want all schools to be outstanding, led by outstanding teachers with outstanding learning and teaching being a central theme in every school. Ofsted’s constant negativity and goal-post moving does little to help us achieve this,” he added. Mr Iredale suggested that heads should consider becoming Ofsted inspectors to change the system from inside the machine. “There is little doubt in my mind that if inspection was about challenge and raising standards linked to school improvement then more of us might be enthusiastic about the role.” He said heads were forced to question the value put on the profession by successive governments, and quoted a Twitter comment from a head leading a successful school who said: “I don’t
STEVE SMETHURST
President: let’s seize the initiative
feel optimistic. Consultation on Ofsted is a done deal from where I sit. It feels more like a road map for the future of education.” He added: “We must have the strength and will to fight back, say no, and prove there is a better way.” The President said it would take courage for any administration to create cross-party consensus on education, and challenged the Secretary of State, his ministers and advisers to work with heads in an “open and honest way to develop policies of excellence for the 21st century”. He also suggested there was a role for a truly independent
education improvement and research body, developing evidence-based policy that could create much-needed stability and restore faith in the policy makers. He said: “It is important to be very clear. We will work with Government and the policy makers to create that much-needed change built on clear evidence and not merely ideology. “It is time to seize the initiative. We hold all the aces. The challenge is knowing when to play the cards.” • Steve Iredale will keep members up to date as he visits schools by blogging at www.nahtsteve.wordpress.com
CONFERENCE: GENERAL SECRETARY
General Secretary: we’ll weather any crisis Russell Hobby’s speech to Conference ended with a positive message to members: “More children than ever are leaving our education system with the skills they need; and we’re reaching deeper into the communities and families that need us most,” he said.
“If the gaps sometimes seem bigger than ever, it is because our ambition exceeds our achievements. “Parents and families share your pride in the education system. Some 85 per cent think their child’s school offers a good or outstanding quality of teaching; 90 per
cent are impressed with behaviour and discipline; and 93 per cent say they always feel welcome. “If we remember these things, we’ll weather any crisis; which is why I think you’ll stick with it and why we must keep encouraging people to become school
leaders. It is a good job. Put it this way: what if a genie had offered you a deal at the start of your career? ‘Every day you can change a life for the better, but every day someone who couldn’t do your job will snipe at you.’ I bet you’d still take that deal. In fact, you all did.” MAY/JUNE 2012 ● LEADERSHIP FOCUS
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NEWS FOCUS
How schools can save lives Schools are vital to the work of ShelterBox, the disaster-relief agency. The NAHT’s charity of the year provides teaching resources and trained speakers
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concept,” says David. “It’s shelter, warmth, dignity and hope – all supplied in a green plastic box. If I’m speaking at an assembly, I usually put up the ‘extended family tent’ in the doorway of the hall so that the children have to walk through it to get into the assembly. Then I take them through the nature of disasters.
QUEEN’S SPEECH ANNOUNCES SEN/D CHANGES In her speech at the state opening of Parliament, the Queen outlined plans for a shake-up of support for children with special educational needs. NAHT General Secretary Russell Hobby said that he welcomed the fact that parents would gain more control and choice. He said: “It can often be a bewildering and bureaucratic system, so, absolutely yes to parental choice leading to long-term commitments. “But institutions also need enough security to plan and invest in the specialist equipment and skills needed. We are happy to see the removal of red tape but only if this does not compromise provision. Making a service faster to access might not necessarily make the provision itself any better.”
GETTY
Incoming NAHT President Steve Iredale has confirmed that the NAHT’s charity of the year for 2012/13 will be disaster-relief agency ShelterBox. This will mark the start of a second year of working closely with the NAHT after Chris Harrison chose the charity as the Association’s partner last year. Steve said: “I’ve had the opportunity to travel to their headquarters in Helston, Cornwall, and I was highly impressed by their teamwork and the fact that they can react so quickly to disasters around the world. “I’m also very impressed with the work they do with young people, particularly in schools. If members haven’t accessed the Young ShelterBox website, there are some high-quality learning materials on there.” As LF went to press, ShelterBox had three teams on active deployment, two in Peru dealing with devastating floods and mudslides and one in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a munitions factory explosion. Retired head teacher David Crook (pictured above), an NAHT Life Member, is a volunteer for ShelterBox. He tells LF that he’d be surprised if many people had heard of these emergencies. “People will be familiar with the Turkish earthquake, Haiti and Japan – but the majority of international disasters don’t hit the main news, which is why the work of ShelterBox is so important.” David’s role is to be a spokesman for the charity, often speaking at school assemblies. Over the past five years he has visited approximately 100 primary and 50 secondary schools to help spread the word. “At heart, it is still a very simple
“I always tell them about the consequences, which are the same for any disaster. Sadly, people die. Others are injured and made homeless. It’s the last one that ShelterBox responds to. “The boxes contain the tent for shelter, but also the means of having safe water, the means to cook, blankets for warmth, an activity pack for children and a toolbag, as we don’t want people to have to live in tents for the rest of their lives. That’s the basics; also it’s rapid response. We can be on the ground following a disaster within 24 hours.” Since it was founded in 2000, ShelterBox has helped people in 78 countries following 181 disasters. The countries that have required the most frequent aid have been Pakistan (11 times) and the Philippines (10). The NAHT is keen to continue to support the vital work that ShelterBox undertakes. If you would like to help, or would like someone from the charity to visit your school, please email Emma Nicholls at emma.nicholls@shelterbox.org For more information please visit www.youngshelterbox.org
LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MAY/JUNE 2012
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CONFERENCE RESOLUTION RESOLUTIONSS
LF columnist Rona na Tutt (above) and d Jane Gilmour (right) ght) were among those ose who spoke at Annual nnual Conference 2012..
NAHT Annual Conference Policy resolutions for 2012-13
STEVE SMETHURST/TEMPEST PHOTOGRAPHY
School Structures and Governance
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Conference believes that schools considering becoming an academy should have the support of their local community and deplores the Government policy of ‘forced academies’. Conference instructs National Executive to support affected schools by all means possible and continue to press the DfE that no school is forced to become an academy. Keith Rogers (Proposer) Ian Bruce (Seconder) Yorkshire and South West Regions Conference notes with interest the Government’s professed localism agenda and, in particular, the Secretary of State’s stated belief in schools’ autonomy and trust in the profession. This appears to be in direct conflict
with his creation of a centralised school system that gives unprecedented powers to the Secretary of State. Conference instructs National Executive to use every available opportunity to oppose the increasing centralisation of the education system and, in particular, to demand that the Secretary of State explain, in person, his seemingly contradictory position. Rod Woodhouse (Proposer) Rona Tutt (Seconder) Hertfordshire Branch This Conference believes that the seismic changes to the public education system, exemplified by the Academy and Free School programmes, are based solely on political dogma and not on educational principle. Conference instructs National Executive to
continue to campaign for a true public education system which must not be fodder for private-sector profit. Tony Roberts (Proposer) Les Turner (Seconder) Lancashire Branch This Conference rejects the Government’s policy of forced academisation of schools. Further, Conference instructs National Executive to pursue a policy of challenging the notion that academisation of our schools is a silver bullet and to convene a meeting of education unions and associations in order to begin a national campaign against this most damaging agenda. Derek Gray (Proposer) Sandra Bailey (Seconder) Stoke on Trent Branch and Birmingham Branch Conference calls upon National Executive to have urgent discussions with appropriate agencies and the Department for Education to seek urgent review of the role of Chairs of Governors and to seek changes in
LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MAY/JUNE 2012
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Head teachers Phil and Catriona Williamson proposed motions in Harrogate, where the theme was ‘Fighting for change; protecting our futures’.
advice d i to such h Ch Chairs i as to their h i roles, l responsibilities and accountabilities. Tim Gallagher (Proposer) Cheryl Gould (Seconder) West Midlands Region In the light of the increasing number of different executive head teacher roles, federations and other changes to the roles of head teachers, Conference calls on National Executive to clarify with the Government ‘where the buck stops’ and who is ultimately responsible for the standards in school. Catriona Williamson (Proposer) Alan Cornwall (Seconder) East Riding Branch
Pay and Conditions Conference instructs National Executive to oppose any proposals that depart from a national pay and conditions framework where such a move would have a detrimental effect on the terms and conditions of employment of all school leaders. Chris Knowles (Proposer) Chris Howard (Seconder) Yorkshire Region and NAHT Cymru At a time of a growing recruitment crisis for posts in school leadership, Conference instructs National Executive to work with key agencies to improve recruitment opportunities and terms and conditions to encourage high-quality teachers to become school leaders of the future. Jane Gilmour (Proposer) Karen Butcher (Seconder) Yorkshire Region
C f iinstructs National i l Conference E Executive to campaign to secure a statutory requirement to undertake a workload impact assessment on all new Government initiatives before they are introduced to schools. Graham Murphy (Proposer) Mark Biltcliffe (Seconder) NAHT Cymru Conference calls on National Executive to challenge the Government to motivate its workforce in schools in the light of the very low morale caused by the Government’s current policies towards its employees. Phil Williamson (Proposer) Christine Coates (Seconder) East Riding Branch Schools in challenging circumstances require strong, visionary leadership. Conference urges National Executive to promote a policy of a specific substantive head to lead a school in order to ensure outstanding learning and teaching. Where alternative provision is deemed necessary, Conference urges National Executive to work with external partners to ensure that there is clarity of role in terms of pay and conditions and that the other senior leaders in a school are paid commensurate with the role for which they are held accountable. Keith Armitage (Proposer) Jane Gilmour (Seconder) Yorkshire Region
Assessment and Curriculum The current system of externally marked testing and the use of data at KS2 remains flawed. The NAHT
w would support a system that values th the judgement of teachers, hold sc schools to account in a fair way and fo focuses on the progress of all pupils w with respect to their starting points. C Conference acknowledges the pr progress made by the Assessment R Reform Campaign but urges N National Executive to redouble its ef efforts to raise the profile of moderated teacher assessment and see the end of external tests and the subsequent misuse of data. Amanda Hulme (Proposer) Tony Draper (Seconder) AAG / National Executive Including SEN pupil data in calculations to determine whether schools are below floor targets is a misuse of data and makes it difficult if not impossible for some schools to rise above floor targets. Conference calls on National Executive to seek a resolution to this unfair practice. Brian McNutt (Proposer) Tony Draper (Seconder) Wirral Branch / National Executive Conference instructs National Executive to take every opportunity to work with the DfE to establish a fairer and more purposeful system of assessment of reading which: • includes a range of appropriate approaches to the teaching of reading; • is matched to individual pupil needs; • takes account of the complex nature of how SEN children learn to read; and so demonstrates that schools are trusted to assess and teach reading in a way that will promote improvement and progress for all children. Jane Gilmour (Proposer) Claire Brady (Seconder) Yorkshire Region Conference instructs National Executive to ensure that data from the Y1 Phonics check is used to populate RAISEonline only and not reported externally. Should the data be used against schools by Ofsted or other agencies then we call upon the Executive to take steps to ensure the
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CONFERENCE CONFE ERENCE R RESOLUTIONS ESO OLLUTIONS
(L-R) Hilary Alcock, Beth Miller, Tony Draper and Marijke Miles speak passionately about the Conference motions they have proposed or seconded, before the delegates vote.
