Leadership Focus magazine Sept/Oct 2014 by Steve Smethurst

LEADERSHIP F O C U S School business managers p26 The magazine for members of the NAHT September/October 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ ÂŁ5

Issue #65

Mentoring BME school leaders p30 The latest Ofsted guidance p34

NAHT Edge launches

Gu id e se to a rv d ice di s e tion nc al lo m se em d b er

Nurturing the next generation of leaders

01 Cover_Sep Oct devices.indd 1

05/09/2014 14:48

EAL Nexus Seminar Series

Improving achievement for EAL learners in your school The BriƟsh Council, NALDIC and The Bell FoundaƟon are holding a series of 12 seminars in the nine regions of England and in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The seminar series is aimed at head teachers and senior leaders in UK primary and secondary schools. The programme is adapted to meet the speciĮc needs of schools in each naƟon/region. The contents covers the following topics: current issues in EAL research, pedagogy and pracƟce, the meaning of learning EAL, key strategies for primary schools and secondary schools, increasing potenƟal for success and key strategies for teacher development.

Make sure you join one of our free seminars around the UK! England | South East

Oxford

19 September 2014

England | West Midlands

Birmingham 10 October 2014

England | East of England

Norwich

17 October 2014

England | Yorkshire and Humber

York

14 November 2014

England | East Midlands

TBC

28 November 2014

Scotland

Glasgow

12 December 2014

England | South West

Bristol

23 January 2015

England | North East

Gateshead

6 February 2015

Wales

Cardiī

6 March 2015

Northern Ireland (TBC)

Antrim

17 April 2015 (TBC)

England | London

London

8 May 2015

The seminars are free to aƩend and Įnish at 4pm. Lunch and refreshments are included.

hƩp://eal.briƟshcouncil.org/seminar-series This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals

LFO.09.14.002.indd 2

15/08/2014 11:44

EDITORIAL WE N A T I O N A L P R E S I D E N T

o begins another school year and this term promises to be even more GAIL LARKIN hectic than usual, despite the loss of Michael Gove whose departure, as Rona Tutt writes in her usual witty piece (see p17), was (in Mr Gove’s words) either ‘demotion, emotion, promotion or locomotion’. There are many new initiatives, strategies and policies that have to be implemented, but I want to reassure you that NAHT is here for you – to offer you the most reliable and useful guidance, advice and support. This is achieved in many ways, including our excellent website which I urge you to check regularly. If you do not already receive the fortnightly ‘Leadership Links’ email, please click on the ‘My NAHT’ link on the home page to register and you will receive all the latest updates. Of course, your hardworking branch and regional officials are there to help too, and there is a wealth of support available from our brilliant headquarters staff who are just a phone call away. I also hope that you ﬁnd this magazine, Leadership Focus, interesting and informative, as I really believe that there is something in it for everyone. There are articles

WELCOME

SPREAD THE WORD focused on school business managers (p26), members from black or minority ethnic backgrounds (p30), the trials and tribulations of assessment without levels (p10) and the beneﬁts of co-headship (p38) – to name but a few. There is also a real buzz of excitement as we prepare for the launch of NAHT Edge – an affiliate association for middle leaders – under the inspiring leadership of its CEO, Louis Coiffait. Please take time to read the article on p22 and spread the word among middle leaders in your schools who may be inspired to join at the start of this new and exciting venture. I look forward to receiving your feedback on this edition and any suggestions for future articles. Thank you for your continued support.

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation: 27,642 (July 2013-June 2014)

ASSOCIATION AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES NAHT 1 Heath Square, Boltro Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 1BL www.naht.org.uk Tel: 0300 30 30 333 Editorial board: Clare Cochrane, Tony Draper, Heather Forse, Lesley Gannon, Nicky Gillhespy, Magnus Gorham, Chris Harrison, Russell Hobby, Bernadette Hunter, Gail Larkin, Caroline Morley, Stephen Watkins and Paul Whiteman. @nahtnews @LFmagNAHT

EDITORIAL TEAM Managing editor: Steve Smethurst Assistant editor: Rebecca Grant Designer: Adrian Taylor Senior picture editor: Claire Echavarry Production manager: Jane Easterman Cover photograph: Jim Varney Columnist illustrations: Lyndon Hayes Printed by: Woodford Litho

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Advertisement sales: Joe Elliott-Walker Sales director: Jason Grant Leadership Focus is published on behalf of NAHT by Redactive Publishing Limited, 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP www.redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6200 Email: naht@redactive.co.uk

ISSN: 1472–6181 © Copyright 2014 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 every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, neither the publisher nor NAHT can accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or changes since compilation, or for consequential loss arising from such changes or inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential, arising in connection with information in this publication. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the publishers. The views herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor or NAHT.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

03 editorial.indd 3

04/09/2014 15:55

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Maternity Leave Budgets: Why All The Fuss? On 1st April 2013 Local Authorities (LAs) became compelled to delegate a maternity leave budget to schools. A year on, an increasing number of schools are reviewing their options, especially academies, which are often not eligible participants in local authority ‘mutual’ pooled schemes. be paid. These ﬁgures might sound low, but remember that 92% of SMP can be claimed back through reduced national insurance contributions.

The Education Broker, in partnership with NAHT and NASBM, has been conducting roadshows around the country to help schools and academies gain a better understanding of risk – the actual ﬁnancial cost should someone go on maternity leave and also, how that ﬁnancial risk could be managed, especially if transferring to an insurance company.

Weekly pay

First, Know the rules: Entitlement is 52 weeks with a minimum take of 2. The earliest start is 11 weeks before the due birth date and the latest is the day after giving birth. If a pregnancy-related illness occurs in the 4 weeks prior to the due date, maternity leave starts. Employers have to be informed by the ‘qualifying week’ (15th week before the week the baby is due). Proof of the baby being due is a MATB1 form from doctor (not available till 20th week before week baby is due). The employer has to pay SMP (Statutory Maternity Pay) or OMP (Occupational Maternity Pay), depending on eligibility. To qualify for SMP, the person has to be employed for a continuous 26 weeks into the qualifying week. To qualify

In perspective, you have the teacher’s salary for the year of leave included in your budget (say £32,200). You have to pay £4,600 of that to cover the OMP, leaving you with £27,600 in your budget to pay for a supply teacher. If salary is £53,000, you pay £7,330 OMP leaving £45,670 for supply. You might want to add something for on-costs / inconvenience. If these amounts are enough, the risk is contained. If these amounts are not enough, consider setting aside additional amounts (self-management) or transferring the risk to an insurance company.

You might now be pleasantly surprised and choose to self-manage. However, if you feel you still need insurance you are urged to speak to experts. The Education Broker is available at www.theeducationbroker.co.uk or info@ theeducationbroker. co.uk or 0845 600 5762. They will ﬁnd a policy that’s right for £11,870 (total OMP) minus £7,270 you after considering reclaimed OMP = £4,600 (dark area) things like…

O At what point in the maternity leave do you want the insurance to pay out? After 18 weeks, after 39 weeks or on return to work? O Do you want an insurance policy that Number of weeks insists the person returns to work? Or one that insists that they return on the same hours? Or one that pays out for OMP, they have to have more than 1 year’s continuous service regardless? with relevant employers at the ‘qualifying date’ (11th week before O If you have someone on maternity leave in 12 months time the EDoC - Expected Date of Confinement). To retain eligibility for (when your renewal comes up), do you want to find that you have OMP, they must return to work and complete the equivalent of 13 to renew in order to stay eligible for a claim? weeks of pre-leave working full time equivalent. O Or would you prefer a policy which pays pro-rata, in case you Second, Know the numbers: Using average teacher salary figures might not want to renew? from the School Workforce Statistical First Release April 2013 of £32,200 for Primary school classroom and £53,000 for Academy Primary school leadership, you (the school) would have to pay £632, if no OMP is to be paid. That would rise to £4,600 if OMP had to 4

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2014

LFO.09.14.004.indd 4

15/08/2014 11:47

CONTENTS

EWS

Queen’s honours NAHT members were among the 90-strong group who have been recognised in the The Queen’s birthday honours list.

‘Unadulterated’ league tables Schools are being invited to submit GCSE data for performance tables that are free from political interference. NAHT has joined with ASCL, United Learning and PiXL on the initiative.

Changes to pay Find out what the changes to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document mean for school leaders. Are you ready? Worried about the changes you’re facing this term? Find out what you need to do with our handy guide. MPs support Primary Futures David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are all expected to visit schools in support of the Primary Futures initiative in October.

10 Life after Levels A set of model assessment criteria based on the new national curriculum has been produced by NAHT to help school leaders measure and record pupil progress without using attainment levels. 11 Victory for NAHT policy team NAHT has successfully fought off DfE suggestions that teachers other than the deputy head can be required to stand in for the head in their absence. 11 Second year for Family Action Following a successful partnership in 2013/14, NAHT president Gail Larkin has announced that Family Action will be NAHT’s charity partner for a second year.

FEATURES

IEWS

22 At the cutting Edge September sees the launch of NAHT Edge, a new section of the association for middle leaders. Steve Smethurst speaks to NAHT members and senior teachers about its impact.

14 Partners The Education Broker ensures ‘best value’ for schools in sickness absence insurance. Graybrook, meanwhile, offers competitive professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

26 Investing in the future Policy adviser Valentine Mulholland reports on a successful ﬁrst 12 months for the NAHT’s school business managers’ committee.

15 Legal update NAHT senior solicitor Simon Thomas assesses the chances of reinstatement following dismissal from employment. And with NAHT help, it’s not out of the question.

30 Building bridges Carly Chynoweth interviews David Hermitt, a head teacher who mentors many aspiring school leaders from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. 34 High anxiety With so much change, the last thing you need is an Ofsted inspection. Carly Chynoweth tries to ﬁnd the best way to deal with the pressure many school leaders are facing.

17 Rona Tutt’s column Michael Gove might have been like a “demented Dalek on speed” but will his replacement be any better? Rona crosses her ﬁngers… 19 Russell Hobby’s column A new secretary of state may not lead to a radical change at the DfE, but the profession is taking back ownership of many more aspects of education.

38 Heads together Can a school still thrive with more than one person in command? Co-heads from three different schools are proving that it can, reports Rebecca Grant.

20 Best of the blogs Two of our bloggers – Susan Young and Gerard Kelly – turn their attention to independent schools, while Warwick Mansell wonders if education reform has an image problem.

42 ‘I am a one in 10’ Half of mental illness suffered by adults starts before the age of 15, so schools are having to be more proactive in their approach, reports Caroline Roberts.

50 Susan Young’s column Susan meets head teacher Linda Davis – who she describes as “a cheery ﬁreball of energy” – and learns about the ‘red dragon’ days at Wistaston Green Academy in Cheshire.

46 Forging links in Steel City Executive head Nicola Shipman charts the rise of the Steel City Schools Partnership and offers tips for any schools considering multiacademy trust status.

LEADERSHIP F O C U S

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

05 contents.indd 5

05/09/2014 16:36

NEWS FOCUS

NEWS • LEAGUE TABLES • NAHT EDGE • ‘TROJAN HORSE’ • PAY CHANGES • ARE YOU READY? • ASSESSMENT

WE N E W S F R O M T H E W O R L D O F E D U C A T I O N

BIRTHDAY LIST

Queen’s honours SCHOOL LEADERS HAVE ONCE AGAIN BEEN REWARDED FOR THEIR SERVICES TO EDUCATION IN THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST

NAHT congratulates members who are among more than 90 people awarded honours for their services to education, children and families in the Queen’s 2014 birthday honours list. Andrew Carter OBE (pictured), head teacher of South Farnham school in Surrey for the past 24 years, has received a knighthood. In 2010, Sir Andrew became a national leader of education and the school was designated a national support school. Since then he has helped improve more than 20 schools. Kate Frood, head of Eleanor Palmer primary school in

Camden, has been awarded an OBE. In 2013 her school was the ﬁrst in Camden to be named as a mentor to others in the borough and it became one of 350 schools selected as a national teaching school by the National College. And Eddy Jackson, who recently retired as head teacher of an outstanding Blackpool special school, has been awarded an MBE. Mr Jackson has been recognised for the positive impact he has made on the lives of pupils, parents and staff at Highfurlong school. bit.ly/HMhons2014

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

06-07 News.indd 6

05/09/2014 13:19

Department for Education

All change at Sanctuary Buildings Since the last LF, a cabinet reshufﬂe has led to major changes at the DfE, with the biggest surprise being Michael Gove’s move to the role of chief whip

The new education secretary is Nicky Morgan, the MP for Loughborough. She is also minister for women and equalities

Initiative paves the way for ‘unadulterated’ league tables

SMART STAT By 2023, the number of state-funded secondary pupils aged 11-15 will be 17 per cent higher than now

Schools are being invited to submit their GCSE exam data to be published in unadulterated form in performance tables. The joint initiative – by NAHT, ASCL, United Learning and PiXL – will allow parents to compare the performance of up to five local schools at one time. Over the next three years, the tables will be expanded to include a broader and deeper variety of information for parents. It is intended that the tables will become the established, independent means of publishing data that bypasses politicians and government. Schools can upload the data via SIMS and there will be no cost either for schools or for parents to access the data, all of which will be available publicly. The first tables will be published later this term and over time, they will: • include information which goes beyond exam results – including extra-curricular provision, curriculum information and broader success measures – reflecting professional views about what makes a good school; • give parents a chance to say what information they want to see about schools; and • allow parents and other users to define their own combinations of success measures so that they can see how well a school would meet their own child’s interests, needs and aspirations. NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said: “Schools must be accountable, but the government’s performance tables have become a sledgehammer to crack the system – too often serving political aims rather than pupils’ needs and driving the wrong decisions. This initiative will, over time, give parents stable, accurate and neutral information about schools. It is good to see the school leaders seizing the initiative and building a connection to parents that bypasses all the politics.”