2013 phonics check is used by schools l as an element of teacher assessment and is not reported. Jane Gilmour (Proposer) Julie Bruck (Seconder) Barnsley Branch The proposed tests in technical English are a case of replacing one set of tests with another and a waste of tax payers’ money. Their outcomes can be achieved through moderated teacher assessment in writing. Conference instructs National Executive to explore available means to ensure this flawed test does not take place. Tony Draper (Proposer) Amanda Hulme (Seconder) National Executive / AAG Conference regrets that the recent publication of secondary school ‘banding’ judgements in Wales allowed for the return of ‘league tables’. Conference calls upon National Executive and its committees to continue to lobby the Welsh Government to abandon the corrosive ‘single banding judgement’ and to concentrate efforts instead on devising a system which: • provides a ‘profile’ of school performance; • encourages the identification and sharing of good practice; • and creates a school support and improvement structure that reflects those which exist in high performing school systems internationally. Graham Murphy (Proposer) Margaret Evitts (Seconder) NAHT Cymru
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T h Nationall Curriculum l The Review Expert Group’s recommendations undermine the ability of secondary schools and their leaders to design the school’s curriculum which reflects the unique diversity of the communities they serve. Conference instructs National Executive to lobby Government and its agencies to press for schools to be given this degree of freedom. Rob Campbell (Proposer) Sue Street (Seconder) Secondary Committee / National Executive
Ofsted, bullying and harassment This conference is both saddened and angered by the approach taken by the current HMCI. We deplore his negative rhetoric which is creating a culture of fear in schools. We would have expected him, as a former fellow school leader, to understand that to get the best out of children and staff in schools, we need to both challenge AND support. Conference instructs National Executive to make full use of the Government e-petition system and seek debating time in parliament for the issues raised in [the following] motions – National Executive would be expected to undertake any other action deemed appropriate. Mike Curtis (Proposer) Eugene Symonds (Seconder) Oxfordshire Branch Conference notes with significant concern that the Ofsted Parent View website is not restricted to parents, is open to anyone to make anonymous
posts and allows frequent, unsubstantiated posts from multiple email addresses. Conference instructs National Executive to challenge the Government and Ofsted to ensure that Parent View is fit for purpose and not open to frivolous or vexatious misuse bordering on corruption. Mike Wilson (Proposer) Steve Kirkpatrick (Seconder) North West Region Conference believes that Ofsted’s decision to replace ‘notice to improve’ and ‘satisfactory’ with one ‘requires improvement’ grade fails to recognise the pace and strength of improvement taking place in many schools. Conference mandates National Executive to lobby for the inclusion of the additional category of ‘improving’ within the revised Ofsted framework. Beth Miller (Proposer) Brian Allsopp (Seconder) East Midlands Region Real or perceived inconsistencies, notions of trickery, intimidation, humiliation and demoralising propaganda have no place within any professional accountability system. Conference calls upon Ofsted to withdraw No Notice Inspections and monitoring visits and negotiate notice periods that: • reflect differing circumstances and practical capacities of schools • emphasise the specific role that a head teacher must play at any inspection of their school • enable both schools and inspectors to engage in the process in an
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appropriately prepared, thoughtful and mutually respectful manner and be conducted in a prepared, thoughtful and mutually respectful manner. Hilary Alcock (Proposer) Phil Jones (Seconder) Shropshire Branch and Sandwell Branch Conference calls upon NAHT to use all its influence to impress upon HMCI that intolerance of poor performance must also apply to its inspection teams. Tony Roberts (Proposer) Les Turner (Seconder) Lancashire Branch This Association believes that the school inspection process should be rigorous, fair and constructive. There is no place for insults within such a system and we deplore the recent pejorative comments made about the profession in the media. We find it difficult to understand how such comments lead to progress and the raising of standards for all our pupils. Conference calls on National Executive to work with Ofsted to improve training and guidance for inspectors, focussing particularly on the code of conduct and ‘establishing professional dialogue’. This guidance should then be shared with all public bodies aiming at school improvement. Kenny Frederick (Proposer) Marilyn Downs (Seconder) National Executive The demands placed on leaders by the implementation of the Education Act 2011, both from DfE delivery partners
i i i relating l i to system and by activities leadership, are becoming overwhelming. They risk damaging the health and well-being of these leaders as well as their recruitment and retention. This in turn damages significantly the Government’s credibility. Conference calls on National Executive to lobby the Government and/or the Education Select Committee to commission an urgent and thorough review of these demands, with a view to identifying and removing unacceptable practices and behaviours. Mike Wilson (Proposer) David Fann (Seconder) National Executive
Social media Conference calls on National Executive to press the DfE to investigate the misuse of social media sites and to produce safeguards to protect schools. Paul Woodward (Proposer) Ian Bruce (Seconder) South West Region It is becoming increasingly apparent to schools that some children are being exposed, in their homes, to adult computer/video games and inappropriate material on social networking sites. Conference calls on National Executive to work with the Government to clarify and enhance child protection guidance to aid schools to deal with this appropriately. John Nielsen (Proposer) Adrienne Palmer (Seconder) East Riding Branch
FFuture utture pl planning lanniing ffor or NAHT At a time when school provision is diversifying to the point of fragmentation, Conference urges National Executive to re-emphasise the unifying strength of NAHT, as the only Association representing leaders in all types of schools and settings, including the increasing number of allage academies, cross phase federations and trusts, and to work closely with branches and regions in promoting this both nationally and locally. Rona Tutt (Proposer) Tony Withell (Seconder) Eastern Region Parents and professionals should be natural allies in education. In an age of transparency and choice, the relationship between school leaders and their communities is crucial. We call on the Association to build a new rapport with parents: listening to their concerns and working with them to communicate our beliefs and advance our shared agenda. Marijke Miles (Proposer) Julie Kelly (Seconder) Hampshire Branch
Funding Conference calls upon National Executive to highlight the impact of funding cuts that both compromise the ability of head teachers to lead their schools effectively and which serve to set an unfair context upon which they are judged. Tony Withell (Proposer) Kenny Frederick (Seconder) Secondary Committee / National Executive LF
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MEMBER BENEFITS: NAHT’S SELECTED PARTNERS MESSAGE FROM A SCHOOL PARTNER
Partner contacts High-quality GL assessments The NAHT is committed to negotiating a wide range of high-quality, value-added benefits and services for its members. If you have any comments on the services provided by our affinity partners, please email John Randall, the NAHT’s Head of Marketing and Communications, at john.randall@naht.org.uk
SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS ETEACH Online staff recruitment 0845 226 1906 www.eteach.com Email: support@eteach.com TEMPEST SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY 0800 328 1041 (quote ‘NAHT’) www.tempest-schoolphotography.co.uk GL ASSESSMENT Pupil wellbeing assessment 0845 602 1937 www.gl-assessment.co.uk GL PERFORMANCE Kirkland Rowell Surveys 0191 270 8270 www.kirkland-rowell.com SCHOOLS ADVISORY SERVICE Staff absence insurance 01623 643 555 www.schooladvice.co.uk
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Your retirement is supposed to be the period in your life where you can truly sit back and relax, while enjoying the benefits of your life’s hard work. Yet these days you don’t have to search too hard to come across a media report about pensioners living in poverty. This has often been caused by their pension fund turning out to be worth far less than they had hoped. But another problem is that, upon retiring, they failed to find the best income deal their money-purchase pension fund could buy. According to a joint report by the National Association of Pension Funds and the Pensions Institute in
February 2012, failure to shop around for the best available annuity deal could see you receive 30 per cent less annual pension income, and in some cases up to 50 per cent less. NAHT Personal Financial Services, provided by our chosen commercial partner Skipton Financial Services, offers expert financial advice on how to make the most of your retirement fund. Skipton Financial Services, with its dedicated pension specialists, will always look to find you a better retirement income deal suited to your circumstances. Please call SFS on 0800 012 1248 for more information. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority under registration number 100013, Skipton Financial Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skipton Building Society. MAY/JUNE 2012 ● LEADERSHIP FOCUS 19
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LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MAY/JUNE 2012
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VIEWPOINT
RONA TUTT R Columnist C
Collaboration is the key A patchwork quilt school system could lead to something coherent
SHUTTERSTOCK
T
he diversification of the school system shows no sign of slowing down. The latest additions – Studio Schools and University Technical Colleges (UTCs) – will cater for 14-19 year olds. Studios are small, having around 300 students, and deliver the national curriculum through project-based learning. Each student has a personal coach and works with local employers, to help bridge the gap between school and work. Employer partners so far include hospitals, universities, Essex Police, the Royal Opera House and the Disney Corporation. UTCs, meanwhile, are the brainchild of former education secretary Kenneth Baker, who would like to see 200-300 within the next decade. Two have opened so far, with 17 more in the pipeline, including one at Silverstone race track. Specialisms range from motorsport to marine engineering. Adding to this diversity, the 164 grammar schools that managed to hold out against comprehensive education are now being allowed to increase in size, although not in number. That said, some are planning to create ‘satellites’ in neighbouring towns, so another new pattern could be emerging. As well as schools becoming increasingly diverse, many are working in partnership through being co-located, forming federations or trusts, or becoming part of chains. These collaborations often go across former boundaries. There are co-located primary, special and secondary schools; town-wide trusts that include all the schools in a locality; and at least one example of a federation based on an FE college, which has secondary academies, a studio school, a UTC, and a prep school that will become a free school, under its wing. Unsurprisingly, the Government seems interested in chains of academies, and identifies three types: the multi-academy trust model, where there is a single trust; an umbrella model, where schools keep their own trusts, but have an overarching trust; and a collaborative partnership, where schools simply agree on any informal arrangements they make. Some academy chains have expressed a desire to become ‘super chains’, running hundreds, or even thousands of schools. And it is not just chains that are becoming bigger. The first ‘titan’ schools for more than 1,000 primary pupils, or
21 RT column.indd 21
3,500 secondary students, are being created. But among this patchwork quilt of schools, where any sense of overall design is in danger of being lost, the saving grace is that most school leaders believe that the best way to move their schools forward is to work with colleagues in other establishments, whether through becoming a teaching school, being a national support school, having a specialism to share, running an extended school programme, or being part of a federation, trust or chain. This is the thread that will knit schools together, creating some coherence and providing a richness of opportunity for staff and students through collaborative working.
Most school leaders believe the best way to move their schools forward is to work with colleagues in other establishments
Unforeseen consequences One consequence of all this is that with a bulge in pupil population and the growth of free schools, in particular, finding suitable premises has become problematic. One possibility that’s been mooted is to use DfE offices. This does have a certain appeal. Perhaps the head offices of both the DfE and Ofsted could host exemplar schools to demonstrate how it should be done. The teaching staff could be provided by ministers, civil servants and inspectors, so that they could gain a better understanding of teaching and test out ideas in the classroom before imposing them on the rest of us. Of course, there would have to be some means of inspecting these schools and ensuring they were not underperforming. NAHT, as the largest union for school leaders in Europe, would be ideally placed to fulfil this role. Rona Tutt is a retired head teacher and a Past President of the NAHT
17/5/12 15:39:39
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VIEWPOINT
RUSSELL HOBBY R Columnist C
Strengthening the links The General Secretary presents a joined-up vision for school improvement t our annual conference in Harrogate we discussed four big changes that are designed to secure the long-term future of the Association. While we have achieved many successes, the world we face demands different ways of working to achieve our enduring mission – protecting not just your career, but your vision and values for a better education system.
A
SHUTTERSTOCK
Four challenges for the NAHT Our first challenge is to make branches our ‘centre of gravity’ and ensure we are a genuinely democratic organisation. There is a growing void of support for school leaders that we need to fill. We want to delegate more power to the regions to develop our training; identify where branches need support and provide it quickly. We also want to provide more resources to help you campaign and recruit locally. We also need to set out properly what the role of the branch is and how it is best delivered – including models of branch leadership that recognise growing workloads. We would welcome your ideas on how we can help branches more. The second challenge is centred around how we appeal to the next generation of leaders – a generation with different needs and expectations and less natural affinity with trade union life. I believe the best way to preserve our tradition and character, while renewing our appeal, is to take advantage of technology to get over the hurdles of time and attention – a virtual branch could be the answer. Change number three is that we need to build an alliance with parents and families if we want to put forward our view in a world of choice, parent power and transparency. This seems common sense, but we must consider some of the implications: we need to listen as much as talk, and parents will not have time for excuses or criticism. Nonetheless, we have a lot in common. It takes schools and families working together to build a good education system. The fourth challenge is an extension of our
work in protecting school leaders – it is to help each other improve our schools. Rather than face accusations of defensiveness, or to pick up the pieces of careers when they’ve gone wrong, we need to show that no-one is more ambitious for children than school leaders, and we need to lift the threats from members in the first place. This is why we need to be involved in school improvement. We have the talent we need in our membership to prove that a collaborative and constructive vision of school improvement is the one that works.
We can prove that a collaborative and constructive vision of school improvement is one that works
Let us know what you think None of these changes are ‘done deals’, although we are starting quickly on a pilot of the schoolimprovement approach so that we can help schools from September – the threats are too urgent for us to wait. But I do want to hear your thoughts. Please email me (russell.hobby@naht.org.uk) or discuss these ideas at your next branch meeting. The changes are founded on the passion that drives the profession. They reinforce our ambition and commitment. They protect by preventing threats at source. They take our voice to new audiences and they strengthen the bonds between us. They show that there is no conflict between the interests of our profession and the needs of our pupils. Russell Hobby is NAHT General Secretary MAY/JUNE 2012 ● LEADERSHIP FOCUS 23
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QUESTION CORNER
LOUISE EDWARDS Head of Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development (SOLD)
WHAT TYPE OF PERSON ARE YOU? Describe yourself in five words: Positive, driven, straighttalking [too much sometimes], decisive, passionate. What’s top of your to-do list? Doing all I can to promote SOLD as an outdoor learning provider in the South East. What’s your favourite biscuit? Chocolate-covered ginger nuts. What’s your top holiday destination? New Zealand. What wouldn’t you do for £1 million? Be Prime Minister. Who would play you in the film of your life? Sigourney Weaver.
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES
HEADS
UP If you would like to take the LF questionnaire, email us at naht@redactive.co.uk
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SHUTTERSTOCK/NEIL TURNER
Three NAHT members take up the Leadership Focus challenge to describe their leadership style and tell us a joke
The celebrity I’d most like to have as a teacher at my school is Dame Ellen MacArthur. That woman could teach a thing or two about overcoming challenge, learning from experience and working co-operatively with others. I love the fact that as well as being totally driven, she is also human with real emotion which she is not afraid to express. As a child I wanted to grow up to be a member of the Olympic eventing equestrian team, just like the lead character in my favourite film, International Velvet. I have watched it a million times and I know all the words. I have always been obsessed with horses. The best excuse I’ve heard is? I hate excuses. I went into education because outdoor education had the most powerful impact on me as a young person and gave me the confidence and self-esteem to do anything. I want all young people to experience feeling good about themselves and have a positive attitude to overcoming challenge and achieving their potential. A quality outdoor learning experience can be life changing. My most embarrassing moment in school was sitting on a stool at the front of the class which I thought was there and turns out it wasn’t. It really hurt. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s never ‘carry’ consistently poor performers, but always make the effort to reward and value the good ones. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but when my husband’s away, my labrador Dexter sleeps on the bed. Tell us your best joke Q: What’s the difference between sheep and outdoor education teachers? A: Sheep only have one fleece!
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PAULINE PUDDICOMBE
GEORGE FORD
Business manager, New Rush Hall School, Ilford, Essex
Head teacher (Executive) Federation of Abbey Schools, Darlington
WHAT TYPE OF PERSON ARE YOU?
WHAT TYPE OF PERSON ARE YOU?
Describe yourself in five words: Resilient, adaptable, but sometimes forgetful. What’s top of your to-do list? To complete my Masters in education business management, which I am doing part time at Manchester Metropolitan University. I’d also like to get really fit, but I just don’t have the time. What’s your favourite biscuit? Good-quality shortbread. What’s your top holiday destination? Anywhere with a beach, a blue sea, good book and no mobile phone! Barbados was great and the people very warm and welcoming. What wouldn’t you do for £1 million? Sell my children (maybe…). Who would play you in the film of your life? Jane Fonda.
Describe yourself in five words: Calm, cool, crazy, confident, caring. What’s top of your to-do list? This questionnaire at the minute! What’s your favourite biscuit? Shortbread. What’s your top holiday destination? A small part of Northumberland – I have camped there every year since 1959 with many friends. What wouldn’t you do for £1 million? Give up drinking cups of tea. Who would play you in the film of your life? George Clooney, or possibly George Cole.
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES The celebrity I’d most like to have as a teacher at my school is Kimani Maruge – he was the oldest person to start primary school (at 84) after the Kenyan Government announced free education in 2003. Sadly, he’s no longer with us, but someone like Kimani could create a deeper appreciation for the value of education. As a child I wanted to grow up to be in the army. I found it easy to take charge of family arrangements and activities for my brothers and my sister. I liked being in charge. The best excuse I’ve heard is “I can’t go to school today, my goldfish is poorly.” I went into schools because I could use my skills and knowledge to make a real difference and have an impact. My most embarrassing moment in school was leaving home in a hurry wearing odd shoes… both black fortunately. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s to work hard at relationships. One of my most valued friendships evolved from an initial meeting in which there was strong disagreement and argument. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but the boiler room is my one place of solace on those really tough days. Tell us your best joke Teacher: “Why are you the only one in class today?’ Pupil: “Because I didn’t eat the school dinner yesterday!”
I can’t go to school today, my goldfish is poorly
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES The celebrity I’d most like to have as a teacher at my school is Bruce Forsyth, a real all rounder and ‘nice to see you, to see you nice’ would be a good start to the day. As a child I wanted to grow up to be a policeman or someone in a uniform. The best excuse I’ve heard is “My daughter is stuck in the rabbit hutch.” I went into teaching because I realised that the more I taught the more I would learn. This never-ending cycle continues – I’m still teaching and still learning. My most embarrassing moment in school was writing a note to a governor. He was only about five feet in height, certainly not very tall. I signed off: ‘See you shorty’. Luckily, he had a sense of humour and realised I meant ‘shortly’. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s not your circumstances it’s how you respond to them. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I once managed to lock myself in a toilet at Covent Garden and needed to ring my female colleague to rescue me. She was sightseeing with 16 Chinese exchange children at the time so I was very grateful she was able to help. Tell us your best joke An inflatable boy lived in an inflatable town and went to an inflatable school with inflatable teacher. One day he stuck a pin in the town, school and teacher. When the head caught him the boy stuck the pin in himself. The head sighed, and told him: “You’ve let the town down, the school down, the teacher down and now you’ve let yourself down!”
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THINGS WE’VE LEARNED
STRANGE BUT INNOVATIVE FUNDING IDEAS
PE FOCUS
Need cash? Sell your school
Sit up and listen...
Pupils at Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, gave their school leaders a shock recently when they put the school up for sale. Headmaster Chris Peel admitted that he was more than a little worried when he saw the ‘for sale’ signs erected at the front of the school on his way into work. Sixth-form pupils at the school organised the prank,
A US primary school has put PE equipment in classrooms to give the children ‘brain breaks’. Workout benches have been placed in three of the classrooms at Bauder Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colorado, to allow teachers to give their children breaks every 20 minutes in order to get the blood flowing and the brain stimulated. The idea was proposed by PE teacher Chris West, who used a combination of school funds, grant money and external donations to pay for the equipment. Mr West was recently honoured at the White House with the ‘Let’s Move Champion of Change’ award for his innovative PE ideas. “It’s built into our DNA that we want to play,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with having fun in class. We can learn and have fun at the same time.” So far, teachers and pupils at the school say that the brain breaks are making a difference to their learning by improving concentration and raising energy levels.
E L A S FOR
N A V I L L SU OOL SCH
joking that they needed all the money they could get to pay for their high university tuition fees. Head boy Adam Lyttle said: “It’s traditional for the schoolleavers to play a few pranks and we thought seeing Sullivan put up for sale would give the headmaster a panic. “We love the school and we have enjoyed our time there but our university fees are so high we had to do something to get the money. All good offers will be considered,” he joked.
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EARLY LEARNING
‘Genius’ girl joins Mensa Heidi Hankins has been accepted into Mensa before she has even started school. By the age of two, she could count to 40, draw pictures of people and was reading books for seven-year-olds. By three she could add and subtract and write in full sentences. Then, as a result of comments from staff at her nursery that remarked on her intelligence, the four-year-old sat an IQ test and scored 159 – one point below scientist Stephen Hawking and five points higher than Countdown’s Carol Vorderman (both Mensa members). Heidi’s father, a lecturer at the University of Southampton, hopes that she will be allowed to skip a school year so that she can be challenged academically.
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TRUE
Since the last LF, we’ve learned there’s an easy way to contact Michael Gove and that you may need to polish your rap skills… HOW TO CONTACT MICHAEL GOVE
A new meaning for ‘air mail’
DOWN WITH THE KIDS
ISTOCK
Teachers use rap for end-of-course revision A group of teachers at a school in Missouri has created a rap video to help and encourage students to revise for their end of course (EOC) exams. The video, which was posted to YouTube, features teachers from Jennings Senior High School clad in hoodies, baseball caps and sunglasses. It shows them rapping about their subjects, which include Maths, English, History and Biology and giving advice on terms like mitosis, osmosis and photosynthesis. The Hustle Hard for the EOC video was played to students in an assembly where they were then challenged to produce their own song to compete with the faculty’s one. The teachers’ lyrics include: “Mitosis and meiosis ain’t the same thing homie, one m makin’ babies th other makin’ the c copies.” In another v verse, maths t teachers chant: “ “Maths is a f friend to me, h helps to make s some money. So each day you see me I will be doing my work in all my classes, learning real well so I am passing.”