17%

www.schoolperformancetables.org.uk

Stability vital for ‘Trojan horse’ schools NAHT has responded to the report from former counter-terror chief Peter Clarke into the ‘Trojan horse’ affair by saying stability has to be priority. Russell Hobby, NAHT general secretary, said: “In the wake of the review into allegations of a Muslim takeover of schools, the new secretary of state should ensure a secure future for the schools with the minimum of further disruption. “We welcome the confirmation that there will be new regulations and training for school governors, and we hope a fresh start can be secured for the schools caught up in the affair. We now need urgent action to ensure that the children, families and staff know how their school will continue in the new term. We also want to be assured that future funding agreements with academies will be robust enough to enable swift intervention should failings be discovered.” When the Clarke report was released, Mr Hobby said the findings “reflect the main concerns we raised in May about improper governance, improper staffing and, ultimately, a narrowing of entitlement for children. The findings describe the reality our members have reported to us.” For professional advice, call 0300 30 30 333.

PHOTOGRAPH: SHUTTERSTOCK

06-07 News.indd 7

One familiar name is Nick Gibb, MP for Bognor Regis. His role – minister for schools and families – is effectively the one he was removed from in 2012

NAHT Edge opens for business NAHT has launched an affiliate association known as NAHT Edge. It is aimed at ambitious and committed middle leaders in schools, offering a blend of trade union protection and high-quality leadership development. Membership opened on 1 September to teachers in schools with responsibilities beyond their own classroom who satisfy at least one of the following criteria: • lead a subject or curriculum area •are accountable for pupil development across the curriculum •develop the teaching practice of other staff •manage other staff and/ or are accountable for their performance. Benefits include: • expert advice, development and support across leadership, curriculum and pedagogy; • legal representation and employment advice; • practical guides and policy templates; • career development such as mentoring, shadowing and secondment opportunities; • online community; • up-to-date news, policy and debate online; and • essential school services and personal benefits from approved partners. See feature, page 22

bit.ly/NAHTEdge

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

05/09/2014 13:19

PAY & CONDITIONS WE Changes to pay

for school leaders The DfE has updated the School Teacher’s Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), which sets out new arrangements for setting the pay of school leaders. The changes apply to school leaders appointed to new posts from 1 September, but can also be used by employers to set the pay range for school leaders already in post whose role has changed significantly since September 2014. The eight school-group categories still exist, based on numbers of pupils and their school phase, but governing bodies or employers will be able to set leadership pay ranges within the group that take into account all the permanent responsibilities of the post; any challenges that are specific to the role; and all other relevant considerations. This could include issues relating to the particular educational establishment or recruitment and retention difficulties. Where circumstances specific to a role or a candidate require it, the head teacher’s pay scale can exceed the maximum of the school group limit by up to 25 per cent and even exceed this in exceptional circumstances where a business case is made and on the advice of an external adviser. This move to incorporating all responsibilities within core pay means that head teachers whose pay has been evaluated in this way will not be able to claim any additional allowances for permanent responsibilities, except for reasonably incurred housing or relocation allowances. In addition, it will not be possible to make any new awards in relation to recruitment and retention issues – only those who currently receive such allowances can continue to receive them in future, subject to review, and only until they move to the new leadership group arrangements. New appointments to the leadership group should have recruitment difficulties taken into account when setting core pay. When setting pay under the new arrangements, the following factors should be reflected: • the context and challenge arising from the pupils needs, for example where there is a high level of children on free school meals or with English as an additional language; where there are high numbers of looked-after children or children with special needs; or there is a high level of pupil mobility; • a high degree of complexity and challenge, for example accountability for multiple schools or managing across several dispersed sites; and • extra accountability such as leading a teaching school alliance. Other factors that could be taken into account include variety of the school workforce (teachers, speech therapists and so on), leading a small or rural school and the school leader being a National Leader of Education. www.naht.org.uk/courses

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

08_09 News.indd 8

INSPIRING LEADERSHIP

Putting joy above data The tone of the Inspiring Leadership conference 2014, organised by NAHT with CfBT and ASCL, was one of excitement, with a line-up of world class speakers. Leading the way was Benjamin Zander (pictured), conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. In their delegate feedback, more than a quarter named him as the most valuable element of the conference. At one point, he had the conference hall singing Ode to Joy, from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, read from a sheet in phonetic German. The conference, hosted by Jane Creasey and held at the ICC Birmingham in June, was full of non-government experts untainted by political agendas. The majority of delegates reported that they didn’t miss having a DfE representative on the programme. One delegate said: “I don’t have words for how valuable and inspiring this conference is. I can do my job because of it.” Other comments included: “It was a reminder of why we went into teaching,” and, “It did what it said it would do – I am inspired!” plus, “It put joy above data.” When asked if they intended to do anything differently as a result of what they’d heard and learned at

the conference, one delegate said: “Free myself from the ‘tyranny of stuff’ (with reference to Steve Munby of CfBT) to focus on what’s really important.” The conference, formerly Seizing Success run by the National College, attracted more than 1,300 visitors from home nations and 16 other countries, who participated in a range of masterclasses and workshops, as well as hearing from the keynote speakers and viewing a varied exhibition. Russell Hobby, NAHT’s general secretary, said: “The tone of the conference very much felt like we were taking back ownership of the agenda, which is the subject of NAHT’s manifesto on behalf of its members in the run up to the general election next year.” www.inspiringleadership. org/presentations.aspx

PHOTO GRAPHY: ALAMY / BLOOMBERG

05/09/2014 15:59

PRIMARY LITERACY NAHT is one of four organisations leading ‘Read on. Get on’, a national mission to ensure all 11 year olds are conﬁdent readers by 2025. “It’s another example of the profession taking ownership of the things that matter,” said NAHT director of policy and campaigns Kathryn James.

Dozens of MPs set to support Primary Futures in October Around 100 MPs have responded to a call by NAHT to take part in the association’s project to raise aspirations and help children understand the link between their learning in school and their future opportunities. Primary Futures has been developed in partnership with the charity Education and Employers Taskforce and builds on the successful Inspiring the Future model. Primary Futures encourages volunteers to visit their local primary school to speak to children about their world of work and the importance of their primary school learning in getting them there. During the week 13-17 October thousands of primary schools across England will be inviting volunteers to visit them. It is not only a chance for our schools to showcase the great work going on inside their walls but also an opportunity for people from all walks of life to speak to children about their jobs and inspire the next generation. As LF went to press, it was rumoured that David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg will visit schools in support of the event. NAHT Primary Futures lead and former NAHT president Steve Iredale has been a driving force behind the project. He said: “For children, particularly from more challenging backgrounds, the life of someone who has become successful in business, medicine, science, sport, the arts or a more off-beat career, may seem very distant and irrelevant to the world they inhabit. Primary Futures intends to change that by creating clear links between primary school learning and future opportunities.”

David Hoare is new chair of Ofsted David Hoare has been appointed chair of Ofsted. Mr Hoare, previously chair of the Teenage Cancer Trust, replaced Baroness Sally Morgan, the chair since 2011. Russell Hobby, general secretary of NAHT, said the new chair would have much to keep him busy. Mr Hobby said: “Mr Hoare has a big task ahead of him. He has to help the inspectorate rebuild damaged relationships with the profession and government – and determine a new role for Ofsted in a changing system. A politically neutral ﬁgure is essential for this task and Mr Hoare has reassuring credentials in this regard. “We will be able to offer a long list of suggestions to help him get started.”

Visit www.primaryfutures.org

TRAINING COURSES ARE YOU READY? NAHT CAN HELP NAHT courses are designed to help members stay on top of the major changes being introduced. In particular, training and guidance is available for those preparing for Ofsted, implementing new pay and conditions procedures and the amended SEND requirements. Inspection • Improving school achievement through effective self-evaluation. London, 24 Sept;

PHOTOGRAPH: TEMPEST

08_09 News.indd 9

• Improving your Ofsted rating: how to cross a grade boundary. London, 23 Sept and 11 Nov. Tiverton, 29 September; • Improving teaching and learning: what Ofsted is looking for. London, 25 Sept and 11 Nov. • Taking control of inspection. London, 30 Sept and 6 Nov. • EYFS: demonstrating good progress, meeting Ofsted’s expectations. London, 1 Oct. Pay and conditions • Pay and conditions: update.

London 2 and 13 Oct; • Appraisal and difﬁcult conversations. York, 3 Oct. London, 10 Nov. SEND • Changes to the SEND legal framework: what school leaders need to know. London, 2 Oct and 11 Nov; • Implementing the new SEND code of practice. Tiverton, 9 Oct. London, 27 Nov; • Assessing pupil progress (SEND): life beyond levels. London, 3 Oct, 6 Nov and 3 Dec.

For details of tailored training at a venue of your choice, visit: www.naht.org.uk/ tailoredtraining. For details and regular updates on the full suite of NAHT courses, visit: www.naht.org.uk/ courses. See Ofsted feature, page 34.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

05/09/2014 17:14

NAHT NEWS & INFORMATION

NAHT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

Life after levels A set of model assessment criteria based on the new national curriculum has been produced by NAHT to help school leaders measure and record pupil progress without using attainment levels. The materials were produced by a team of assessment experts and senior teachers responsible for curriculum delivery and assessment in primary schools across England. The NAHT framework is not intended as a deﬁnitive model and schools are encouraged to evaluate its usefulness against their own assessment principles and current teaching and assessment practices. Schools can then choose to accept the model as it stands, modify elements or use an alternative approach. It is hoped the NAHT

model d l will ill provide id schools h l with a practical approach to assessment that is ﬂexible and, if broadly adopted, give them a common approach to the assessment of pupils’ progress. NAHT put together the extensive range of materials in response to one of the recommendations from its Commission on Assessment earlier this year. Recommendation six of

the NAHT commission’s report stated: “In respect of the national curriculum, we believe it is valuable – to aid communication, comparison and benchmarking – for schools to be using consistent criteria for assessment. To this end, we call on NAHT to develop and promote a set of model assessment criteria based on the new national curriculum.” Materials now available to NAHT members include an audio-visual presentation plus a series of downloadable guides on key performance indicators and performance standards in mathematics, reading and writing for each year group. NAHT assessment materials www.naht.org.uk/ assessmentmaterials NAHT training courses bit.ly/NAHT_courses

NAHT: ensuring support for members NAHT is keen to ensure a ﬁrst-class service. To this end, content has been added to the website that answers our most frequently asked membership questions. Examples include how to request your membership number; what to do if you are changing jobs; going on maternity leave; or changing bank accounts. You can ﬁnd all the answers online. www.naht.org.uk/ membershipfaqs

Get in touch Alternatively, the best way to contact us is by email membersupport@ naht.org.uk Coming up to retirement? If you are due to retire in the coming months and wish to become a life member of NAHT, visit the link below to download an application form. www.naht.org.uk/ retirement

Introduce a colleague Do you know someone – a school leader or business manager – eligible to join NAHT? Why not recommend them? If you do, for every new member who joins we will send you a £20 M&S voucher. The new member will also beneﬁt from 20 per cent off their membership fees until December 2015. Terms and conditions apply. www.naht.org.uk/ refer

Praise for quality of NAHT advice A recently retired head teacher in Liverpool has paid tribute to NAHT. Louise Benson, head of East Prescot Road Nursery School in Knotty Ash, left the school she had guided to achieve several ‘outstanding’ Ofsteds, due to ill health in June. Louise (pictured) told LF she wanted to thank the association for all its support. Louise, who became a head teacher in 1991, said she soon realised the importance of speciﬁc school leader knowledge and support. “While there are other sources of support, whether at the local authority or from peers, NAHT is great for sensitive issues. It really comes into its own with legal advice and support. You know it will be conﬁdential and the advice has always been of a high quality. “As my health issue is ongoing. I don’t know what the next stage will be – whether my ordinary pension, or ill-health retirement. But I have had excellent advice that makes very clear what options are open to me.” For professional advice, call 0300 30 30 333

10 LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

10_11 NAHT News.indd 10

05/09/2014 14:57

NAHT secures victory over teachers deputising for heads NAHT has successfully fought off suggestions that teachers other than the deputy head can be required to stand in for the head in their absence. The wording in the revised STPCD has reverted to previous text that means only deputy heads can be required to step in. This reinforces the distinct status of a deputy head and NAHT’s policy position that every school should have one. Earlier drafts had suggested that any teacher could be obliged to step up. NAHT argued vehemently against this, raising concerns that this would effectively create one indistinguishable role, where it is clear that the level of expertise and responsibility that should be expected of a deputy head is far greater and has always been encapsulated by the fact that this role can be required to step up for the head. NAHT policy adviser Valentine Mulholland told LF: “Not only did the proposal undermine this role but also placed assistant heads under pressure for which they are not necessarily prepared. NAHT argued that assistant heads in the majority of schools have a speciﬁc remit that encompasses the whole school but not necessarily the full range of leadership activities.” The DfE said that the intention was to protect the small minority of schools without a deputy head. NAHT’s policy is that all schools should have a deputy head to deputise for the head in case of an absence, and have the skills and expertise to do so. This change, at a time of budgetary pressure, could have encouraged schools to recruit assistant heads to act as deputies and NAHT argued against this. Currently, where schools do not have a deputy, governors have a choice of either asking the assistant head if they feel competent to step in temporarily, or asking for a deputy from a nearby school to step in.

Release time for nursery principals The campaign to ensure funded release time for nursery principals in Northern Ireland has taken a step forward. Following a 100 per cent vote in favour of a motion calling for funding at annual conference, an NAHT delegation met with the education minister in June. Clare Majury, Susan Campbell and Sharon Beattie were joined by NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby and the outcome was that the minster asked NAHT NI to submit a proposal. Clare Majury told LF: “The mandate from annual conference was fantastic and we’re very appreciative that the minister is going to give our proposal his consideration. “We think it’s a strong and realistic proposal, so we’re hopeful we will get a positive response.”

Donaldson Review promises Support for school leaders ‘generational change’ gathers pace in Rwanda NAHT members have been deeply involved in the preliminary consultations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Graham Donaldson in Wales. They have taken part through dialogue, branch meetings and representations made by NAHT Cymru National Executive members and ofﬁcials. Former NAHT president Dr Chris Howard told LF: “We can’t go on with an overcrowded curriculum and an overbearing and confused assessment regime. This is especially the case when we are giving overriding prominence to literacy and numeracy. “Professor Donaldson’s review presents an opportunity for beneﬁcial, once-in-a-generation improvements to curriculum design and assessment in Wales. Hopefully, we will see looser central control of detail and more autonomy to allow schools and regions to determine what will work best. . Email your thoughts to cymru@naht.org.uk

PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY

10_11 NAHT News.indd 11

An NAHT delegation has held a follow-up visit with Rwandan school leaders, spending two days in schools and three days in workshops during May as part of a joint initiative with the British Council and the Rwandan Education Board. Former NAHT National Executive member Kenny Frederick told LF: “It was a very productive visit. Having met us before, the Rwandan heads were much more forthcoming about what wasn’t going well. We were able to help them on leading on teaching and learning. Many were very inexperienced, some straight out of university. They were still quite didactic with a focus on writing things down and remembering.” NAHT president Gail Larkin added: “NAHT will continue to support these head teachers and we will provide training for them in coaching and mentoring. We will also ask members to volunteer to liaise and support individual heads in Rwanda.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS 11

05/09/2014 13:25

GRAY HEADS UP NORTHERN IRELAND Jonathan Gray, principal of Arvalee special school in Omagh, County Tyrone, is the new president of NAHT Northern Ireland

Family Action earns second year as NAHT’s charity partner Following a successful partnership in 2013/14, NAHT president Gail Larkin has announced that Family Action will be NAHT’s charity partner for a second year. She told LF: “I was really impressed with the work my predecessor, Bernadette Hunter, has been delivering with Family Action and the ‘Ready to learn every day’ campaign, so I was very keen to continue the partnership for another year.” Over the past year, the partnership has produced resources for teachers, pupils and parents, including a series of practical advice leaflets for parents to better support their children; a series of guided assemblies (All aboard the learning bus); and a school fundraising pack (Dressed down and ready to learn), all of which were based around the campaign. The partnership also saw Family Action chief executive David Holmes speak at NAHT’s annual conference. In July, Gail visited a Family Action project and was impressed by the impact it is having on the local community. She said: “I heard first-hand from staff about the fabulous work the charity does – in this case, with young carers. I would encourage all schools to raise funds for Family Action this year so they can keep delivering this excellent work to those who really need it.” Taking the partnership into its second year at Family Action is newly appointed head of fundraising, Heather Kearney (pictured). Heather spoke of her excitement about the partnership: “There is great synergy between our two organisations. Family Action knows how incredibly important it is for teachers, pupils and parents to all work together to ensure every child gets the most out of their time at school.” NAHT and Family Action will produce a further five leaflets that will explore independence and responsibility, online safety, supporting additional educational needs, praise and reward, and self-worth.

Raise funds for Family Action There are many ways schools can contribute, including adopting Family Action as their charity of the year, non-uniform days, adding a fundraising element to harvest festival activities, holding a ‘bake off’ competition and collecting for the charity at Christmas. • £5 could provide a present for a child who would otherwise receive nothing. • £400 could pay for 30 vulnerable families to enjoy a day trip. • £2,000 could pay for a group of young people to spend the weekend at the Young Carers Festival. If you have other fundraising ideas, get in touch with the team who can support you in setting them up. 020 7254 6251 fundraising@ family-action.org.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF SPECIAL EDUCATION NEUROSCIENCE FORUM

NAHT SEND CONFERENCE 2015

NAHT is taking over as host body for the National Forum for Neuroscience in Special Education. The forum provides a meeting place for neuroscientists and SEND teachers to share insights. It also promotes discussion on the changing patterns of childhood disability and offers an opportunity to develop learning practices. Visit www.naht.org.uk/ neuroforum

The NAHT SEND conference on 12-13 March 2015 at Chesford Grange, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, will also focus on neuroscience. Under the theme, Leading the changes: engaging learners, topics are expected to include: • dyspraxia/developmental co-ordination disorder; • Ofsted: measuring the progress of pupils operating below national expectations;

• evidence-based practice: improving learning outcomes for SEND pupils by engaging attention and self-control with targeted physical activities; and • the new SEND code of practice: lessons learned in the ﬁrst six months of implementation. The 2014 conference sold out within eight weeks, so you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. Visit www.naht.org.uk/ conferences

CLARIFICATION There was a typographical error in the May/June edition of Leadership Focus. Ian Backhouse was the seconder of the motion at annual conference that stated: “NAHT adopts the document Owning what is ours as the NAHT’s manifesto for campaigning on education policy in the run up to the May 2015 general election.” Visit bit.ly/ NAHTmanifesto

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

12 News.indd 12

05/09/2014 13:26

iTRACK Primary

assessing pupil progress

Track Pupil Progress and Attainment from Early Years through to KS1 and KS2 UÊ Flexible online service, compatible with levels based assessment and new assessment criteria without levels UÊ Easy, powerful ﬁltering monitors groups e.g. SEN, G&T, FSM, Pupil Premium and customised groups tailored to your school proﬁle UÊ Supports reporting to OfSTED, Local Authorities, parents and governors with one simple click UÊ Fast, simple set-up, easy and intuitive to use UÊ Secure cloud-based service accessible online anywhere

Flexible assessment with or without levels

Book a demo to learn more about using iTRACK Primary to exceed expectations in your primary school Visit: www.itrackprimary.co.uk Call: 01926 468687 Email: support@itrackprimary.co.uk iTRACK Primary is a Data Management Service from LCP

Chalice Arts UK Education Consultants

Chalice Arts UK is an educational consultancy with the following areas of specialist work: • The teaching of art and pottery projects in primary schools • Art and pottery INSET for teachers and support staff • Training and mentoring for school leaders of art • The provision of commissioned works of art for school assembly halls, entrances or ofﬁces • Child protection training for all staff working in schools, colleges or voluntary groups Please visit our website to see our projects and learn more about our work.

www.chaliceartsuk.co.uk Telephone: 07973 863 916

LFO.09.14.013.indd 13

Are You Protecting You Learners And Teaching Staff?

£825*

0845 900 3554 www.positivehandling.org

15/08/2014 11:49

MEMBER BENEFITS

PARTNERS WE M E S S A G E F R O M A S C H O O L P A R T N E R Staff absence and maternity cover insurance School leaders know only too well the impact that staff absence can have on the quality of teaching and learning. Equally, school business managers are aware of the financial cost – an Audit Commission report found that schools lose more than £500 million a year through teacher sickness absence. NAHT is committed to supporting members and, through our exclusive partnership with The Education Broker, we can help schools source three different staff absence quotes quickly and efficiently (including maternity cover) from three different insurers. This ensures that ‘best value’, as recommended in guidance issued by the DfE, is made easy for schools when comparing the three quotes. The quotation service is free and, as an NAHT member, you will be entitled to a five per cent discount when you take out a new insurance policy. To obtain your quote, visit www.theeducationbroker.co.uk or call 0845 600 5762. Please have your NAHT membership number at hand to qualify for a discount. A five per cent premium discount is available to new customers only who purchase a policy and employ a current member of the NAHT. New customers are those who have not been insured with Capita Specialist Insurance Solutions Limited (CSIS), trading as theeducationbroker.co.uk (TEB), or brands contained within TEB in the past 12 months. A current NAHT membership number must be provided to CSIS on request to qualify for the discount. The five per cent discount will not be applied to any mid-term changes made to the policy. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. CSIS may withdraw/amend the offer and update the terms and conditions of the offer at any time.

WE M E S S A G E F R O M A M E M B E R P A R T N E R Professional indemnity and public liability insurance If you are undertaking work such as educational consultancy, school improvement partners or inspections, you may be required to have your own professional indemnity and public liability insurance. To help you, NAHT works closely with Graybrook Insurance to ensure you are offered the most appropriate cover at a competitive price. Some of the key benefits of the insurance cover are: • optional limits of professional indemnity insurance; • £5 million public liability insurance as standard; • optional cover for employers’ liability insurance; • all previous work included; and • five-year run-off cover provided automatically when retiring or ceasing to practice. To obtain a quotation, or to find out more about the scheme, contact Graybrook: Web: www.graybrook.co.uk/naht-members Email: enquiry@graybrook.co.uk Telephone: 01245 321 185 Post: 8 Chandlers Way, South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, CM3 5TB

WE NAHT

partner contacts 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, contact John Randall, the NAHT’s commercial marketing manager, at john.randall@naht.org.uk.

SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS NAHT ASSURE HR, payroll, property, health & safety 0845 519 7001 Email: helpdesk@naht.assure.co.uk www.nahtassure.co.uk Online DBS checking 0845 519 7001 www.nahtassure.co.uk/online-dbs ETEACH Online staff recruitment 0845 226 1906 Email: info@eteach.com www.eteach.com GL ASSESSMENT Pupil assessment 0845 602 1937 www.gl-assessment.co.uk GL PERFORMANCE Kirkland Rowell Surveys 0191 270 8270 www.kirkland-rowell.com THE EDUCATION BROKER Staff absence insurance 0845 600 5762 www.theeducationbroker.co.uk

SERVICES FOR MEMBERS ROCK Travel insurance 0844 482 3390 www.nahttravelinsurance.co.uk AVIVA Home, contents and motor insurance 0800 046 6389 www.fromyourassociation.co.uk/NAHT CS HEALTHCARE Private medical insurance 0800 917 4325 (use code 147) www.cshealthcare.co.uk GRAYBROOK INSURANCE BROKERS Professional indemnity and public liability cover 01245 321 185 Email: enquiry@graybrook.co.uk www.graybrook.co.uk/naht-members MBNA Credit card services 0800 028 2440 www.mbna.co.uk SKIPTON FINANCIAL SERVICES Financial planning 0800 012 1248 Email: sfsnaht@skipton.co.uk www.skiptonfs-naht.co.uk

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

14 Partners.indd 14

04/09/2014 15:55

NEWS FOCUS

LEGAL UPDATE

Can you be reinstated following a dismissal? The law has always regarded the employment relationship as different from most other legal relationships because of its personal nature, writes NAHT senior solicitor Simon Thomas. Generally, courts and tribunals will not enforce the continuation of the employment relationship where either party has brought it to an end, even if the manner of termination was not in accordance with the contract of employment or was otherwise unlawful or unfair. This applies whether it was the employer or the employee who has sought to bring the employment to an end. The employee’s remedy is usually to bring a claim for damages for breach of contract and/or compensation for unfair dismissal. There are exceptions, but they are limited. In several cases, NAHT regional ofﬁcers and the legal department have represented members in situations in which the continuation of the employment, after a dismissal, was a possibility. Unfair dismissal and reinstatement When the right to claim unfair dismissal was ﬁrst established in 1971 it was intended that it would be a quick and non-legalistic process that would enable an unfairly dismissed employee to either be restored to his employment (by a tribunal order for reinstatement) or obtain compensation. The personal nature of the employment relationship was nevertheless recognised in that an order for reinstatement has never been enforceable. If an employer refuses to comply with an order for reinstatement it cannot be compelled to take the employee back but can be ordered to pay additional compensation. In fact, orders for reinstatement are uncommon. The latest statistics showed reinstatement was ordered in less than one in 1,000 successful unfair dismissal cases. NAHT recently obtained a reinstatement order for an unfairly dismissed member, but at the time of writing it seems unlikely the employer will comply. Unfair dismissal and interim relief Where the employee asserts that the sole or principal reason for a dismissal is one of a number of ‘automatically unfair’

PHOTOGRAPH: PLAINPICTURE

15 Law.indd 15

reasons including dismissal because of trade union membership or activities, then the employee can make an application for an order that the contract continues pending either determination of the unfair dismissal claim or settlement (‘interim relief’). In keeping with the principle that the tribunals won’t force the employer to employ the employee, the order cannot compel the employer to take the employee back to work but is effectively an order to suspend the employee on full pay and benefits pending determination of the dispute. The procedures are strict and, in particular, an application must be made no later than seven days after the date of dismissal. In a recent case, an employer appeared to adopt a hostile attitude towards a member who consulted NAHT. We considered an application for interim relief but it appeared that it would be difficult to argue that the sole or principal reason for the dismissal was trade union membership or activity. The dismissal may nevertheless be unfair. Breach of contract and injunctions Where an employment contract incorporates a procedure that must be followed before an employer can dismiss an employee, if the employer purports to dismiss having significantly departed from the contractual procedure then the courts may make an order (an injunction) preventing the dismissal taking effect unless, and until, the employer has complied with the procedure. In a couple of cases, employers gave our members notification of immediate dismissal. Although in each case the statutory or contractual procedures stipulated that there should be a disciplinary hearing before a dismissal, there had been no such hearing. We issued applications for injunctions and in one case an injunction was granted and, in another, the employer agreed to reinstate pending determination of issues at a hearing. If you need professional advice, call 0300 30 30 333.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

05/09/2014 13:26

NFER Tests Reading and mathematics tests for years 3, 4 and 5 Comprehensive teacher guides and analysis tools Compatible with the new curriculum National Curriculum levels and age standardised scores to help the transition to new ways of tracking progress

New for 2014 –15* Re-standardised Year 5 mathematics test to reflect that calculators can no longer be ca used in the year 6 tests us Ye Year 5 Spelling Tests

In an independent review of 201 schools, 90% were satisfied with the tests.