A primary school pupil has received a reply from Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove after a note he launched attached to a helium balloon landed outside the DfE offices in Westminster. The message, which detailed five-year-old Eddie Nicholls’ interests and hobbies, was released along with other notes from fellow classmates from Halstow Primary School in Greenwich, London, in March. Nearly a month later, Eddie received a letter from Mr Gove saying how the MP was delighted to receive post in such an unusual way. He added that he also likes Star Wars and included information about a film he recently went to see with his own children. News of the letter came after Eddie’s dad posted a copy of Mr Gove’s letter on Twitter. It has been reported that Eddie was one of only a few children to receive replies, and that he was “thrilled” by the response, although Mr Nicholls added that Eddie doesn’t actually know who Mr Gove is.
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BEHIND THE HEADLINES MEMBER SURVEY
Member benefits An NAHT membership survey reveals widespread satisfaction – but not all members are aware of all the benefits it can offer. By Steve Smethurst
I
n December last year, a membership survey was sent to more than 23,000 NAHT members in order to gauge satisfaction levels over the past 12 months. Overall, the findings were extremely positive (see below). What became clear was that the most important reason people join – and the main reason they’d recommend a friend – are the core services offered by the Association. As John Randall, NAHT’s Head of Marketing and Communication, says: “Our professional support and advice are the overriding reason why people join and that came through clearly in the survey.”
But what was also evident was that some members are unaware of the full range of benefits their membership provides. Here, we talk to four of the key people at NAHT headquarters in terms of making sure you are well served by your membership. If, as a result of this article, you would like to recommend the NAHT to a colleague, please direct them to www.naht.org. uk/welcome/join-now By encouraging them to join you will strengthen your own senior leadership team and increase the political voice of the NAHT, which will make its already effective campaigning and negotiating that much more successful.
Membership satisfaction survey: key highlights* Happy with individual legal support/representation: 98% Happy with advice on pay and conditions: 98% Happy with advice on occupational pensions: 98% Happy with advice on education management and employment: 98% Satisfied with the training courses you’ve attended: 93% Satisfied with NAHT campaigns over the past 12 months: 84% Likely to continue with membership: 92% Would recommend NAHT to a friend: 86% *Further details will appear in Leadership Links. See page 8 to sign up.
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Campaigning for change LESLEY GANNON NAHT Head of Research and Policy Development HER VIEW
Members aren’t always aware, but we’re working hard on their behalf. We’re campaigning on assessment and pensions; we’re also fighting on forced academies, Ofsted and pay. Each of those has national, regional and local dimensions.With pensions, for example, a lot happens at a national level. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of what is going on is confidential while positions are formed by the Government. There have been in-depth discussions about what assessment needs to look like in the future too. Sometimes, it can seem like things have gone quiet, but it just means the negotiations have moved into a new phase that involves assessing proposals and fine detail. We also talk with other trade unions as we like to build a coalition on certain issues if we can. All this takes time because we need to build in consultation with the membership too. If you take a campaign like Ofsted or forced academies, as well as the very detailed discussions nationally with senior Ofsted officials, we’re involved in supporting, challenging and campaigning on behalf of individual members where they’ve had a problem with an inspection. Where appropriate, we’ll ensure it’s raised at a national level. It might be that a certain area has a rogue inspector and we can put in a collective complaint to Ofsted on their behalf. And in cases where schools have been inappropriately targeted for academisation we get
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Advice and representation john hakes NAHT Director of Representation and Advice
pa
HIS view
involved in fighting their case. So, from ministerial meetings to individual members who are struggling with a local authority or government agency, our campaigning work goes across the board. In all this, our members are vital. We depend on you to tell us what’s going on in their regions.We’re a representative body, and the first gauntlet the Government or any external agency will throw down to us, is ‘How can you demonstrate that you’re talking on behalf of members?’ If we can respond that 10,000 members have answered a survey or that 5,000 have emailed us – it strengthens our negotiating position. So much depends on winning public opinion and it becomes something of a ‘numbers game’.That’s why we need members to show us they’re behind us – either by filling in a consultation
document, responding to an email survey or writing to their MP. We’ve achieved a lot already and we’re determined to build on our success.We fought for a national review of assessment, and although we’re still not where we want to be, the work continues.We’ve had a major impact on the way children are assessed at KS2 and upon successive Ofsted frameworks.We’ve had measurements altered, Ofsted guidance re-written, judgements overturned and protected individual schools from becoming academies. The pensions argument’s not over yet either.While we haven’t yet got everything we want, the Government has moved a long way from its starting point, which is a direct result of our industrial action and some hard negotiations. We’ve saved a lot of money for our members and we’re not done yet.
Our department includes regional officers, solicitors and the specialist advice team. We offer advice that will assist members to manage their schools – and we also represent them on issues that affect them. But it’s our triage system that sets us apart from other unions – nine out of 10 members have said they find it convenient. The approach is like a hospital’s A&E department. Calls are answered at a first level and then passed higher if necessary. It allows us to deal quickly and effectively with the majority of queries as our specialist assistants pass the more complex issues on to our specialist advisers. Where employment is at risk, calls will normally be passed to a regional officer – who will typically respond within two working days. We also have an in-house legal team that deals with regulatory referrals and tribunal or court cases. We receive 250 calls a week from members during term time and our statistics show that 97 per cent felt their question had been answered in an acceptable time. Calls can relate to Ofsted, the disciplinary process, exclusions, admissions, academy status or parental complaints.We have also put advice online at www.naht.org.uk If you need help, call 0300 30 30 333 – 92 per cent of members have rated the service as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Lines are open 8am-6pm MondayThursday and 8am-5pm on Fridays. CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 ➧ MAy/June 2012 l Leadership Focus 29
BEHIND THE HEADLINES MEMBER SURVEY
Commercial partnerships JOHN RANDALL NAHT Head of Marketing and Communication HIS VIEW
The member satisfaction survey showed that the services offered by our commercial partners are really valued by members. We’ve set up a balanced portfolio of services for members – such as motor, home and travel insurance. While we never say they’re the cheapest, they do represent good value. As part of our negotiations, we ensure there is something ‘value added’. For example, with our car insurance from Aviva, they automatically include business use for our members, so there’s no extra premium. Or with CS Healthcare’s medical insurance, it includes cover for stress and psychiatric treatment. Mental health is a big issue for members, so it’s included for no extra premium. In terms of services for schools, the absence insurance has been developed over a number of years in consultation with the providers. All our services are reviewed regularly and within the contracts there are ongoing meetings to iron out any issues and to make sure developments are taken on board. One of the services that is particularly highly valued is financial advice offered by Skipton Financial Services. We often see this taken up as members come towards the end of their career. It also ties in with our professional advice team, as they deliver seminars alongside Skipton on ‘planning for the future’ – we don’t just say ‘here’s a commercial company, talk to them’. It’s not just selling members a 30
The satisfaction survey showed that the services offered by our commercial partners are really valued by members
financial service, it may be looking at flexible working as they wind down towards retirement, or even working after retirement. We look after them while they’re members and after retirement, as our life members are very highly valued. People need to know that their money is working for them. Some services are particularly relevant to our school business manager members. For example, in terms of absence insurance, there’s a 5 per cent discount for NAHT
members. The Assure service is very important too; it grew out of concern our members expressed about the demise or deterioration in the quality of services provided by local authorities due to Government cutbacks. We decided to be proactive, went out to tender and came up with Assure, which concentrates on four areas, finance, payroll, HR and health and safety. They’re the four pillars in terms of services that schools would previously have bought in. Again, it’s relevant to our SBM members, and we would urge them to look at it as part of their tendering process. We think it’s unique – it allows schools to buy into services when they want to and to a level they want. It’s very flexible and we expect it to grow in the years ahead, as more schools, for whatever reason, become academies and have greater freedom to buy from non-traditional services.
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ALAMY
Courses and consultancy JULIE COLLICK NAHT Learning and Development Manager HER VIEW
Feedback on our courses is very good – our survey response rate is 57 per cent and 97 per cent of those surveyed are very pleased. What we’re keen to find out is why more people don’t access them. As members will see from their next issue of Professional Development magazine, from September we’re introducing four new courses – on governance, assessment, curriculum reform and new models of headships. When we plan our courses we always look to see what’s
coming over the hill. We collect suggestions from both our policy team and the specialist adviser team who respond to member calls. I also have regular meetings with our regional training representatives. They collect suggestions from branches and officials and, on a termly basis, we pool all our suggestions. We then work in groups to decide what priorities should be. Recently, there has been a focus on Ofsted and one of our trainers is an inspector who gives our delegates an insight into what her fellow inspectors are looking for. She was delivering training for the NAHT within a few days of her own briefing on how the new framework would operate. We always try to put on courses around the country – recent ones have been in Sheffield, Taunton, Warrington, Durham and Cardiff. But we have also introduced a bespoke consultancy service. It sounds grand, but basically members invite us to their school, branch or cluster and we supply them with training. It’s at their venue so it’s local delivery and accessible. If they can have a big group then it becomes very good value for money. We also ensure we look after key groups, such as SBMs, and we’re looking to complement the training that’s available from the National College. More than 1,400 members took one of our courses last year and I’d really like to see that figure rise. If anyone would like to join a focus group to help us prioritise course suggestions, they can email me at julie.collick@naht.org.uk if they are interested. I should also point out that the cost of courses is going up from September to £225 for members and £250 for non-members. The consultancy is price on application as it depends on location, the trainer and other variables.