“The tests were really easy to use, and … very child friendly.” Loddington Primar y

and “The tests give a true accurate reflection of pupils’ abilities.”

c Primar y Christ the King Catholi School

* New tests, level and standardised score tables will be available late Autumn 2014.

Find out more and order at www.nfer.ac.uk/nt1 T: 01753 637007 E: products@nfer.ac.uk LFO.09.14.016.indd 16

15/08/2014 11:50

OPINION

VIEWS IN EDUCATION • RONA TUTT • RUSSELL HOBBY • BEST OF THE BLOGS

WE V I E W F R O M A P A S T P R E S I D E N T

t’s been apparent for some time that this term would see some major changes, but one that was RONA TUTT not anticipated was the removal of Michael Gove. With less than a year to the next general election and a prime minister with a known aversion to swapping people around more than necessary, it seemed unlikely we would have a new secretary of state on top of everything else. THE DEPARTURE OF MICHAEL GOVE After the announcement, Mr Gove told Radio 4’s Today that he didn’t AND THE APPROACH OF AN ELECTION know whether to describe what had COULD LEAD TO A PERIOD OF STABILITY happened as a “demotion, emotion, promotion or locomotion.” On first a solicitor by training, has said that she does not want to undo hearing, the last of these seems to be the odd one out, yet, as any of Gove’s reforms, but that she will work with the its definition is: ‘the ability to move from one place to another,’ profession and the hope is that this is one of the reasons she it is, perhaps apposite. For, instead of being in charge of has been chosen for the role. For it is utter madness for any discipline and behaviour in schools, as chief whip, Mr Gove politician to think they know more than the people who have will be in charge of party discipline, making sure his MPs vote been doing the job for years and who are in a position to as they have been instructed to. understand what will and what will not work in schools and There is no shortage of theories regarding the change. Some other educational settings. say it was the public spats he had with cabinet colleagues and Interestingly, both David Laws and Edward Timpson remain the head of Ofsted. Others believed he had simply alienated too in post, while Matthew Hancock and Elizabeth Truss are many people, including teachers who represent a large section replaced by Nick Boles and Nick Gibb. If the latter name is of the voting public and so had become a liability. It is also familiar, it could be because his is a reappointment. His Labour possible that the prime minister took a dim view of a comment counterpart Kevin Brennan may have exaggerated when he Gove made in the Financial Times about the ridiculous number referred to it as the greatest comeback since Lazarus, but it is of former Eton pupils in David Cameron’s inner circle. rare for a minister to return to a post from which he has been dismissed by the same prime minister. Losing the profession Happily, there is little time to make more changes and, even Whatever else is said about him (and there is no shortage of if there were, there is little left that could be changed in the comments to choose from, including the official of one of the wake of Mr Gove’s zealous determination to revolutionise classroom unions who compared him to “a demented Dalek every aspect of our education system. So, let us welcome the on speed”), there is no doubt that he took his role as secretary new arrivals and hope that having Nicky, Nick and Nick at the of state seriously. He did not treat the job as something that DfE is not too confusing for those who work with them. Who would fill in a gap until something better came along, as some knows, we may even enter a brief period of consolidation former education secretaries have done, but he forgot the before the next general election. importance of listening to the profession, of taking school leaders seriously when they suggested too much change at the same time would be counterproductive and failed to Rona Tutt is a retired head remember that there is little point in leading from the front teacher and a unless you carry teachers with you. past president of NAHT His successor, Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, who is

VIEWPOINT •

THE NICK OF TIME

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

17 Rona col.indd 17

04/09/2014 15:57

INSPIRING A LOVE OF READING IN SCHOOLS AND AT HOME

CREATIVITY IN THE NEW PRIMARY CURRICULUM Innovative, practical approaches to teaching reading, writing and history with Pie Corbett

Image: ZSL London Zoo

Museum of London: Mon 3rd Nov 2014 ZSL London Zoo: Tues 5th Feb 2015

Who is

What’s it

What

Pie Corbett?

all about?

will we do?

An outstanding educational writer and poet, he is renowned for his creative approaches in the classroom. He regularly lectures on education and advises UK government

These new creative training and conference events will look at ideas to help you to support pupils, drive up standards, support aspiration and raise attainment levels

The museum is an inspiring backdrop for a day delving into narrative in the study of history. The zoo event will focus on developing writing through animal observation

More details at Jubileebooks.co.uk Book now to avoid disappointment! BOOKING FORM: Please tick the appropriate box to indicate which event you are booking

PIE CORBETT AT THE MUSEUM OF LONDON - 3RD NOVEMEBER 2014 PIE CORBETT AT ZSL LONDON ZOO – 5TH FEBRUARY 2015 £199.00 + VAT includes lunch & refreshments Group booking over 5 delegates receive a 10% discount. Please return to: Events Coordinator, Jubilee Books, 31a Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath, London, SE3 7AE T. (020) 8293 6060 or (020) 8265 4645 F. (020) 8465 5111 Email: eddie.burnett@jubileebooks.co.uk A confirmation invoice will be sent to the email address submitted on this form. Fees can only be reimbursed upon receipt of written/emailed cancellation notice at least four weeks before event. Museum booking

Zoo booking

deadline: deadline: 12th January 2015 3rd October 2014 LFO.09.14.018.indd 18

15/08/2014 11:51

OPINION

EE “We’ve been thinking about how we can protect members in the spirit of prevention rather than cure”

ow different will things be without Michael Gove? My suspicion is RUSSELL HOBBY that we will see a change in style rather than substance; Nick Gibb has returned as minister for schools and we’ve already had a long conversation about phonics, for example. I am pleased to report though, that after a large part of summer was spent engaged in the most direct form GOVE HAS GONE AND MORE of protection for members caught ASPECTS OF EDUCATION ARE up in the ‘Trojan Horse’ allegations, BACK WITH THE PROFESSION Bhupinder Kondal, one of the heads originally forced out of her post, parents and early years providers all play their part. has been reinstated. However, the relationship between You should expect to see a lot more about this over the professional and lay leadership is becoming increasingly coming months under the title Read on, get on. We will be complicated across the country. looking towards 2025 as the end point – a date outside the short-term political cycle. In the early days, the campaign will Taking MPs’ toys away focus on setting the goal and securing political buy-in from all We’ve also been thinking about how we can better protect three main parties. Attention will then turn to the ‘how’, which members in the spirit of prevention rather than cure. This is will almost certainly focus on schools helping schools. part of our strategy to take back ownership of standards in Both these projects put into action the spirit and detail order to reduce political interference. As one example, we of our manifesto for education, which was agreed at annual recently announced our intention to create alternative league conference in May. Owning what is ours asked us to take back tables (see page 7). For too long, league tables have been like a control of our professional destiny, including better ways to toy to politicians: driving schools in one direction or another at measure performance and set standards. short notice. One example was the decision to measure schools This builds on the other proactive projects: Aspire is on a student’s first GCSE entry rather than their best entry. proving successful and will be rolled out more widely; Instead We no longer wish to play that game. The alternative tables will will begin its second, larger-scale pilot; and Primary Futures put the definition of performance back under our influence. has a launch week in October. It means we have to accept transparency and accountability, You may also have noticed that NAHT Edge has launched. but at least it should be on sound and stable terms. It is aimed at middle leaders in schools and will combine We have also turned our thoughts to literacy. We have been protection with leadership and professional development. disturbed by pre-election talk around higher floor standards On the same topic, we will also have to make some choices in and a focus on technical skills rather than the broader love the autumn term about the role we want to play in the future of reading. We want to show the public that we aspire to of NPQH and the other national leadership development the highest possible standards, that every child should leave programmes, which may be ‘let go’ by the National College. primary school able to read to their full potential. We want to Is this another place to take back ownership of what is ours? focus on the love of reading and we want a proper, long-term horizon that enables all schools to succeed. This will be a professional goal based on aspirations not Russell Hobby fear. We are part of a wider alliance, one that includes Save the is NAHT general secretary Children and others, that will seek to ensure that employers,

VIEWPOINT •

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

19 Russell column.indd 19

04/09/2014 15:58

BEST OF THE

BLOGS Education: a matter of perception? Susan Young Susan writes: “Judith Carlisle, head of Oxford High, tells her students that ﬁve years on, nobody will care what grade they got in GCSE French and, if they need A-grade A levels for a particular university, it’s not necessary to get the highest A possible. ‘It matters, but sometimes it probably won’t matter that much,’ she said. ‘It’s very important to have an insurance offer.’ “‘It’s important the girls are not going for things that if they don’t get it, it will destroy them. Exams aren’t who they are – it’s what they did on a particular day.’ “Miss Carlisle is, of course, perfectly right. But now suppose she’d said all this as the head teacher of a state school? Would her comments have merited an approving article in a national paper, or

A toxic idea: and one that should be binned… Gerard Kelly Former TES editor Gerard joins the blogging team at NAHT and he is in combative mood. “It takes a certain genius to unite the NUT and Toby Young in joint derision but the Sutton Trust has managed to pull it off,” he writes. “The trust exists to extend the beneﬁts of a decent education to disadvantaged kids, an unarguably worthy goal. But it also has another quixotic agenda: to promote the idea that independent schools should be paid by the taxpayer to take bright state school pupils.” He reported that it found pupils who are privately educated receive on average an earnings premium of almost £200,00O by the age of 42. “Its main conclusion was that the government should cough up £215 million and pay independent schools to take the brightest state school pupils so they

would she have been held up for scorn and ridicule, and accusations she was letting her pupils down? “In fact, I seem to remember exactly that scenario with a sixth-form maths teacher who wrote a column about how he was trying to get some of his most over-achieving and anxious students to ease up a little – he was hung out to dry by the media.” Susan adds that these Oxford High schoolgirls are being set exams where it’s impossible to get 100 per cent – a measure that is intended to teach them about failure. “Sadly, the majority of children don’t need that exercise to learn the lesson: but it’s still good for them to explore success, failure and self-reliance in other ways, with genuinely fun activities and minimal adult supervision and input. “And that doesn’t mean a summer holiday of school-lite.” www.naht.org.uk/welcome/newsand-media/blogs/susan-young too could beneﬁt from that premium. In essence, it’s a rehash of the assisted places scheme dumped by a Labour government years ago.” Gerard isn’t impressed: “One credulous Labour MP, demonstrating the kind of ﬁghting spirit that helped Aneurin Bevan set up the NHS, feebly tweeted: ‘Independent schools aren’t going away, so the only question is who goes to them: the wealthiest or the brightest?’ “Really, is that the only question facing our education system? How stupid of me. I thought the only question was: how do you provide the best education for all of our children not just a few of them? “It is ironic that at a time when many state schools are improving rapidly and many private schools are having to turn into posh comprehensives to keep the baliffs from the doors that the trust thinks the answer is a selective, private education for a handful of deserving poor.” www.naht.org.uk/welcome/newsand-media/blogs/gerard-kelly

VIEWS IN EDUCATION • RAISING ASPIRATIONS OR BEING REALISTIC? • EDUCATION REFORM’S POPULARITY PROBLEM • PUTTING A VALUE ON STATE EDUCATION

Does education reform have a popularity problem? Warwick Mansell Warwick turns his thoughts to Michael Gove, pondering: ‘Where did it all go wrong?’ Among his theories: “Nasty campaigning may work against political opponents. But does it work when your enemy is a dedicated public servant?” He writes: “Supporters of Mr Gove would no doubt object, here. He did genuinely want to help, especially the poorest children in our system overcome the undoubted barriers they face, and ought to be given credit for that. He also wanted to free up outstanding school leaders and teachers to do what they do best.” As part of his research, Warwick looks to the education secretary’s speeches in opposition and his early period in office: “This more emollient, less confrontational and more thoughtful positioning was to the fore,” he says. “The more negative, confrontational aspects have undoubtedly been centre stage recently. Deciding to denounce opponents of his reforms as ‘enemies of promise’ might come, I think, to be looked upon by Mr Gove as a significant strategic blunder, for all the approving headlines and opinion columns it might have won him in the short term. “Can it be really right to describe hard-working professionals who disagree with you in these terms? The overconfidence – the ‘I know what’s best to do for children and those who oppose me are both wrong and, even, haven’t got children’s best interests at heart’ – is unattractive and runs the risk of being seen as repulsively insulting. “I remember well attending a conference where a teacher said: ‘Enemy of promise’. I’ve worked for decades doing all I can for inner-city children. How dare he say that?’ “This teacher was not, of course, alone in that view.” www.naht.org.uk/welcome/news -and-media/blogs/warwick-mansell

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

20 blogs.indd 20

05/09/2014 16:34

OUR COLOURS MAY HAVE CHANGED... but our direct access to subject specialists hasn’t.

Eduqas is the newest member of WJEC providing Ofqual reformed GCSEs, AS and A levels to schools and colleges across England. This autumn, we will be offering free “Preparing to teach” sessions for the full range of reformed qualiﬁcations available for ﬁrst teaching in 2015. Book your FREE place now.

eduqas.co.uk/training

A time-saving solution to keep all your school policies up to date

Why struggle to write your school policies from scratch? It’s tedious and takes up a lot of valuable time A subscription to Policies for Schools will make the task of school policy writing more manageable as it provides 300+ model school policies in 20 different categories. The policies are very easy to customise for your own school setting and we hope that we have every eventuality covered, but if we do not have the policy you are looking for, just ask and we will write it for you and include it in your subscription. Our policies are thoroughly researched, clear, concise and consistent and are regularly updated which means you keep up to date with any national legislative changes. Policies for Schools is available to subscribers 24/7 as our service is internet based. So whenever you need to update your school policies, be it at school or at home, all you need is an internet connection to download the policies.

“The Policies for Schools website has provided me with a range of simple, effective and up to date policies, dealing with all aspects of school life. ” Tim Baxter - (Headteacher) St Mary's R C Primary School

Also included in a subscription to Policies for Schools are 103 Risk Assessments, 109 Safeguarding and School Security Procedures documents and 55 School Health and Safety Audit and Action Plans making a total of 550+ documents for just £225.

Subscribe to Policies for Schools at www.policiesforschools.co.uk and let us do the hard work for you Teachers Resource Centre Ltd, Wyastone Business Park, Wyastone Leys, Monmouth, NP25 3SR Telephone: 01600 891506 Website: www.policiesforschools.co.uk Email: sales@policiesforschools.co.uk

LFO.09.14.021.indd 21

15/08/2014 17:45

MIDDLE LEADERS

At the cutting Edge 22

September sees the launch of NAHT Edge, a new section of the association for middle leaders. Steve Smethurst speaks to NAHT members and senior teachers about its impact

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

22-25 edge.indd 22

05/09/2014 16:48

What do school leaders think? WE Hilary Alcock Head teacher, Buntingsdale Primary School “I have alerted all Shropshire members and intend to make it a feature of our AGM in October. NAHT Edge is a great idea. It’s a really positive way for NAHT to show that it is an organisation that has the development of effective leaders at its heart for the beneﬁt of teaching and learning. Union-based organisations can often be viewed negatively as only being there to support members’ employment protection. “I have never viewed NAHT like that. It is the voice of consistent credibility that seeks to support its members to be both proactive as well as reactive to the ever-changing landscape of education. “At a time when both retention and recruitment of head teachers – including the movement of heads prepared to take ‘sideways’ moves – is increasingly a challenge, NAHT Edge is a forward-thinking way to support both the professional development and aspirations of middle leaders as well as offering the potential to sustain quality leadership within the profession. This can only be of beneﬁt to our children, our schools and our national education system both now and in the future.”

WE Stephen Watkins Head teacher, Mill Field Primary School “My initial reaction to NAHT Edge was: ‘Brilliant, it’s about time we were nurturing the leaders of the future.’ I have approached all ﬁve of my eligible staff and shared the literature with them. All have pre-registered their interest.

Nicola Oxnard (left) and Lynn Harrison (centre) were told about NAHT Edge by their deputy head, Rachel Brannan (right)

“I told them about the high-quality advice that NAHT gives, plus the superb level of union support and protection. The fact that we will all be receiving the same information to work with has to be a plus. “Edge will beneﬁt NAHT in so many ways, it will bring us into the 21st century in terms of how a union can organise and communicate in a modern way. I foresee fewer conﬂicts as the middle leaders and senior leaders in the school will receive the same good-quality advice. My feeling is that NAHT Edge will be the most positive thing to hit education in years.”

LAST YEAR, at a special general meeting of NAHT in Leeds, Rachel Brannan stepped up to the microphone to second a motion proposing a new section of the association – NAHT Edge. It would be aimed at “ambitious and committed middle leaders in schools, offering a blend of traditional trade union protection and high-quality leadership development, underwritten by NAHT’s experienced staff and officers”. Rachel told the assembled school leaders that at the time she was the deputy head at an average-size primary school in Durham, having been promoted from a ‘teaching and learning responsibilities’ position within her school. She said: “I am here today to represent this future generation of school leaders and I see NAHT Edge as an exciting opportunity for our association to play a key role in shaping the future of school leadership. “It is a chance to harness the passion, drive and motivation we all recognise in our middle leaders and through appropriate

PHOTOGRAPH: JIM VARNEY

22-25 edge.indd 23

advice and well-targeted continuing professional development, provide support and nurture for those essential leadership skills and qualities as they move on to more senior roles. Personally, I would have loved the opportunity to be part of such an association.” The delegates shared Rachel’s enthusiasm. She tells LF: “It is exactly what aspiring leaders need during these turbulent times. The amount of change – and the pace of it – is immense and school leaders need an association that will not simply oppose change but will work relentlessly to ensure changes are implemented in such a way that the education, welfare and safety of the children in our schools remains paramount. “My view is that while many middle leaders disagree with some of the imposed changes, they are less willing to participate in strike action. NAHT Edge has a real opportunity to support these aspiring leaders using its strong voice and more reasoned approach. It is exactly what NAHT needs to secure its E

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

05/09/2014 16:48

MIDDLE LEADERS What do middle leaders think? WE Nicola Oxnard Acting deputy head and special needs coordinator, Neville’s Cross Primary W future by attracting a new wave of members. The association can play School, Durham a key role in shaping the future of school leadership.” “Although I’m a member of another teaching union and have been since I Rachel feels that any conflict of qualified in 1999, my previous head teacher, Hazel Bullock, was an active member interest that may crop up for the of NAHT until her retirement and I have watched Rachel progress with the association is a small price to pay. “We association’s help. She has attended and spoken at conferences and will always know there are instances of conflict of inform me of what is being discussed and send me information about initiatives, interest where staff who work in the policy changes or anything else I may need to know for my role in school. same establishment have grievances “I was very keen to find out more about NAHT Edge and registered an interest against one another and are in the same on the website. Belonging to a union which best fits your development needs is association. There is also the potential very important to me as I progress through my career and NAHT Edge seems to for NAHT Edge to be overwhelmingly be offering this. Also, as the union will be specifically aimed at middle leaders it popular and demands on NAHT staff will have a better understanding of the issues we are facing in schools. Training may be affected. However, I have and development will be more focused and will, hopefully, provide a network of every faith in the staff and their ability peer support. to ensure any potential conflicts “I have watched Rachel progress from a middle leader to taking up the post of interest are managed in a very of head teacher from September and I am sure NAHT has helped her to do this. professional manner.” Rachel spells out the main reasons for her enthusiasm below, praising NAHT for: Class teacher with a teaching and learning • recognising the demands that I faced within school both as a teacher and responsibility for mathematics and computing, a leader and could provide me with Neville’s Cross Primary School, Durham information and advice at the push of a button; “I have been a member of other teaching unions for many years. I knew a little about • recognising that as an aspiring NAHT as I’m a member of the senior leadership team and Rachel, until recently our leader I want to hear those key deputy head, is an active member of the association. She attends conferences and messages surrounding educational training regularly and always returns with the latest news about education. issues which would have a direct “My initial reaction to NAHT Edge was that it’s a fantastic idea – a union aimed impact on me and my role; at middle leaders, where you can get professional support and advice when needed. • allowing me to better support the I am very keen to be a member of NAHT Edge and have already registered an interest vision and values of my school online. To me, its selling points are that it will provide me with information that leader and give me more insight is more targeted towards school leaders. I particularly like that it is web-based, so into the complex demands of senior advice and support will be readily available.” leadership; • supporting my transition into my Edge at the SGM and a pleasure to be part of this monumental current senior leadership role; and decision taken by members of our association. • having a strong voice… yet a more reasoned approach. “I have been fortunate throughout my career to work with She says: “We are facing enormous turmoil within our some highly experienced and forward-thinking head teachers world of education and it is going to have a great impact on our children and our teachers. We must support leaders at all who placed importance on the development of leadership within the school and who had a very clear vision with regard to levels in our schools to ensure this change is both well led and succession planning. It is important to recognise that in today’s well managed. NAHT Edge presents the perfect opportunity for us to do this. climate of high pressure and accountability not all aspiring Rachel has already convinced two of the middle leaders at leaders have such opportunities. her school, Lynn Harrison and Nicola Oxnard, to register their “I am convinced that NAHT Edge will prove to be extremely interest online (see above). As NAHT Edge gears up for launch, popular and successful and wish its chief executive Louis Coiffait (see right) and his team the very best of luck in ensuring she says: “It was both an honour to be asked to represent the this is so.” NAHT National Executive and speak in favour of NAHT

WE Lynn Harrison

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

22-25 edge.indd 24

05/09/2014 16:48

WE Q&A with Louis Coiffait, chief executive of NAHT Edge Why has NAHT set up NAHT Edge? We’ve created NAHT Edge to fulfil our duty to the next generation of leaders in schools – to help them develop as leaders, take on senior posts (should they wish), and contribute to the wider education debate. As other sources of support fade away, it is vital that middle leaders have an association to speak for them, protect them and challenge them to meet their ambitions. Edge will also challenge NAHT itself – to stay relevant and to experiment with new methods of delivery and service that ensure unionism remains strong and healthy in the 21st century. Why would an assistant head choose NAHT Edge rather than NAHT? There will be a difference both in the services that are provided by the two organisations and in how they are delivered. For example, NAHT Edge will provide services that reﬂect the fact that assistant heads spend a substantial amount of time in the classroom and so will include a focus on pedagogy and curriculum. NAHT’s services will be more tailored to the challenges of senior leadership, such as accountability and inspection and be delivered through a higher faceto-face component. NAHT members will also have a greater role to play in NAHT decision-making and policy-setting processes through attendance at branch and regional meetings, as well as AGMs, whereas NAHT Edge members will have a direct, national and predominantly online ‘voice’. Do assistant heads have a choice whether they join NAHT or NAHT Edge? The role of an assistant head teacher can cover a very broad range of activities and we want to give them the choice over which organisation they feel best meets their needs. Assistant heads who are already members of NAHT will be given the same choice – they are very welcome to remain with NAHT, but if they feel that NAHT Edge is a better fit for them we’ll make it as easy as possible for them to switch. What sort of representation will NAHT Edge members receive? Members will receive the individual representation of a traditional trade union, with professional NAHT-trained regional officers available to represent them in employment hearings and legal assistance if necessary. Will the creation of NAHT Edge generate conﬂict between members? Within NAHT we already have members with different grades within the education system, some of whom manage each other and who occasionally

PHOTOGRAPH: TEMPEST

22-25 edge.indd 25

come into conflict. All our research suggests that we handle this well. The current proposal is no different. We also believe that the opportunities for dialogue should create a better relationship between senior and middle leaders – reducing conflict overall. Is there an automatic process of conversion to NAHT when the NAHT Edge member becomes eligible? As soon as a member of NAHT Edge becomes a head or deputy head they are no longer eligible to remain with Edge. They will be contacted by our membership support team to outline the process of conversion. Why should NAHT members support it? NAHT Edge will contribute to NAHT’s influence and viability by showing that we are a growing organisation representing a broad range of leaders. It will help improve the quality of middle leadership in schools and develop stronger relationships between senior and middle leaders. In turn, it will foster better management of all staff.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

05/09/2014 17:02

SBM COMMITTEE

Investing in the future Policy adviser Valentine Mulholland reports on a successful ﬁrst 12 months for the NAHT’s school business managers’ committee and presents ﬁndings from a survey of members THE NAHT SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGERS’ (SBM) committee celebrated its first anniversary this summer. Formed in July 2013 as a subcommittee reporting to NAHT’s professional committee and National Executive, the committee aims to represent the interests of NAHT’s everincreasing numbers of SBM members and brings together SBMs from all over the country. Top of the list of pressing issues for SBM members and A fair salary?

■ I feel I am paid a fair salary ■ I feel I am not paid a fair salary

for the committee has been the battle to secure appropriate pay and recognition as equal members of school leadership teams. There is significant variation in how pay levels are set across the country, even for posts of equal responsibility. This is because SBM pay falls outside the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD) and pay is set at a local level by employers. NAHT’s submission to the school teachers’ review body’s 23rd remit on leadership pay in late 2013 conﬁrmed its position on SBM pay as advocating that, when SBMs are in leadership roles, they should be paid in line with the STPCD leadership scales. All of NAHT’s SBMs are in leadership roles as a condition of membership. The committee therefore decided to work with NAHT’s policy team to undertake a project to develop an SBM pay structure that can work with the STPCD leadership pay structure and appropriately reflect the range of SBM leadership roles and responsibilities. NAHT intends to use this framework to lobby government for the development of a national SBM pay framework to provide fairer and more consistent treatment of SBMs who are part of school leadership teams. NAHT has joined forces with ASCL, whose members face the same challenges, and engaged Hay Group to develop this framework with them. In order to inform this work, the committee developed a member survey for SBM members to better understand their current roles and pay levels. More than 40 per cent of NAHT SBM members responded to E

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

26-29 SBMs.indd 26

05/09/2014 16:00

Salaries across primary and secondary schools 60000

■ Median Primary Salary ■ Median Secondary Salary

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

<£0.5m

£0.5m-£1m

£1m-£2m £2m-£4.5m Size of budget managed by the respondent

£4.5m-£10m

£10m-£20m

Top 10 areas of work that school business managers have responsibility for Financial management and control

Size of budget managed by the respondent

Administrative management for the school Procurement and contract management Strategic budget setting/forecasting Premises/estate management Health and safety HR management Staff line management Payroll Project management 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% ■ Responsible for leading on within the school

50% 60% 70% 80% ■ Involved in within the school

90% 100% ■ No Answer

Top 10 areas of work that school business managers are involved in (but are not responsible for) School improvement planning/monitoring ICT Staff recruitment School policies Reporting to parents Pupil premium strategy/monitoring Sustainability Pupil tracking Data management Educational visits 0%

10%

20%

■ Involved in within the school

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

■ Responsible for leading on within the school

90%

100%

■ No Answer

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS 27

26-29 SBMs.indd 27

05/09/2014 16:00

SBM COMMITTEE WE The school business manager:

Sarah Bagshaw, St Bede Academy Following some gentle encouragement from her head teacher, Jack Hatch (see right), Sarah Bagshaw, the school business manager (SBM) at St Bede Academy in Bolton joined NAHT, where SBMs are the fastest growing section of membership. It’s fair to say she hasn’t looked back.