Case study: pensions What could have been a disaster for one member, and has implications for members in the future, has been averted as a result of the efforts of the Specialist Advice and Legal teams of the NAHT. Teachers’ Pensions (TP) refused a member’s initial application for ill-health retirement on the basis that it did not meet the strict timelimits for an ‘in-service’ application. The reason it gave was that the contractual notice period of three months was ‘not pensionable’. It claimed that the notice period was, in fact, a ‘payment in lieu of notice’ which had been paid by the employer in three monthly instalments. As a result, the NAHT member was treated as an ‘out of service’ application, which has a much tougher criterion which few teachers suffering ill health would ever meet. The member was therefore refused access to his retirement benefits. NAHT appealed the decision; and the Secretary of State agreed to extend the time-limit in this particular case, but TP continued its assertion. Naturally, in view of the fact that a member was losing three months’ reckonable service for pension purposes, and the decision had implications for members, NAHT continued to press. Fortunately, on a second appeal, the DfE conceded that TP’s interpretation was incorrect and that the contractual notice period should be treated as pensionable employment. Not only is this a win for some members now, but also a successful outcome for other members finding themselves in the difficult position of facing ill-health retirement in the future. MAY/JUNE 2012 ● LEADERSHIP FOCUS
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SCHOOL INSPECTION
Fay Schopen reports on the disappointment felt by school leaders in Ofsted and its new chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw (pictured)
M
ention Ofsted to a head teacher, and you’re likely to get a colourful response. “If I was granted three wishes and one of them involved Ofsted, I would abolish it,” says Tony Roberts, the NAHT’s Lancashire branch secretary. Tony concedes that his viewpoint may be extreme, but he adds that he is making a valid point: “We need a fair and robust way to evaluate schools and it is not the current Ofsted model.” Tony is by no means alone in this criticism. When a consultation on a new school inspection framework for September 2012 was announced, the response from teaching professionals was muted. Many of its proposals, including no-notice inspections, the replacement of the ‘satisfactory/ notice to improve’ categories with one category of ‘requires improvement’ and the requirement for all outstanding schools to have outstanding ratings for both teaching and learning, have been greeted with dismay by school leaders. While there is almost universal consensus among head teachers that schools should be held to account for what they do, Tony voices a common criticism: “The perception is that Ofsted will come into a school, produce a critical report and then leave.” As for appealing against a negative judgement, forget it. “Your chances of winning are as likely as Richard Dawkins becoming Pope,” he says. Part of the problem, says Tony, lies with sub-standard Ofsted inspection teams. Inspectors’ performance should be measured, he suggests, via internal appraisals of the teams which look at a number of factors, including how well inspection team members listen to and relate to school staff. He also suggests that schools be given appraisal sheets to fill
GUARDIAN / STEVE SMETHURST
CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 ➧
“The perception is that Ofsted will produce a critical report and then leave” Tony Roberts
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Education Conference 2012
Leading your Learning Environment: Meeting the Challenge Ahead Early unt Friday 19 October – The Midland Hotel, Manchester Friday 16 November – The Senate House, London
o disc il bird ble unt la avai June 30
Book your place now at www.naht.org.uk/lf-ec2012 or phone Events on 01444 472 405
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SCHOOL INSPECTION in at the end of every Ofsted inspection. “You could ask: ‘Did the team treat you professionally? Did they allow you to present and explain your own data? Did you feel the appraisal was a fair reflection of the school?’,” he suggests. He is also calling for schools to be given a choice of inspection teams, suggesting they could look at the credentials of a number of teams and, based on an allocated budget, choose a team they felt was suitable to assess their school. The free market, he points out, would help to root out poor performance. “If you have a well-respected system of appraisal, schools will accept it. Schools who are doing well will feel appreciated, and schools who are not will accept that and get on with improving things,” he says. Beth Miller, head teacher of Belgrave St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Leicester, agrees. “All schools need to be challenged, and we are accountable, quite rightly.” However, she points out that the proposed change from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘requires improvement’ will damage the morale of staff, pupils and parents. “Everyone has been working hard, so to be told you require improvement is demoralising.” She suggests that the category of ‘requires improvement’ be replaced with a more positive category of ‘improving’ instead. “That recognises the effort that has been put in, not just from teachers but from the children as well,” she says. Ofsted also needs to be reformed to become a more positive body. “Ofsted inspectors should look for the good first, then pick out targets to move forward,” Beth adds. For example, the future trajectory of a school should be taken into account during inspections. “Schools need adequate time to catch up fully – on paper, they may stay in the ‘satisfactory’ category, but in the future they will move up. “In a couple of years, our school is predicted to be above floor targets, for example. It would be good for Ofsted to recognise this.” She is also calling on Ofsted to judge teaching by using an average of teacher ratings, rather than the rating of the poorest teacher. “It’s a race to the bottom, and a judgement isn’t given on the majority of teaching,” she says.
A continuous relationship Steve Iredale, the new NAHT President and the head teacher of Athersley South Primary School in Barnsley, says he would also like to see an Ofsted inspection become a more positive experience. He suggests Ofsted focuses on how schools can do better by working closely with them to help set up improvement initiatives. “At the moment, Ofsted is something that’s done to us,” he says. Instead, he proposes that Ofsted identifies areas to be developed in a school, and help the school set up a programme of change.
“Inspectors should look for the good first, then pick out targets to move forward”
‘IT WAS SUCH A STRESSFUL TIME’ Les Turner, NAHT Lancashire casework officer “I was inspected four times during my career as a head teacher. Absence rates among staff always increased dramatically after an inspection. It was such a stressful time, it was very difficult to motivate staff because they were so worn out and lethargic. “The suggestion that they bring in no-notice inspections is a very bad one. Staff will be on tenterhooks, expecting a phone call at any time. “The stakes are so high, because if they find anything wrong the blame always lies at the door of the head teacher. “A very highly regarded head teacher locally in a good school with good results has just had her school put into a category. The school is her life. She’s been broken by the experience. “Ofsted was one of the reasons I decided to retire early. My last Ofsted report was good but where do you go from there? It was clear to me that 90 per cent of Ofsted decisions are made before an inspection team even sets foot in a school. Their decisions are based on the data they have on the school, so your goose is cooked from day one. “If you asked head teachers who’ve taken early retirement for the main reason they chose to do it, Ofsted would be high up on the list. We are losing a large pool of highly experienced, professional people, and with the proposals in the pipeline, the situation will only get worse.”
“They could identify two or three key areas where a school needs to improve – for example, children not reaching required reading standards – and then outline a number of ways to address the issue, such as using tracking systems, looking at other schools that have done well, or offering further training for staff,” he says. This would mean that the relationship with Ofsted and the school would be a continuous one, with an Ofsted team returning to check on improvements and remaining in touch with the school throughout the process. “The head teacher could pick up the phone and have a conversation,” he says. Phil Jones, the head teacher of Oakham Primary School in Sandwell, echoes Steve’s comments: “Ofsted ought to be more supportive and work with schools in a partnership role. “We have a chief inspector who has likened himself to Dirty Harry. He might think that’s positive, but as a fictional character Dirty Harry had to deal with low-life
Beth Miller CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 ➧ MAY/JUNE 2012 ● LEADERSHIP FOCUS
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SCHOOL INSPECTION
‘ANTAGONISTIC INSPECTION’
in place to deal with complaints. An ombudsman, perhaps appointed by a committee of head teachers, would ensure inspection teams were monitored robustly and strongly, he says.
Peer review and support Marilyn Downs, head teacher of the Bollin Primary School in Altrincham, Cheshire “My experience of Ofsted has been variable. Depending on the team that walks through your door, you can get a different evaluation each time. “It’s very important that inspection teams know the context. Our school is located in a leafy suburb, but we have pupils who live in temporary accommodation and pupils who live in social housing. You get one impression of the school on the way in, so you need to know the children and you need to know the context in which the school is operating. “There are some very good inspectors, but there are also some without sufficient experience. On one inspection we had a team in who had no experience of early years. We ended up having quite a dialogue and a debate about the baseline. It was antagonistic. “This is the problem with inspections – they often don’t have room for a debate on improvement, so sometimes the school is left without motivation or engagement. There is a mindset now from the Secretary of State and from HMCI that is bullying, bombastic and is doing schools down. “I would advise anyone faced with an inspection to do their best. I don’t think anybody should be in fear if they are trying their hardest. And you need to have high morale in the staffroom. If I’ve got my staff working with me we can face anything as a team.”
criminals. In one fell swoop, he’s criminalised the whole of the education system.” He would like to see more joined-up thinking when it comes to Ofsted judgements. He says: “We’ve had decent reports and we’re a good school, but it would be good for Ofsted to accept the context of the school and the background of the pupils. More account needs to be taken of these factors. At the moment the judgements don’t tie up. For example, if kids are hard to teach but they are making satisfactory progress, that’s down to good teaching, not satisfactory teaching.” He also agrees with Beth Miller, and is calling for an ‘improving school’ category to be added. “Rather than everything being a negative I would like to see Ofsted offering advice and support. There should be more assessment and tracking systems in place. They should be framing questions positively. For example, asking ‘how can you improve the curriculum?’ ‘How can you support younger teachers and newer teachers?’” He is also concerned about the inconsistencies he sees within different inspection teams. “Different inspectors have different approaches,” he says. To tackle this, he suggests an independent monitoring system be put 36
“The Ofsted process should lead to school improvements but at the moment it doesn’t. It leaves people with nothing but bad memories,” says Kenny Frederick, head teacher of George Green’s secondary school in east London. She would also like to see a change to the inspection teams, with practising head teachers seconded to them. She suggests that as part of head teacher contracts, they are given a certain amount of time to spend on the review process. She points out that working, or recently retired, head teachers would bring knowledge and awareness of current teaching practices to bear on inspections. “Some subject inspections are carried out by people who haven’t taught in a classroom for many years,” she says. Kenny is part of an NAHT working group currently forming a set of alternatives to the proposed framework. Although the group is in the early stages, she says there is a clear need for inspection teams to spend longer in schools. “They have to get under the skin of the school and understand what’s going on there,” she says. For example, the social make-up of a school is vital to understanding. “Everyone knows that poverty does affect attainment.” Stephen Kirkpatrick, deputy head teacher at Willowtree Primary School in Salford, agrees that peer-to-peer support would be valuable. “You’d have people who understood your local context, and you’d have people who knew your school and could help and advise on how to move your school forward,” he says. Although there is the expectation that schools work with one another informally, formalising that process could strengthen it, he adds. Like many school leaders, he is concerned by Ofsted’s Parent View website, and would like to remove the anonymity it offers. “You can’t engage with people making the complaints – so where’s the accountability?” He suggests that schools instead carry out two parental surveys a year, although he points out that all schools engage with parents. “It’s part of what we do on a daily basis.” In the words of Kenny Frederick, the majority of school leaders see Ofsted as a “mallet to hit us over the head with”. “The latest suggestions about the new framework to be introduced in September are not practical and show a complete distrust in heads and teachers,” she says. “Trying to catch us out is not a professional approach.”
“At the moment, Ofsted is something that’s done to us” Steve Iredale
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Neglect is the most common form of child abuse The 1933 law on neglect is basic and out of date It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prevent neglect and leaves children at risk
Help us keep children safe Join our campaign to change the law Text neglect3 and your email address to 88080 or visit www.actionforchildren.org.uk/neglectlawchange
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FORCED ACADEMIES
Forcing the issue Fay Schopen reports on the NAHT’s efforts to fight the forced conversion of improving schools into academies
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rather than central government, you have more chance of pushing back on the decision. And third, come up with a credible alternative of your own. “If you have an idea about how you could take your school forward put it out there,” Russell says, citing alternative school models such as co-operatives and trusts. He adds that many academies have been able to pick their own sponsors, giving them some control over the process.