W the survey, with key findings including the following: Sarah is a fully-fledged member of the senior leadership team at her primary • Only 28 per cent of respondents school and feels that NAHT membership has reaped many rewards. She says: felt their salary represented a “I joined because Jack sold it to me and the organisation appealed to me – it fair reflection of responsibilities, was a union with a professional basis rather than the confrontational type of with the other 72 per cent unionism I’d experienced before. dissatisfied with their earnings; “I’d done some funding work at NAHT with Jack and heard about the SBM • Within schools, SBMs were committee. Membership of it means being part of something that recognises typically leading on: the role of SBMs and pushing for the rights of those who don’t have such an - strategic budget setting; enlightened head teacher as me. Our job is also to give head teachers confidence - financial management that this model does work.” and control; - procurement and Sarah’s comment relates to the fact that not all school finance roles are equal, contract management; with some paid more than others for similar work. Not all are as firmly fixed in - premises and estate their school’s senior leadership team either. management; She tells LF: “I come from senior role in industry and was welcomed into the - Staff recruitment and senior team at St Bede, so I was surprised to find it wasn’t like that across the management; board. It was only by speaking to other SBM committee members who have that - HR management; problem, or know people who do, that you realise that it really does differ from - health and safety; and school to school. Some school leaders view SBMs as back-office staff.” - project management. “Yet it is a crucial role whether at a maintained school or academy. There are • The above finding reflects different responsibilities in running a limited company, for example, but funds a gradual shift where other are getting tighter and people are needing to do more with less. As such, the role school leaders are becoming of the SBM becoming increasingly crucial.” increasingly focused on Sarah says that the SBM committee discusses a range of pressing issues: managing teaching and learning universal free school meals, changes to fairer funding, recognition of SBMs in as they feel comfortable enough school forums and insurance, just to give a few examples. to leave other areas in the hands “We also discuss the changing nature of the SBM role. It’s not just counting up of increasingly capable SBMs. the dinner money, it’s about making the correct business decisions and getting • The survey also showed that value for money for the funding available, as well as dealing with HR issues – it’s more than half of SBMs were a much wider role.” also involved in areas closer to pupils including: Sarah feels that SBMs are slowly getting the recognition they deserve, pointing - pupil premium monitoring; out the good response to a recent NAHT survey about the role. “The major - admissions; thing is getting a national voice – that’s the main achievement,” she says. - data management; and - pupil tracking. • SBMs’ work has increased over the past year with nearly 90 per cent reporting an increase Contribution to school forums School forums were also an important issue that the committee in workload and most SBMs working an average of 45 hours debated. Members are convinced that SBMs can make a a week. • Another recent development has been in the type of contracts, valuable contribution when they are able to attend but they with three quarters of SBMs in the survey now employed on often struggle to get access to these meetings. This was year-round contracts rather than term-time only. recognised by NAHT when, at the June National Executive meeting, it was agreed to make a case to the DfE that all schools The survey report confirmed the committee’s view of the forums should have at least one SBM member in recognition of increasingly important role played by SBMs on leadership the specialist expertise that they can offer. SBMs have in-depth teams and will be extremely useful to inform the work on knowledge of school funding and can support school forums developing a pay framework.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

26-29 SBMs.indd 28

05/09/2014 16:00

WE The head teacher:

Jack Hatch, St Bede Academy Jack Hatch, head teacher at Bolton’s St Bede Academy, casts his mind back. “It’s probably 20 years since I first hired someone to help with financial administration of the school,” he says. “I was after a reasonably competent person to work with me. Someone who could add up and take away. It was all I needed at the time.”

to make informed and realistic decisions. Committee members have also Times change though and, as a converter academy, the school’s needs are very worked on other areas, including: different in 2014. “The first finance person worked with me so that I could • meeting the lead official in understand the processes. The arrangement was fine for 10 years; then we the DfE’s funding team, who started to get more autonomy and took on our own wages and finances. We was working on the funding began to take on more staff with professional qualifications, including our framework for the universal current school business manager, Sarah Bagshaw, who joined us in 2007.” infant free school meals policy. Sarah, formerly a financial controller for Burton’s Food, has had her Committee members were work cut out. Not only is the primary school a converter academy with all able to raise concerns with the financial and legal responsibilities it brings, Jack is a former NAHT her as well as receiving up-tonational treasurer. date information, which was conveyed to members; “I urged her to join the association,” he says. “I want all my team to have • supporting NAHT to submit access to the same high-quality advice that I have.” evidence to the DfE’s review of Sarah, now has two direct reports in the finance department, where their policy on the management another half dozen staff – some with joint roles running a separate of asbestos in schools, raising childcare charity – work on running the business management of the school. concerns about the current Among them are a qualified accounting technician, one about to complete approach, which leaves schools an ACCA accountancy qualification and an HR manager who’s also a exposed and ill informed; qualified solicitor. • Discussing the issue of facilities “As we’ve gradually built up our autonomy, there’s been more delegation time, an issue of increasing of that side of things,” says Jack. “You do sometimes get heads who think concern for all NAHT members they can do it all, but I take the opposite view. I want as much help and but also specifically for SBMs; support for my role as possible. I devolve my authority as far as I can. If • Advising NAHT on how to you work for me, you’ll get plenty of opportunities and experience. That’s improve communications with the way you improve people professionally and they’ll grow into a better, SBM members, which has led stronger leadership team. directly to the creation of a “I know colleagues who see delegation and involving others as a source school business management of aggravation, but you have to keep chipping away at those attitudes and webpage linked to the landing educate them. You need to spread the load – you could go under if you did page of the NAHT website; and it all yourself.” • Encouraging NAHT to work more closely with the National Association of School Business framework, have been important in the increasing Management (NASBM) for the benefit of members of recognition of the professional status of SBMs and we both organisations. need to ensure that the quality and credibility of the Looking forward, the key issue will continue to be pay, but also the implications of the National College for Teaching and qualifications is assured into the future. The committee Leadership (NCTL) moving away from licensing the SBM will focus on working with partners and interested parties qualifications (Certificate in School Business Management, to make this happen. Diploma and Advanced Diploma) and making the material The committee is chaired by NAHT’s National Executive available to any provider who can get registered. SBM member, Nicky Gillhespy, and she and other members While this is an approach that the NCTL is taking to all welcome contact from fellow SBMs on issues or concerns leadership qualifications, the SBM qualification will be the they may wish to raise. Nicky’s contact details can be found first to be floated off and NAHT is very concerned about what on NAHT’s SBM webpage (see below). this might mean. www.naht.org.uk/bursarsandschoolbusinessmanagers These qualifications, underpinned by their competency

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

26-29 SBMs.indd 29

05/09/2014 16:36

MENTORING

Building bridges Carly Chynoweth meets David Hermitt, a head teacher and former engineer, who mentors many aspiring school leaders from black and minority ethnic backgrounds

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

30-33 black mentoring.indd 30

PHOTOGRAPH: RICHARD LEA-HAIR

04/09/2014 15:59

EE “Having role models helps. In medicine you see a broader profile of workforce at every level but in schools the number is disproportionate”

IN LONDON MORE than half of the population comes from a black or minority ethnic (BME) background but less than a fifth of its school workforce does. This figure drops to 13 per cent at senior management level and is down to 2.5 per cent for heads. David Hermitt, CEO of Congleton multi-academy trust and the head teacher of Congleton High School in Cheshire, is doing his best to change this and, in turn, improve young people’s opportunities, not only in London but across the country. For a start, having a more representative workforce will empower children and help them to see that school is both a place where they belong and a place where they can achieve. It should also help pupils to recognise the difference between behaviour management and racism, he says. David tells LF: “People talk about how young BME students coming through school feel disenfranchised, perhaps even feel that they are victims of racism, when actually it is simply teachers telling them to do the right thing,” This perception is less likely to arise when the teachers in question come from backgrounds that are representative of the student body. He feels there is a chicken-and-egg situation when it comes to how schools can make their workforces more representative: they need BME teachers as role models, but finding them requires BME students to take up teaching – which would be helped by the existence of more BME teachers. “At the moment we are just not seeing enough young people making that decision,” says David, who trained as an engineer before becoming a teacher. “Having role models helps. In medicine you see a much broader profile of workforce at every level, but in school education the number is disproportionate. “If you are a talented BME A-level student, the likelihood is you look to medicine and you see lots of other doctors who look similar to you and you think that’s a safe profession to join, but you look around schools and there are very few BME teachers. “Last week I went to a school and met a teacher there who said he thought it was the right career for him because he had seen some BME teachers in his school.” E

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

30-33 black mentoring.indd 31

04/09/2014 16:00

MENTORING

W The power of role models The opportunity to be a role model is one of many things that Jennifer Morris (right) loves about teaching. “I went to secondary school less than a mile away from where I am now sitting,” says the assistant head of Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy in Birmingham. “I tell the girls that if I can do it, so can they. The girls are inspired. That’s why I became a teacher. I want them to think ‘Miss did it, I can too’.” But increasing the number of school leaders from BME backgrounds does not simply mean getting a more mixed intake of teachers; it’s also about encouraging and supporting talented teachers from all backgrounds to move into leadership. Jennifer received such encouragement from a very early stage in her career. “In the beginning I was pleased just to be a teacher,” she says. “I got a job in Barking and Dagenham and spent a year there doing mainly behaviour management.” After a year she returned to Birmingham. “Then, in April, my then deputy head said: ‘I would like you to attend a course over the holidays for teachers with deputy head potential.’ So in my second year of teaching she put the idea in my head. After that I wanted to get there.” She picked up her ﬁrst teaching and learning responsibility at the end of her third year before stepping up to acting head of history to cover maternity leave. Once the regular head of history returned, Jennifer’s head teacher encouraged her to look at other schools so that she would get the opportunity to take on a permanent leadership role. “I have had great support from my school leaders. Just before I left, my deputy head said: ‘Jenny, leadership is lonely but to put yourself out there you have to take risks.’” By this time Jennifer was in her sixth year of teaching and her progress, which had been smooth until then, began to run into the occasional speedbump. “Everything was smooth until I started to break into senior leadership team level. Until then I just had to be the best teacher, but in senior leadership it was not just about that but also about being the right ﬁt for the team. I struggled with that. I did my homework I answered the questions – there was nothing I could not answer – it was just

that I did not fit. That’s where David and the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) were so helpful.” Demonstrating leadership ability When David agreed to mentor Jennifer through the NCTL he was able to use his experience to guide her through things like what it means to be the right fit for a team and how to demonstrate leadership ability. Mentoring undoubtedly has an important role to play in helping to prepare people, including those of BME backgrounds, for leadership roles, says David, who mentors a number of potential leaders. He often uses the GROW approach to mentoring and coaching to underpin his partnerships. GROW – which stands for Goal, current Reality, Options and Will (or Way forward) – is a straightforward approach that helps to structure the relationship and determine what the mentee wants to achieve. “All our staff use this approach, even with students themselves. Using this type of model is helpful because it leads to more focused conversations that lead to action. Mentoring isn’t a cosy chat, it’s a conversation with real purpose.” It also gets results, says Larry Davis (right), another of David’s mentees. “Having a critical friend, someone I could get on the phone to and say: ‘What about this, then?’ was really helpful,” says the former army instructor. “Later, when I was applying for jobs to be a head I would say: ‘How does this sound, can you have a look at my CV?’ Having someone who had gone through the same as me, being black and having a network of other black teachers was so important.” Larry Davis is a strong supporter of the NCTL’s BME internship programme. He finished his NPQH in 2012 and realised that he had an abundance of information about headship but that he still had gaps, particularly when it came to practical experience. “I wanted to know more – I wanted to know if I could perform the role,” he says. “I was flicking through an education magazine and there was an article about head teacher internships for BME leaders, so I went online and applied.” When he was selected, David

EE “Having someone who had gone through the same as me, being black and having a network of other black teachers was so important” 32

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

30-33 black mentoring.indd 32

04/09/2014 16:00

was his mentor for the programme, which he took last year. “What this programme did was look at your leadership abilities and your suitability for leadership, so there was a lot of testing, a lot of speaking to other head teachers about the role,” says Larry, a deputy head at Southfields Academy. It filled the gaps left by NPQH and gave the practical side about working with people. It gave that close contact with a head teacher who gave up their school for a period – in my case two weeks – and allowed the intern to run it. “I want to be credible and I want it to be recognised that I have done something that has tested me at the highest level to show that I am ready for headship. It was also important for me to test my own readiness because until then I had doubts.” They were just small doubts, he says, and after the internship they were alleviated. For Jennifer, it was a secondment that helped her prove that she was ready for a senior leadership role when a sixweek placement turned into a 12-week assignment and then a permanent job. It gave her a real chance to prove what she could do – something she valued after consistently making it to the last two in interviews without ever getting the job. Race may have played a part in this, she feels. “I would turn up and perhaps they weren’t expecting a person of colour. I think that if I walk in they see a black woman first and then as I start talking they see a teacher. “But when I met Nicky (her current head teacher, Nicola Walters) she saw the person. That’s what people want, we don’t want to be promoted because of colour but we do want to be promoted because we are the best person for the job.” “I only want to be judged on merit. I have spoken to a colleague who was told: ‘We had one of you before and it did not work.’ That was a governor and it proved to me that some people do not see the professional first.” But the more people from different backgrounds who enter the profession, the less likely it is that hiring committees will be surprised or taken a back by a candidate’s colour. Jennifer is helping out by becoming a school governor to improve diversity there as well. David has encountered a similar wariness from people who were not used to the idea of a teacher from a BME background, although he says that his career has not been held back by racism. “I have worked in places where there were very few other black teachers. I can still remember when I was first teaching that parents would be a Larry Davis bit wary, but once their children

PHOTOGRAPH: KATY PHILLIPS

30-33 black mentoring.indd 33

were doing well and getting places at Oxford and Cambridge universities, that drifts away. People get colour blind when they see it is working.” That initial reaction is common whenever some difference comes into a monoculture, he says; a woman entering an allmale workplace might notice it as well, for example. “Some call it racism but, for me, that’s what I experienced in London as a young man, where people call you names and you fear for your life.” What can heads do today? While national programmes, such as those run by the NCSL, play a very important part in preparing talented BME teachers to move into leadership, individual schools and head teachers are equally important, says David. Talent spotting and then providing plenty of support and development opportunities is critical, says David. “And governing bodies have a role in trying to advertise for posts by making it clear that they welcome applications from underrepresented groups.” Larry added: “It’s not about promoting people quickly but, once you have identified that talent, making sure the individual understands the journey. Equally, it’s not about saying the best talent is internal, it’s about networking with other schools to ensure the person you have is at the same level as all the other senior leaders of deputy heads so they are developing their skills.” The school needs to support leaders’ development in other ways, too; Larry got used to booking training courses only to be called back to school to deal with something. Another possibility would be making sure that, where possible, teachers get the opportunity to rotate through different leadership roles. This is good for their development, good for the development of the people they work with and useful when it comes to the school’s own succession planning. “As a leader you do everything you can to help your staff make professional development gains,” says Larry. “There is nothing to be lost in encouraging people to develop and get a wider perspective on work. This is true even if it means that a great member of your own team has to move on to ﬁnd the next development opportunity.” www.nationalcollege.org.uk www.gov.uk/ofsted-shadowingprogramme http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ GROW_model

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

04/09/2014 16:00

OFSTED GUIDANCE

High anxiety With so much change, the last thing you need is an Ofsted inspection. Carly Chynoweth tries to ﬁnd the best way to deal with the pressure that many school leaders are facing IT CAN TAKE A WHILE to settle into a new school year. There’s a fresh year group to introduce to the routine, enthusiastic NQTs to develop, maybe a new member of the leadership team to bring on board. It’s all about the balance between continuity and change. This year, however, that balance has shifted sharply towards change: assessment without levels, the new national curriculum, even a new education secretary. It ensures that all schools will be working extra hard to get to grips with the new systems alongside their regular tasks. “The volume of work is huge and a lot of the information needed became available quite late in the (previous) year,” says Lesley Gannon, head of research and policy development at NAHT. “Schools have had a very limited amount of time to change all their systems.” Sally Bates, head teacher at Wadsworth Fields Primary School in Nottingham, adds: “We would have liked dedicated time, such as an inset day, to thrash out how it should be done. But without that we just have to do the best that we can. I think that the best advice is just to work collaboratively and look to some of the models now coming through.” For some head teachers, however, all this work will come with the added pressure of an imminent inspection. Schools that have had very little time to put new systems in place – not least because so many changes are needed all at once – face being inspected on W

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

34-37 ofsted.indd 34

05/09/2014 16:01

EE “Without an inset day to thrash out how it should be done, the best advice is just to work collaboratively and look to some of the new models coming through”

PHOTOGRAPH: IMAGE SOURCE

34-37 ofsted.indd 35

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS 35

05/09/2014 16:01

OFSTED GUIDANCE WE Inspection without levels:

what’s the word from Ofsted? Ofsted has cut the amount of guidance that it publishes by more than 275 pages; many elements of the previous guidance W something they have barely instituted, let alone are now included in a new training programme for inspectors, had the chance to build an evidence base for. according to its website. The more reassuring news is that inspectors who visit schools early in the new school year This leaves inspectors – and schools – with three guidance should not expect to see a new assessment documents to work from when inspections begin in September: scheme up and running, says Joanne Richardson, The framework for school inspection, The school inspection a specialist adviser at NAHT. “Current Ofsted handbook, and Inspecting safeguarding in maintained schools guidance acknowledges that schools are unlikely and academies. to have an assessment system in place which HMCI Sir Michael Wilshaw has also written to schools explaining is fully developed,” she says. “Instead, when that inspectors will now use a range of evidence to judge learning forming their judgement, inspection teams will and progress following the removal of national curriculum recognise that schools are still working towards levels. They will pay particular attention to test results, other full implementation of their preferred approach.” assessment information and the standard of pupils’ work. They One head anticipating an early knock on the will also spend more time looking at different pupils’ work. door is Chris Sainsbury, head teacher at John Port School leaders can expect to be questioned about how the school School in Derbyshire. “I am expecting them at any uses formative and summative assessment to improve teaching moment,” says Chris, who became acting head and achievement, while inspectors will also want to see how the of the large academy in 2012 before taking it on school uses assessment information to identify children who may substantively at the start of 2014. need more support – or more challenging work. The school was awarded ‘outstanding’ in 2011, Sir Michael’s letter also covers plans to include separate grades shortly after becoming an academy, but changes for early years and sixth form, which ‘may influence’ a school’s since then – including the effect of grade boundary overall result; an increased focus on low-level disruption; and the changes, budget cuts and restructuring – as well importance of a broad and balanced curriculum. as those ahead, mean that Chris is not necessarily expecting a repeat performance. “Sixth-form data now forms part of the overall When it comes to new assessments, the key is being able to grading and it’s not yet where it should be,” he says. “But the explain clearly what approach the school will be using, why, and biggest thing for me is assessment. Schools now have to make what progress has been made to date. Heads must be “readily staff accountable, so I have put a management information system in place that means we can take every single group’s progress able to demonstrate what they are doing because inspectors through the year and see the teachers responsible for them.” He have limited time in schools, which means that it is important feels very positive about this approach as it makes it relatively that if you are asked a question about your approach, you have a easy to identify and respond to potential problem areas and to clear answer ready,” says Lesley. “Heads can’t rely on inspectors show links between teaching, learning and achievement. On the having the time to read great volumes of information, so think other hand, he acknowledges that pupils’ books, which will be about how you can organise it to maximise its clarity.” examined by inspectors, do not always convey that message as Make sure that paperwork and policies are up to date, both clearly. “We are working on improving consistency,” he says. within the school itself and, ideally, on the website as well – not least because inspectors may read this information in preparation He is also working on a towering pile of paperwork so that for their visit. everything is as it should be when the inspectors call. “I will It’s also a good idea to brief governors to ensure that they can be spending a lot of my summer in school,” he told LF in July. articulate what they need to know equally clearly, says Lesley. “As a new head without that depth of experience there is a lot “The challenge is that they are not necessarily professionals in to prepare.” education. They need to ensure that their minutes reflect the Lesley’s central advice for any school leader preparing for discussions that are happening.” The good news is that work inspection is straightforward: be confident in your ability and done preparing information to brief governors is likely to be remember that you are an expert in learning and assessment. useful when thinking about how to answer inspectors’ questions Next, make sure that you have a very clear grasp of all the efficiently, she adds. changes around assessment and curriculum, as well as an Chris says: “My deputy and I sat down with our governors understanding of the current Ofsted guidance. “School leaders and went through what is expected of them. There is a need to be clear about what inspectors will expect to see, and reasonable amount of anxiety there because of the amount of they need to be able to explain that succinctly to someone who information that they are expected to know, so I have given does not know their school.”

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

34-37 ofsted.indd 36

05/09/2014 16:01

them a list of points from the subsidiary guidance that they should look at.”

Unhappy with a judgement? Head teachers who are unhappy with the inspectors’ judgement of the quality of their curriculum and assessment procedures should start by letting the lead inspector know of their dissatisfaction, advises Joanne. In fact, it is fine to raise concerns during the inspection itself, adds Lesley. “Feel confident about saying: ‘I am looking at this guidance and it suggests that what you are saying is not the case.’ It does not have to be confrontational but it can help to have that conversation.” If things cannot be resolved through discussion with the lead inspector, contact the Ofsted help desk, put the concerns in writing and contact the NAHT’s specialist advice team. Better yet, head teachers should contact the NAHT if they see any sign that inspectors are not following the new guidance, even if the end result goes in the school’s favour, says Lesley. “It is really important to raise (problematic) behaviours even when things turn out all right,” she says. “It’s too easy for Ofsted to dismiss complaints by saying that it is sour grapes. It is much more powerful if schools can say: ‘It was the right outcome, but we think that there were serious flaws in the process.” So, for instance, make a note of inspectors wanting to see information that is no longer relevant or acting in a way that is not in line with the guidance that Ofsted has published. “Tell us where they are looking for particular types of data and paperwork that they are not required to look for,” Lesley says. “When they make statements that are not backed up by evidence, we want to hear about it so that we can raise it immediately with Ofsted and then investigate it.” Lesley hopes that this proactive approach will bear fruit. “If Ofsted is genuine about improving relationships between itself and the school workforce it is important that it is seen to act when this happens.” There is certainly the possibility that head teachers might find themselves judged unfairly. “We have no idea about the consistency of the arrangements across the country,” says Lesley. While Sir Michael Wilshaw’s letter to schools in July (see above) offered some reassurance, many heads feel unclear about just what inspectors will be looking for. “There is an element of mistrust. Even when we had clear data and frameworks we still saw a huge amount of variability in how

that data was interpreted and used by inspection teams, so taking that criteria away is a cause for concern.” Another factor is that Ofsted will soon stop using additional inspectors employed by third party providers. “From 2015, a lot of these people won’t be in post so this year is their swansong,” says Sally. This could mean that not all of them are as interested in learning the new ways themselves. On the other hand, having Ofsted take direct control of the training of all inspectors could be a positive thing in the long run in terms of quality assurance and consistency of approach, she says. But back to this September and more immediate concerns. “With schools developing their own systems for assessments, there are questions about the inspectors’ ability to inspect the stability and robustness of these schemes,” says Lesley. Many inspectors do not have recent classroom experience, she adds, with primary school experience particularly lacking. “And the more these ﬁxed arrangements change, the more variety there is, the more professional discernment is required,” she says. “Sir Michael says it means that inspectors will have to spend more time looking at pupils’ work to see what progress they are making, but the ability to understand children’s progress from their books does require a level of professional discernment that we are worried will not be there.” This will still be a concern even when new assessment systems are bedded in. “It will be vital that Ofsted inspectors acquaint themselves with each school’s approach to assessment before carrying out an inspection to ensure they have a thorough understanding,” says Joanne. “Otherwise, it will be challenging for them to make accurate judgements about the quality of progress. “With this in mind, head teachers may feel it is appropriate to put the school assessment policy either on their website or in a section which is password protected. This would allow an inspection team to review the policy before the inspection starts and may cut down on time they need to spend discussing the school’s inspection procedure.” The NAHT has a suggested assessment framework, which Joanne says offers “a robust system on which members can build an effective assessment process”. This is available on the association’s website (see below). www.naht.org.uk/assessmentmaterials www.ofsted.gov.uk NAHT Ofsted courses, see page 9

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

34-37 ofsted.indd 37

05/09/2014 16:01

JOB-SHARING

Heads together Can a school still thrive with more than one person in command? Co-heads from three different schools are proving it can, reports Rebecca Grant

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

38-41 job share.indd 38

04/09/2014 16:01

GONE ARE THE days of the nine-to-five week. As more people strive for a better work/life balance, countless UK companies have introduced flexible working policies in recent years. It’s proved a success, not just in terms of improving staff morale, but many businesses report it has helped to improve productivity and revenue. The good news for school leaders is that the education sector is also open to the idea of flexible working. As long ago as 2008, the school teachers review body’s 17th report encouraged the creation of more part-time, flexible leadership posts, stating it “would provide new opportunities for people who are currently deterred from considering promotion”. E

PHOTOGRAPHY: FABIO DE PAOLA/UNP

38-41 job share.indd 39

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS 39

04/09/2014 16:01

JOB-SHARING

W Sally Langran, an NAHT expert on salaries, pensions and conditions of service, confirms that, since the report’s publication, job-sharing has become a more popular option among heads and prospective heads. “Once upon a time I knew all the job shares in the country, there were so few. Now there are too many for me to count,” she says. There are many reasons why a job-share might be a viable option for someone in a leadership role. Not only is it a popular choice for heads returning from maternity leave, or for those with young families, it is also an attractive option for experienced head teachers looking to wind down as they approach retirement. Although Sally is quick to point out that job-sharing isn’t for everybody, she says: “for those who can do it, there are significant rewards for getting that work/life balance.” She adds: “People tell us that it has been the best thing they ever did.” This has certainly been the case for the co-heads of Seely Primary school in Nottinghamshire: Jacqui Newton and Sally Pearce (pictured). It’s been almost two decades since the pair began working together and neither can imagine continuing their career without the other by their side. “We’ve got a long-standing professional relationship now, it’s longer than many marriages,” jokes Jacqui. It helps that they have been job-sharing since relatively early in their teaching careers. The arrangement began after Jacqui, who had previously been Sally’s line manager, returned from maternity leave and they shared the role of as head of key stage one. Since then, they have risen up the ranks together, first applying jointly for a deputy head role, and then later for a headship. “We have been in a situation several times where we have got to the interview stage and at the end of the interview questions they have asked us: ‘If we offer you the post and not your jobshare partner, would you still want the post?’, and we have both always said ‘no thank you’,” says Jacqui. The secret to their success as a team, says Sally, is good communication and sharing a common vision for the school. “You can’t be selfish and think ‘this is my little project,’ because everything is for the good for the school, the children and the staff. So we very rarely disagree on anything. That is not because we don’t think differently, because we do at times, but we’re very good at negotiating with each other and we’re very good at working out what is the best way forward.” Jacqui and Sally’s success is not surprising, as they have had years to cement their relationship and were an established team prior to headship. But is it as easy taking on a job-share headship with someone you’ve never worked with before? Suzanne Connolly proved it can be when she applied to work with established head Nichola Brannen eight years ago. Before she was appointed as co-head she had only met Nichola once, briefly, when she had visited the school prior to applying. It was the governors who carried out the interview process. Fortunately, the two forged a solid professional relationship,

and have since successfully applied for another co-headship together, at Felton First School in Northumberland. Suzanne recalls: “When I look back now at how I applied and was appointed first time around, it was almost naïve, because we didn’t know what we were going into. There was no model in our local area for how a co-headship would work.” But, she adds, she knew almost straight away that they would enjoy working together. “When I met Nichola, we talked about education, our priorities and beliefs. I felt she was somebody I shared a vision with and would be able to work with.” The opportunity to work part-time has suited them both well, as both have been raising young families. However, unlike Sally and Jacqui, whose careers have become intertwined, both now feel ready to begin a new challenge. Next January, both will become full-time head teachers; Nichola is moving on to a new school, while Suzanne will stay on at Felton. Yet even though Suzanne is looking forward to the next stage in her career, she is also open to another job-share, should her circumstances change. Sharing the responsibilities of headship with a colleague has also proved beneficial for full-time school leaders. This was true for Southwark-based heads Evelyn Holdsworth and Nick Tildesley who were recruited to work at John Donne Primary, a challenging school within the borough, back in 2005. Evelyn explains: “We asked to go in as a pair because we felt that, very often, heads get put into schools that are in difficulties on their own and there seems to be a tremendous amount of burnout.” Although Evelyn and Nick are working as co-heads, they are both in school full-time. But they insist that the benefits that they can offer to both the school and the wider community justify the extra staffing costs.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