Fighting back Keith Rogers, Joint Secretary of the NAHT in Leeds, says head teachers facing compulsory change have been left “utterly confused and concerned about their futures”. The numbers of schools in Leeds being pushed to convert to academies is unclear. He says it could be seven or eight or as many as 23. But head teachers at affected schools have been taking NAHT advice and are fighting back. “A few schools have challenged the data, and at least one has been successful,” Keith says. “We are keeping the pressure on the local authority to keep supporting schools.” So far, three schools have applied for sponsored academy status. “On the whole they’ve managed to choose their own sponsor, or work with the local CONTINUED ON PAGE 40 ➧
ALAMY
“
Schools that should be being celebrated are being forced down the academy route.” That, in the words of Russell Hobby, the NAHT’s General Secretary, is the major problem with the Government’s plans to convert 200 of England’s worst-performing schools to academies. The plans have left many school leaders angry and confused, as they believe that academy status is not the right choice for their school. “We’re not here to defend underperformance,” says Russell. “There are times when you need to make a change. But there are some good, strong schools that are being picked up when they shouldn’t be.” The situation is confusing. There is no written list of the schools targeted, so local authorities and central government are often speaking at cross purposes – and in many cases, says Russell, the Ofsted data on which the decision for forced conversion is based is flawed (see panel, page 41). Russell advises members who do not want to become an academy to adopt a threepronged strategy. First, question the data. “The data isn’t always right. Find out what data they have used and produce your own to contest it,” he says. Second, find out who is driving the decision – if it’s the local authority, LEADERSHIP FOCUS ● MAY/JUNE 2012
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‘There are times when you need to make a change. But there are some good, strong schools that are being picked up when they shouldn’t be’
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FORCED ACADEMIES
authority to do so,” says Keith. However, he adds that the schools were forced into becoming academies. “None of those three would have chosen that route if it hadn’t been for the Government programme. It’s unnecessary – we have a strong tradition already of working collaboratively with schools in Leeds. This is a really stressful time for our members – they’re in a no-win situation.” In Birmingham, 60 schools are being forced to convert to academies. 40
Sandra Bailey, the NAHT’s Birmingham Branch Secretary, likens the movement to a “steam train”. “The data shows that the schools have made huge strides and are above floor targets. They are being coerced,” she
‘There is no evidence at all that becoming an academy is a silver bullet to success’
says. And local authority cuts have affected the campaign against forced academies. Sandra says the local authority does not have the capacity to deal with what is going on. But she says that members will continue to lobby against forced conversion. “Schools will continue to improve as they have done over the past 10 years,” she says. “But what the forced academies programme looks like is the dismantling of our education system. This is a political dogma rather than an educational viewpoint.”
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In Stoke-on-Trent, six schools have been told they must convert to academies. Derek Gray, the NAHT Branch Secretary, says head teachers were “appalled” at the news. “They were all aware there were issues with their schools, but this has made solving them more difficult,” he says. Of these, four have selected sponsors, one is in the process of becoming a federation trust school – which means the existing governing body will stay at the school – and one school is fighting back. “It should not have been picked,” says Derek. “There is no evidence at all that becoming an academy is a silver bullet to success.”
Seeking support There have been some victories, however. Derek says that the suggestion that vacancies for head teachers should be advertised nationally has been rejected. And he urges schools to continue to campaign against forced conversion. “Contact your governing body and get them involved, contact your union officers and the NAHT and get support from them,” he says. “We are standing strongly behind our members and pushing back with them all the way,” says Lesley Gannon, the NAHT’s Head of Research and Policy Development. She points out that there are other collaborative models that schools should look at as alternatives to academies. “There are schools that are struggling to find resources, especially with local authority cuts,” she notes. “So get involved in your local NAHT branch, meet other heads and get some fresh perspectives and new ideas. The co-operative movement is doing some very exciting work. Academies are not the only model.” And most importantly, head teachers should keep fighting. “Lots of our members are shell-shocked,” says Russell. “But we want them to come out fighting, and we want to be there to support them.” The NAHT has produced a tool kit to advise schools facing forced conversion. It is available from www.naht.org.uk
‘THIS IS NOT IN THE CHILDREN’S BEST INTERESTS’ Mike Barnes, head at Flakefleet Primary in Fleetwood From February 2008 until July 2009, Flakefleet Primary School in Fleetwood, Lancashire, was in special measures. The school is in a deprived area, with a 28 per cent turnover rate and 44 per cent of pupils receiving free school meals. But, by July 2009, Ofsted had deemed the school ‘satisfactory’, and by July 2011 its inspectors had judged it to be ‘good, with outstanding features’. Head teacher Mike Barnes says staff were “euphoric” last July when the positive verdict was announced. But two weeks before the end of term, Mike heard that the school had been earmarked for academy status. He chose not to share the news with his happy staff, and the school broke up for summer. “The fact that we’ve worked so hard from 2009 until now – well, to say it was disappointing is an understatement,” he says. When school resumed in September, he discovered that data from between 2005 and 2009 was being used to force Flakefleet to become a sponsored academy. “Because they used data purely from those years, in some of those years we were below floor targets, but our predicted attainment over the next three years is well above floor targets. You can’t turn a school around in six months – all the evidence suggests it takes a significant time,” he says. But throughout meetings with the local authority and the DfE, Mike says he kept an open mind. “We are charged with getting the best for the children in the school and if the academy route is the best route for the children, then my attitude was we would look into it.” Mike and his colleagues went to several meetings and visited a school on the verge of becoming an academy, put forward by the DfE. However, the head teacher there was not positive about the situation. “We are busy people and the Department sent us to a school that didn’t even advocate the process,” Mike says. Eventually, two more schools were put forward for Mike to contact. “I spent a long time talking to the heads, and I could see that academy status was the right thing for them,” he says. One school chose to become an academy because of a lack of support from its local authority, while the other became a sponsored academy within a small group of similar schools. But Mike and the governing body at Flakefleet do not think academy status is the right move for their school. “We don’t feel it’s in the best interests of our children,” he says, pointing out that attainment is on the up. “We have superb staff, great kids and supportive parents. And we are very well supported by our local education authority,” he says. “Converting to a sponsored academy wouldn’t offer any advantage and possibly would have a detrimental effect. It’s a lot of work, and would direct our attentions away from our core role of raising standards. I’ve got a day job – to run the school. This situation has added to my workload.” The school is now waiting for the DfE to make its next move, and Mike is sanguine about the future. “You just carry on. It’s a demanding job, not least because we’ve got a huge building programme. But the children are doing great things. I need to focus on them and their parents. We’re strong enough as a governing body to deal with the next stage, whatever form it comes in.”
‘The fact that we’ve worked so hard from 2009 until now – well, to say it was disappointing is an understatement’
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COMBATING HOMOPHOBIA
The
G-word
Shaun Dellenty can smile about it now, but as a gay school leader it has been a tough journey. Susan Young reports
AKIN FALOPE
C
oming out – albeit accidentally at a staff Christmas party – turned out to be a transformational experience for London deputy head Shaun Dellenty, his primary school, the staff, children and families. Increasingly, it is also transforming the experience of other schools and children. Shaun’s own school days were filled with misery, initially by uncertainty over why he was ‘different’ and later by industrial-scale bullying which began the day he started secondary school. But as an adult, he had put all that behind him. Until, that is, he began to become uncomfortable with the fact that if there was any instance of one child calling another ‘gay’ in the playground, then it was to Shaun that the culprit was brought. “Calling someone gay in that way is a hugely pejorative term, and every time the child was being sent to me to sort it out. I thought two things: that you’re sent to me because I’m the token gay, and that telling them it’s not very nice just doesn’t cover it. “It started to bother me. Effectively what we were saying is that we don’t feel equipped to do this, haven’t had the training or support to deal with it, and these are increasingly big issues. “We’re a very inclusive school, with lots of children with physical needs. If we’re going to be really inclusive there should be an issue around declaring anyone gay in this school. We were tackling everything else, why not this? “So I sought the blessing and experience of my head teacher, Stuart Hayter. He was very supportive and
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reminded me that as school leaders we must be prepared to adopt an unpopular stance sometimes in order to move things forward.”
‘Children are more savvy’ “The same arguments against tackling homophobia have been going round for years: but how many children in our schools in the meantime had suffered as a result of inaction?’’ Shaun, deputy head of Alfred Salter Primary School in Southwark for five years, and one of a tiny handful of openly gay school leaders, adds: “Over the past few years, more children have been questioning their identity. There are more gay characters in the media and children seem to be more savvy. “Children were saying they thought they might be gay, or they liked dressing in their mum’s clothes. I felt awkward about it, and worried that if I got involved it might look as if I was trying to push them one way or the other.” After his unplanned coming out to colleagues – “blurted out” as a response to someone trying to fix him up with a girlfriend – Shaun was interested by the reaction, which was initial shock, followed by acceptance. “Immediately, a number of the children knew I was gay and it wasn’t an issue. Some teaching assistants came to me wanting to know more, which was a positive thing, and I heard a couple of children talking about it: ‘Did you know Shaun’s gay?’ It struck me that it didn’t bother them.” But it was beginning to bother Shaun that despite now being openly gay, he was not being, as he puts it, authentic. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 ➧
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If we were going to be really inclusive there should be an issue around declaring anyone gay. We were tackling everything else, why not this?
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COMBATING HOMOPHOBIA
This feeling was strongest around the issue of homophobic taunting in school. “If five-year-olds were running around saying the N-word you would do something about it. That’s why we needed to talk about it and have more positive images.” When Shaun was growing up positive images were in short supply. The Generation Game’s Larry Grayson and Are You Being Served?’s John Inman were effectively the only representations of gay men on TV. “I knew I was different from the age of four, although I had no word for it and no concrete concept of it. I always knew I preferred men to women. I sometimes heard my parents talk about somebody they knew, like the man over the road who was ‘as queer as a steam train’. By the time I was eight or nine I knew that’s what I was,” he recalls. His primary school was no better, with the young Shaun regarded as odd for his liking of Abba, Eurovision and country dancing. One teacher even told him off for choosing “girls’ books” in the library. But it was Shaun’s first day at secondary school in Leicestershire where the hell really began. “I walked in and people started saying: ‘you’re queer’. “I felt I was in the wrong. If you have got a vulnerable child questioning their identity, hearing that word is damaging. It got to the point that I had to go out with a marker pen every day and cover graffiti on the station wall and by the library and near my house, saying ‘Shaun does this or that’, before my parents saw it. I was petrified my parents would find out. I didn’t think they would take a positive view.” They didn’t (electro-convulsive therapy was mentioned) and after a long period of truancy in the sixth form, Shaun abandoned education. School was the last place he intended to return, and he found some success in acting. But most actors have a fallback option, and it was Shaun’s terminally ill father who suggested that he was a natural at teaching. To his evident surprise, Shaun loved the job and after years of supply work, decided to concentrate on 44
teaching after being offered a job at Alfred Salter. Having come to terms with his own childhood, he had no desire to campaign in any way in school. But his discomfort over the way homophobic bullying was perceived became focused when he discovered that 75 per cent of pupils had experienced someone saying they were gay, and that 65 per cent of staff didn’t think this was pejorative. His head was supportive, the law spoke clearly of the need for equality, and Shaun had heard “rumblings” that Ofsted was interested in the issue. So, Shaun organised an Inset day for all staff in January 2011, and began by showing them a DVD by the lesbian, gay, and bisexual charity Stonewall. “It really got them thinking. I’m not asking anyone with religious beliefs to change their opinion, but children in this school were suffering. If 75 per cent were racially abused we’d be on it like a ton of bricks.” The next part of the session split staff into groups, using Philosophy for Education techniques to discuss being gay and lesbian and how being bullied would feel. “It was very moving. People were very open and could see that children need us to come and do something about it. “Everybody had to role play dealing with situations in the playground when a child says: ‘you’re gay’, and the adult dealing with it remarks that isn’t a nice thing to say. But if you say that, you are saying gay people aren’t nice. There was quite a reaction to that: people saying, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been saying that!’.” The school’s preferred reaction to such incidents is to ask questions such as: ‘Was that what you meant?’ ‘Do you know what that means?’. A little questioning discovers that most children, no matter how young, do understand, says Shaun.
Tackling issues Other schools now ask for help, although Shaun refuses to do all the work for them. “My view is that they should go through the process for themselves,” he says. In another major step, Shaun took an anti-bullying assembly for the KS2 children. He
talked about the results of the pupil survey, that 15 per cent had been bullied for their experience and 75 per cent had been called gay. And he showed a selection of celebrity photos including rugby player Gareth Thomas and singers Will Young and Joe McElderry. He asked the children what they had in common. “Hair?” suggested one child. Shaun explained they were all gay, and took them through what he had gone through as a child. The assembly was followed up with circle time about the use of language, and subsequently became part of other equality work. School policies, including the home-school policy, were rewritten, and the school council came up with its own set of rules. Notably, the school didn’t mark LGBT History week: it did not want to single out this issue but to promote all types of equality. Homophobic bullying incidents dropped immediately by 55 per cent, with just one instance during the past year. “The children will say: we don’t
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If five-yearolds were running around saying the N-word you would do something about it. That’s why we needed to talk about it and have more positive images
say that here,” says Shaun. The school has also noticed a marked rise in Sats results, up from 63 to 95 per cent in literacy and 61 per cent to 92 per cent in numeracy. “It does seem to have had an impact,” says Shaun, adding dryly: “People sometimes assume we’re doing this at the expense of reading and writing, which clearly isn’t the case.”
Family diversity In KS1, the policy is lower-key: there are Stonewall posters showing a diversity of families, including a same-sex couple. “We may say some people have two mummies: it’s very factual. Some people may baulk and say it’s too young to talk about these things with children, but if you’re talking about mums and dads nobody says ‘too young’. Some of this is down to fear and prejudice and some children do have same-sex parents, or gay family members or friends.” To Shaun’s relief, there have been no adverse reactions from parents, and he has had meetings with one or
two who thought their own children might be gay and wanted to know how to help. Initially a reluctant campaigner, Shaun is now taking his methods and message into other schools with his Inclusion for All programme, setting up his own website, speaking at the National College conference in the summer, and trying to build interest in a documentary on the subject. “It’s something I’d encourage all schools to look at. You’ve got to be honest with yourselves, and there is a discussion to be had. I’ve got colleagues working in faith schools, and majority Muslim schools, and that doesn’t mean it can’t be done in those places either. You just have to get over the message that you respect everybody, whatever they are. We need to live and learn and work together.” For advice, contact shaun.dellenty@ alfredsalter.southwark.sch.uk He is currently developing a website at www.shaundellenty.com
WHAT OFSTED SAID ABOUT THE SCHOOL “Alfred Salter school provides a good standard of education and care for its pupils. A significant strength of the school is its commitment to equalities. This is demonstrated through ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and/ or disabilities have specialist resources and provision to achieve as well as their peers and through its work on antibullying particularly in relation to tackling homophobia. Pupils say: ‘this is the best school ever’ and one parent commented that, ‘I feel it is a privilege to have my child attend this school.’ The overwhelming response from parents and carers is that their children enjoy coming to school, feel safe and are healthy. These aspects are outstanding.”
WHAT THE LAW SAYS The Education Act 2006 speaks of a duty to prevent all forms of bullying. The Equality Act 2010 says that public bodies, including schools, should be more proactive and actively advance equality, rather than simply not allowing discrimination. How homophobic bullying affects pupils: • Attendance • Self esteem • Attainment • Mental health • Chances of continuing in education • Life chances • Opportunities to socialise
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TWITTER MASTERCLASS
How to
tweet
wisely
Sue Street, e-learning director at Harrow High School, tells Steve Smethurst about her 10 rules for using Twitter in schools witter – the messaging system limited to 140 characters per ‘tweet’ – has become a major force in terms of communication since it launched in 2006. There are more than 140 million active users and the Twitter homepage (www.twitter. com) is one of the 10 most-visited websites on the internet. You may feel it’s not relevant to you as a school leader, but really it is. No doubt you already meet your stakeholders face to face, you almost certainly have a school website, you may produce newsletters, have set up a school Facebook page and may send out regular emails and text messages. But if you’re not on Twitter you’re behind the times. If you’re a school leader and you don’t tweet, you’re missing a golden 46
opportunity to connect with the school community and, as a recent LF article on what parents want discovered, the most common frustration for parents is a lack of communication from schools. Crucially, Twitter is also a medium that your students are completely at home with. Sue Street, director of e-learning at Harrow High School in north London, is an NAHT member and a passionate advocate of using Twitter. She likens the role of head teacher to that of a business chief executive when it comes to sending out tweets. She tells LF: “A school’s head teacher is, in effect, the leader of a large enterprise and Twitter is the place to be when it comes to raving
about your products and services. But when I talk to school leaders a typical reaction is that they don’t see it as being applicable to their situation. Or they can be a bit scared if they’ve never done it before. But, as long as you stick to some clearly defined rules (see below), it’s very simple and hugely effective.”
1. Seize the initiative “You’re the head of a business and your product is the fantastic achievement of the students in your school. The way I see it, every school leader should be able to walk around their school every single day and find five fantastic things to tell the world about. With Twitter, you simply take those five fantastic things, and then shout about them in 140 characters or less. “Once you’ve publicised your Twitter account – and so long as you don’t tweet about the same child each day – every single parent will eventually pick
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tweets, which may not be appropriate for the school audience.”
2. Only the head tweets “There is no exact template that everyone can follow – each school has to develop their own way of using social media. But, if it is the first time you’ve used Twitter, the practice needs to be set by the head teacher as the head leads the school and parents can be skittish when it comes to social media. But, with the head taking the initiative, it’s taken seriously and parents are happier about it.”
3. Only tweet in business hours “Don’t tweet at weekends or after 4pm, even if you are an around-the-clock
4. Be relentlessly positive “Clearly state that you will only be tweeting about achievements and other positive school business. This is important because parents/carers will start tweeting back and you want to discuss and converse over as many positive aspects as possible because Twitter is public. Twitter especially is a conversation and you will find people respond and ask questions.Your audience is your pupils, their parents and carers and your community around the school who will choose to follow your Twitter feed. Even if you have a bad Ofsted, turn it into a positive: ‘We’ve had external validation – first priority redesign holiday policy.’”
5. Nothing personal “This is one of two golden rules.When it comes to school, there’s no such thing as a personal Twitter account. It’s to do with being relentlessly corporate. Everything has to go out on a school account. If you use social media in your personal life, you must always double check which account you’re using.You also need to ensure that nobody in school retweets anything from a personal account, otherwise students and parents would be able to view their personal
6. Twitter and alcohol don’t mix “The second golden rule. Even one glass of wine or beer at lunchtime can impair your judgement. This rule cannot be stressed enough.”
7. No surnames “If you’re tweeting about your students, refer to them as ‘Y3 Sam’, for example. The child’s parents will know instantly, but outsiders would be none the wiser.”
8. Act in haste, repent at leisure “When someone takes the time to send you a tweet, it’s important to respond. That applies to negative comments as well. But never reply to a tweet when you’re angry and also try not to be rushed. This is when mistakes happen.”
9. Use Twitter to your advantage “Retweet liberally and highlight good work. Also retweet the comments of academics who are highlighting issues you have in school. For example, one school that has engaged parents in conversations over better parenting skills regularly retweets ideas from academics and specialists (including ‘celebrity’ specialists like Supernanny) on behaviour management at home when these ideas or tips match what is done within the school.”
10. Be human “Not always obvious but most important, being a ‘real’ person is probably the most important trait of any effective Twitter user.”
up on the fact that, to use the old phrase, their child has been mentioned in despatches. It is more instantaneous than waiting for the weekly newsletter that just sits in the bottom of a school bag for days before making its way home. It’s also better than having someone log into the school website to write about a student. “You can even stand there with the pupil while you tweet – and they instantly feel they’ve been recognised in a medium that they understand intuitively. When senior leaders use social media responsibly and in front of the children, it’s demonstrating how technology should be used.”
type school. Doing this reinforces the idea that you have a strict work-life balance and means parents aren’t forced to check their mobiles 24 hours a day. This rule applies even if it’s something that happens outside school hours, say an awards evening. Most parents will be in attendance anyway.”
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ROUND-UP
WHAT’S NEW?
The latest products, books and teaching resources The Perfect Ofsted Inspection Jackie Beere Edited by Ian Gilbert Crown House Publishingg £8.99
Building on Jackie and Ian’s last book, The Perfect Ofsted Lesson, this new title demonstrates how to do well and get the best from an Ofsted inspection. The 2012 Ofsted framework has been included and the book aims to help schools show themselves and their achievements at their ‘outstanding’ best. The ethos of the guide is not solely about performing well when inspectors appear, but maintaining good practice with every lesson, every day. Case studies, checklists and summaries are included, as well as real-life examples.
Every Child Needs A Mentor Herman Stewart Ecademy Press £12.99
Herman Stewart believes that every child has a seed of greatness within them and potential that needs mentoring support to come to fruition – regardless of whether they are struggling or doing well. With more than 15 years of mentoring experience, Herman explains how to develop a mentoring programme and help students get the best out of their education. With compelling stories, case studies and insights, this book offers guidance to all those who support young children.
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Global G lo obal sin sing-song ng-ssong n needs eeds yyour ourr p pupils upilss Sccho Schools oo olss aan and nd yo yyouth outh h choi choirs oirs acr across ross o s th the he wo w world orld ld aare ar re b being e ng enc ein encouraged ncou ourag r ged ed to o ccreate rea eate the ttheir eiir own ow wn rrecor recording ord din ng of a ssong o ong sso o tthat h hatt itt cca can an be in be included nclu c ude ded in n tthe h hee ggl global lo ob bal a ssinging ing nging i p project ro rojjec e Voices V i e A Around u dT Thee W World. l T Thee m mass s worldwide worldw o dwiide reco recording corrd ding ng o off tth the he son song ong Building Bui uildin d ng Our u Ow Own FFuture t e by H Ho Howard owa warrd Jones o es w will illl then hen en be re released elleease sed ass a si single ing nglee iin nD December. eecceem mb beerr. Vocals, V occals, l ch choir hoir part parts ts and and d backing b baackingg music are are alll ava available aila lab blee free fr reee tto o sc schools ch ho oolss an and nd gro groups oup ps o on n tthe hee V h Vo Voices oiicces A Aro Around oun nd the he World W orrld d website weeb bsite along alo ongg w with ith hd de details etails off how tto o ssubmit ub bmit a recording. re eco ordi ding. The Th he International Inttern nation nal Prima Primary ary Cu Curriculum urricculum m and an nd the he British Br ritissh Council Co ounccil aree two tw wo organisations orggan nisaatio ons already alrread dy inv involved. volvved d Recordings Re eco ordinggs m must usst b bee sub submitted bmitteed by 18 July July. y. www.wave7music.co.uk
Do you you love lo ove British Br B rittish h ffo food? oo o od? Get kids G d celebrating c e r i g alll that h is ggreat e about abo bou utt B Br British ritis t sh foo food ood aand p produce rro oduce d e with wit w th LLove o ovve B British rrittish sh Fo Food oo od d 22012 0 0122 (2 (27 27 July uy to o 122 A August). ugus ustt). T Th The he T Teacher ea eacch heer Z Zo Zone one n on o n tthe LLove ovve B British rittish h FFo Food ood dw website eb bsite i provides p ro ovid dess downloadable d do ownlo oad dab ble res resource sou urcee pack packs, ks, details dettaills o off organisations o rgganisatio ions tha that hat ccan an n se send end d a ch chef hef int into to yyour ou ur sschool ch hoo ol to o help h ellp w with ith ccooking oo okkin ng lesson lessons, ns, plu plus us iideas d deeas on nh ho how ow to o inv involve vollvee parents. p arrents. There Th heree iss also inf information form matio on o on n thee annuall sc schoo cho ool cchallenge, haalleenge, ccase asse sstudies tudiees aand nd d a cooke cookery eryy gu guide. uide. www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/teacher-zone
Love British Food 2012
Hooray H oo o oraaayy ffor or ccreepy reeeepy epy py ccrawlies raw awllies es
Naattio National N on naal In Insect nse secct Week Weeekk (NIW) We ((N NIIW W) is is organised orga gan nisseed d by by the th he Royal Royal Ro al Entomological EEn ntomo tomolog ogiicaal SSociety So occieettyy to to promote p prrom omot ote tthe he he d diver diverse erse an aand nd ffascinating as asccina nattin ng w world orld ld o off iin insects. nsec ects t The he w we week, eeekk which wh hich h ru run runs uns ffrom rom 2255 JJune une tto un o 1 JJu July ulyy 22012, 01 012 w will ill aal also lso o see ee th the he llaunch u ho of tthe thiird NIW W photography h o r h competition. o p t o Olympus lym u iss sp ssponsoring po on nsso oring i g the h cco competition om mp peettitio t on an and d iss o of offering fffering i a ffir first rstt p prizee o of up u p tto o £50 £ 00 wo wort worth th of of photographic ph ho otto oggraap ph hicc equipment. eequip u pm meen ntt. Fo For or det details etaail on n how ow w to to enter en ntteer visit vvissitt the th hee NIW N W website, w weeb bssite te, which wh hicch also l provides prov p vide des vvarious ariious te teaching eacch hin ng res resources sourcees in including ncluding d g factt sheets fa sh heeets and d activity activ t viityy packs, packks, as we well elll aass lilisting isting t ffun un ev events vents aand nd d ac activities ctivviities tha that hat aare re tak taking kiing p place lacce across acr ross th the he UK K to om mark arkk N NIW IW W 20 2012. 012. www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk
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On O n yyour our m marks arks fo for or a spor sporting rtin ng ssummer ummer
How Successfull Schools Work
YOUTH SPORT TRUST
Iff O Olympic lyym mp picc fev fe fever veer ha h has as h hit itt yyour ou our sschool, cho hoo oll why w wh hy not not ot tta take ake part p t in Lloyds Lloy oyd ds TSB TSB TS National N i n SSchool h o SSport o We Week (25-29 5 9 June). Jun unee). This T Th hiss year yeeaar the thee theme the heme me iss all al all ab aabout bo ou ut staging sta taggin ng yyour ou our o own wn wn G Games. aam mees. R Re Registered eggissttered e schools sch cho oo ols w wil willll receive rreecceive ve access aaccces ess to to helpful heelp pffu resources res sou urcees tto ob bring rin ng tthe he he ex excitement xcittem men nt o off London LLondo don 2201 2012 12 tto o yyour ou ur sschool chool sp sports, porrts, including inc clud dingg how w to o stage sttagee your yo ourr own ow wn Games, Ga amees, hos host st a to torch orch h re relay, ellayy, p plan lan n an n opening op peningg and an nd closing clossingg ce ceremony ereemo onyy an and nd how ho ow tto o eengage nggagge yyoung ou ung pe people eop ple iin na range ran nge ge off sp sports. portts. The Thee w week eeek sstarts tarrts with wit th LLondon on ndo on 22012 012 W World orld Sp Sport portt Dayy on 25 25 June, Jun June une celebrating cel leb bratingg th the he w world’s orrld’ss arrival arrrivval in tthe he UK K fo for or tthe he Ol Olympics. lyym mp piccs. www.schoolsportweek.org p g
Get Ge G et talking ttaalkkin ng aabout boutt reading reeadin ng Run byy T Run Ru Th The he R Reading eeaad din ng A Agenc Agency, ncyy, C Ch Chatterbooks haatter erb bo oo okks re reading ead adingg ggroups rou oup pss aar are re for ffo or children child h drreen aged aggeed 8 to to 11 and d take ttakke place plaacce all p alo ov over ver er tth the he ccountry ou oun nttryy in n libraries, lib ibra rarries es, scho schools hoo olls aand n nd dw wherever herev eveer p pe people eo op plee w wa want an nt to o sset them em mu up. p. p Joinin Joining o n ng Chatterbooks Ch C hattterrb bo ookks iss ffr free, ree, an and nd inc includes clud dess ac access cceess to an n ee-letter, -lettterr, tips on n how w tto o ge get et sstarted, tar t rtted, d plus plu lus resources reso ourrces from frrom mp publishers. ub blish i herrs. C Chatterbooks hatt tterb boo okkss h ho hopes opees tto o inspire ins spire chi children hildr dren to o en engage ngaage wi with ith hb bo books ookks aand nd d re reading eadingg an and nd to h he help elp tea teachers, ach herss, librarians lib brarrian ns and and d parents pareents do do this, th hiss, theyy produce prod ducce Chatterpacks Chattterp pacckks – special speeciaal themed th hem med d or b book-focused oo ok-ffoccuseed packss fu full ull of of quizzes and d wordsearches worrdsearrches and lots o off rea reading, adin ng, wr writing ritin ng and d drawing raw win ng iideas deeas to use w with ith h Chatterbooks Chaatteerboo oks g groups. A sta starter arteer pack pacck for for group g oup gro p leaders leead ders w with ith h id ideas, deaas, eexclusive xcclussivee Chatterpacks Ch hattterrp paackss an and nd pu p publisher ublisheer o offers ffferss is availa available ablee ffrom rom m tthe he we website. ebssitee readinggroups.org/chatterbooks gg p g
Rona Tutt and Paul Williams Sage £20.99
With case studies showcasing best practice from leaders and head teachers from across the UK, this book demonstrates the excellent work being carried out in schools. Co-authored by the NAHT’s Past President Rona Tutt, it also shows how the role and style of school leadership is changing and identifies the challenges ahead. Summaries, key points and questions for reflection aim to encourage wider debate and interaction. Photocopiable material and further reading make this book a practical resource for anyone wanting to implement innovative and successful leadership.
Oops! Helping Children Learn Accidentally Hywel Roberts Edited by Ian Gilbert Crown House Publishing £16.99
Relevant for teachers new and experienced, Oops! aims to support teachers in developing ideas that motivate in both primary and secondary school classrooms. As the title suggests, it describes how students can be lured into learning accidentally when a relevant stimulus is used to engage them in curriculum topics. Then once they are hooked into it they are learning, having shaped the direction of the lessons themselves.
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AND FINALLY SUSAN YOUNG
Headship, past and present Head teacher Jane Cook, her staff and pupils at High Hurstwood CE Primary in Sussex are getting unique insights into how their lives might have been 100 years ago, thanks to a project to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the National Society, the driving force behind Church of England schools. The ‘From Chalk To Mouse’ project involves interviews with former staff and pupils of five Sussex schools, and also historical gems from the treasure trove of logbooks that were meticulously kept by head teachers. Inside is a fascinating picture of everyday school life, and also the demands on school leaders of that era.
Unhappy futures Jane explains: “We discovered that our school was closed one day during World War I as many of the troops were walking to the coast to go abroad. The children lined up in the road nearby to wave the soldiers off… obviously there was a very unhappy future for some of them.” Sometimes, the logbooks come out in assemblies. “Recently, we found an entry about how the dividing wall between the girls’ and boys’ playgrounds was going to be knocked down. Some of our pupils think it would be a good idea to put it back!” Another entry discussed how the girls were doing needlework. “Children today are surprised by that, as they do everything together.” Records of canings in the punishment book are another eye-opener. More familiar are weather problems. 50
“Our school is in a rural area, so if it snows we do sometimes have to close. Looking through the books, it’s clear that if it was windy or rainy a lot of the children couldn’t make it. Now they tend to come by car, but then they walked up to three miles.” Today’s pupils also find the illnesses interesting. “We had chickenpox last year but epidemics were common back then. We discuss why that was: improving health care, vaccines – it’s a fantastic learning opportunity.” Small details are significant. “The school was heated by one fire and the children helped to gather wood to keep it going. We’ve also talked about the early days when children stayed here up to the age of 12 or 13, when they left school. They didn’t go on to secondary education, and that really surprised our children.”
National Lottery funding Former pupils are also taking part. Cecil, 89, has been interviewed by the children using their new open-ended questioning techniques. He still has
one of his reports – dictated by the teacher to each child. “The staff thought that was great, considering how long they take,” says Jane. Jane and her head teacher colleague Claire Rivers of St Marks in Hadlow Down are the driving force behind the project, whose National Lottery funding means the schools get professional help to research, film interviews, script and film scenarios. The end result will be two CDs for the Chichester diocese about the history of the schools and the National Society. One of the most fascinating aspects of it for Jane is the light cast on the nature of headship. “We had Ofsted in January, two weeks into the new framework, and it’s an eye-opener to see how the school always seemed to have inspectors dropping in. “The language was quite different, with the head teacher writing ‘the children are doing reasonably well given their low level of intelligence.’ There was also discussion about one head who got married, and whether she was allowed to stay in post or not.” Jane muses: “It becomes apparent how different the role of the head teacher is now. But for me – as I assume it was for them – it’s all about offering a high-quality education to ensure the pupils pick up the right basic skills, and reach their potential within a happy caring environment.” • Tell me about your school – I’d love to share your stories with LF readers. Email educationhack@gmail.com
GETTY
A project on the history of church schools is fascinating pupils – and heads
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Recycle your magazine and seven days later it could come back as your newspaper.
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Accept Visa payments to make your life easier. It’s quicker than banking a cheque and better for cash flow as funds are usually received within 2-4 business days. It also offers parents more payment choice and flexibility, allowing them to pay in person, over the phone or online 24/7. So to make payments for school fees, uniforms, trips or clubs easier for everyone, swot up on how Visa could help you and your school. To find out how your school can accept Visa, visit visa.co.uk/schools
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Life flows better with Visa 16/5/12 12:43:45