38-41 job share.indd 40

04/09/2014 16:01

EE “We used to write things down, but now it’s email. The most important thing is not to encroach on the other person’s life when they are not in school”

“One of the worries is that if you have a co-headship, you are using up two people who could be running two individual schools,” says Nick. “But what we’ve found is you free one another up to do other bits that enhance schools. This might be by supporting schools that may end up in difficult circumstances around the national support school network. So it actually does liberate you, it doesn’t stiﬂe your opportunity to share and it doesn’t take up two people for one job.” Before becoming co-heads, Evelyn already had a successful headship under her belt. In contrast, Nick’s previous role was as a deputy head. Similar situations often occur in headships where the school’s head is close to retirement age and a deputy is promoted into the co-headship role. Is it hard to achieve an equal partnership when you are placed on the same footing with someone who was previously a line manager? Nick disagrees. “I hadn’t any experience of headship when I joined that team, so the assumption was that I’m getting the most from it, because the other party has more experience. But actually you bring something together, both parties beneﬁt from it.” The three examples here prove that co-headship can work in many different forms. If it’s a challenge that you may wish to take on at some point in your career, here are some points to consider:

Application process It may be rare to come across a school leadership role that is being advertised as a job-share, but it is worth enquiring whether they will accept candidates who work part-time. If you are applying for a headship with someone who you already job-share with, make it clear why you are applying together. Sally and Jacqui submitted a document with their individual CVs and covering letters, with an extra covering letter that they have composed together. But be prepared to have separate interviews. This was the case for Suzanne and Nichola when they jointly applied for their second co-headship. Suzanne says: “They interviewed us separately, because they had to feel that they would be happy with either one of us in the role of head. There has to be a feeling that the two of you can work together equally to lead the school.”

Jacqui and Sally have an agreement that they email each other most information, but will text if there is anything urgent. “In the days pre-technology we would write things down, but nowadays it’s email,” says Sally. Jacqui adds: “We find that the most important thing is not to encroach on the other person’s life when they are not in school, so if we need to tell them something urgently, we’ll text first and say ‘is it ok if I ring you?’” For part-time workers, it helps to negotiate some extra handover time each week into your contract. This has been of great benefit for Nichola and Suzanne. “In our office, we have our main office chair, and another, smaller chair. On a Wednesday, when we do our crossover it’s become almost a seamless process that by lunchtime I get into the big chair and Nichola gets into the small one,” says Suzanne.

A united approach The best way to approach the division of work, says Nick, is to see it simply as “one job that needs to be done”. He adds: “It’s a leadership role in the school and, actually, we do that job together, we don’t divide up separate jobs.” Taking a more ﬂexible approach to the workload can also improve understanding of the co-heads’ role within the wider school community. “Even if we make divisions in the role, people ignore them,” Nick explains. “They think: ‘If I ask one and I don’t get the right answer, I’ll go and ask the other one.’” For part-time workers, it’s may be useful to plan meetings and events so that staff, parents and pupils get a chance to see both co-heads at work. Sally and Jacqui make sure this happens by changing the day of the weekly staff meeting, so they each get a chance to meet with staff at least once a fortnight. Sally says: “Sometimes a member of staff will say: ‘I don’t know if it was you I spoke to or the other one.’ It’s the same for parents. I think it’s a testament to the way our job-share works!” A successful co-headship, she adds, is all in the planning and execution: “You have your school on board. Do your research, speak to lots of people, and plan how you think it is going to work out. It’s about what measures you put in place to ensure that it can be as seamless as possible so that staff and parents feel conﬁdent that you are both equal. That’s crucial.”

Communication Good communication skills are key. It doesn’t just help make things smoothly with your job-share partner, it’s for the good of the whole school. Sally says: “We always tell staff and parents, that they can assume when they’ve told something to one of us, they have told both of us, and it’s up to us to communicate that.”

For information about the implications of entering coheadship or job-share, email specialistadvice@naht.org.uk. Alternatively, call NAHT: 0300 30 30 333. ‘Planning for your future’: bit.ly/planning_future.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

38-41 job share.indd 41

04/09/2014 16:01

M E N TA L H E A LT H

‘I am a one in 10’ Half of all mental illness in adults manifests before the age of 15 and with three children in every class likely to be affected schools are having to be more proactive in their approach to this aspect of healthcare. Caroline Roberts reports

MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING are matters of increasing concern for anyone working with children and young people. The most comprehensive study from recent years, the 2004 British child and adolescent mental health survey from the Office for National Statistics, found that almost 10 per cent of those aged ﬁve to 16 have a clinically diagnosable mental disorder. In rough terms, it equates to three children in every class. Conduct disorders accounted for around half of cases, with other common problems including anxiety, depression, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. It’s estimated that a further 15 per cent have emotional wellbeing issues that put them at risk of a clinical diagnosis in the future. It seems likely that the situation has deteriorated over the past 10 years as pressures on young people mount. Increasing online access means more exposure to damaging content, often of a sexual nature, and the growth in social media use has resulted in more cases of cyberbullying. Figures for 2012/13 from the Childline report, Can I tell you something?, showed an 87 per cent rise in calls about online bullying compared with the previous year. The Childline ﬁgures also show an increase of 41 per cent in calls about self-harm, while hospital data reveals that admissions due to self-harm have risen by 68 per cent over the past decade. There is also the effect on family life of the difficult economic climate – research shows that children growing up in disadvantaged circumstances are three times more likely to develop a mental health problem than those from affluent backgrounds. Alongside this, cuts to social care budgets in many areas mean that demand for children’s mental health services often exceeds availability. In June, children’s welfare charity, Kids Company, launched the ‘See the Child, Change the System’

campaign, which calls for more support for vulnerable children, a move supported by the NAHT. The same month, the DfE published Mental health and behaviour in schools: departmental advice, which provides guidance on how to identify and support pupils whose behaviour suggests they may have mental health needs. Half of all mental illness suffered by adults starts before the age of 15, and 75 per cent before the age of 18. This means schools have an important role to play in early intervention and promoting mental wellbeing. The document outlines the factors that can predispose children to poor mental health. These include educational difficulties, physical illness, low self-esteem, family breakdown, and social and environmental factors such as bullying, discrimination and socio-economic deprivation. It also sets out how schools can help their students to become more resilient, as well as giving advice on referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and how to access community support. Tackling the issue will mean a big culture change, says NAHT policy adviser Siôn Humphreys. “Given the decline of external support and the emergence of more complex needs, schools will need to be more proactive.”

Whole-school ethos One school that is ahead of the game is Framwellgate School in Durham, an 11-18 academy, where promoting mental wellbeing has long been part of the whole-school ethos. “We started by asking: what is the totality of the student’s experience from when they ﬁrst come into contact with the E school, and what kind of person are we trying to develop?”

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

42-45 mental health.indd 42

04/09/2014 16:02

IMAGE: LEIGH WELLS

42-45 mental health.indd 43

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

04/09/2014 16:02

M E N TA L H E A LT H WE Professor Angie Hart’s tips

Developing a whole-school approach to building resilience W explains deputy head, Peter Connor. “We then Conduct a resilience audit. You can find a step-by-step guide to identified the key things, which include mental how to do this on the Young Minds website (see resources panel). wellbeing and emotional literacy. Use an inset day to ensure that all staff, including support staff “It’s a mindset issue. One of the things we’ve and volunteers, understand the concept of resilience and their pushed with staff is looking at the needs side of role in promoting it. things. This child is being naughty and disruptive, Make sure all students have at least one trusted adult in so is there an unaddressed need in their life that the school community to whom they can turn, preferably a is leading to this?” Of course, sometimes poor consistent person over time. behaviour is just that, he adds, but getting that judgement wrong can have serious consequences Support vulnerable pupils by providing easier access to for a child’s future. clubs and activities. Developing hobbies and interests can be The school’s ‘achievement centre’ was set up in immensely therapeutic. response to the increasing number of pupils with Research has shown that problem-solving skills are important poor emotional health. Two rooms were converted in developing resilience, so ensure students have frequent to a space where support could be provided to opportunities to develop these skills. address any issues creating a barrier to learning – anything from anxieties or behavioural problems to a broken leg preventing a student moving around the school. It is also a base from which to coordinate interventions. achievers but who still had a high level of complexity in their The school has invested in the training of staff working in the lives. Suddenly, it made those young people visible. centre and also buys in the services of two counsellors. Other “We’ve been really clear with staff – this is not about making measures have included training students as peer mentors and excuses, or giving certain students an easy ride, but to give a context that will help us support that young person to make anti-bullying ambassadors, inclusion of materials in personal and progress and achieve just like everybody else.” social education, and key stage three drama dealing explicitly DfE guidance highlights the importance of helping young with mental wellbeing and empathy, as well as inviting mental health organisations to talk about the issues. people develop resilience, an inner strength that allows them to cope with adversity. Hove Park has been working with Professor Pyramid of need Angie Hart of Brighton University’s faculty of health and social science in developing a toolkit on ‘academic resilience’ To ensure that students at risk don’t fall through the net, for use by schools. She says: “Promoting resilience involves Hove Park School, a large secondary in Brighton and one of strategic planning and detailed practice involving the whole the most improved schools in the South East, has developed school community to help vulnerable young people do better a system it calls the ‘pyramid of need’. The first step was to than their circumstances might have predicted. It’s not about identify a range of factors that might have an impact on a sticking plaster solutions.” The resource will be made available student’s mental wellbeing. These include progress, attendance, to schools throughout the country (see resources). behaviour, special needs, receipt of free school meals and As well as whole class activities, the toolkit suggests a range known safeguarding issues. The school then developed a points of simple interventions for tutors to use. For example, if a system based on these and worked out an accumulated score student has been identified as needing to develop a sense of for each student, allotting them to one of four levels. A visual representation was then created for each year group with belonging, the tutor ensures that they individually acknowledge photos of all students arranged according to their points score, that young person every morning to help them feel part of the school community. “Little things make a massive difference to those with the most points appearing at the top of the ‘pyramid’. that young person – just the fact that someone is interested in Pyramids of need are displayed in the staffroom, as well as in what’s going on in their life and is ready to listen,” says Jim. the offices of senior staff and year team leaders. “Then, if things go wrong, they feel they can tell that person. “It’s very powerful, and a real eye-opener for all staff,” says It’s about building that relationship.” deputy head Jim Roberts. “The first time we put them up in the That sense of community is an important part of the whole staffroom you could see everyone being drawn to them. You school ethos and ‘we care about you’ is a message that students tend to know the young people who already have a number of interventions in place, but what was really interesting for need to hear from all quarters, he adds. “How fantastic is it when us was that it highlighted a group of individuals who were one of the canteen staff asks a young person how they’re doing never the worst behaved, the poorest attenders, or the lowest or how they got on at football at the weekend?”

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

42-45 mental health.indd 44

04/09/2014 16:02

WE Resources

Elements of the pyramid are now being rolled out across the local authority and Jim has presented the work to groups within the educational psychology team, the police, and social services. “We need to develop a commonality of knowledge and language among all agencies that support young people.” Of course, mental health problems also affect many children of primary age. King’s Hedges Primary School in Cambridge is in an area with high levels of social deprivation and many of the children are from families facing challenging circumstances. “We’re ﬁnding that problems previously associated with older children are starting to creep into the primary age group,” says deputy head Barbara Stoneman. “These include self-harm, eating disorders and quite serious anxiety problems.” The school has a meticulous system for logging concerns. “If a child forgets their book bag, that could mean nothing, but if it happens three times, then it could mean that no-one’s keeping an eye on them so we would very quickly speak to a parent to check that everything is alright.” Thresholds for support from social care agencies are high, making it difficult to cater for all the children needing help, she adds. The school’s own interventions include securing lottery funding to buy in support from small local charities such as the Red Hen Project, which provides homeschool workers, and Blue Smile, a counselling, therapy and mentoring service. Over the past academic year, Blue Smile has supported 26 children with individual sessions of play and art therapy. “The idea is to give them the chance to explore their emotions and be able to put words to them. Lots of our children have delayed language development so it helps them to express how they are feeling and develop their resilience so they can cope better,” says Barbara. Whole staff awareness and training is also key, she adds. The 450-pupil school has four designated members of staff with a responsibility for child protection, who receive annual training. This term, a speaker from Blue Smile will visit the school to talk about attachment issues that can arise when parents are depressed or abuse drugs, and Barbara will attend training on self-harm. Peter agrees that staff training is a priority. “Schools tend to be better at addressing

Government guidance, Mental health and behaviour in schools www.gov.uk/ government/publications/mental-healthand-behaviour-in-schools MindEd www.minded.org.uk The DfE has also issued guidance (as a PDF) on supporting pupils at school with medical needs, which comes into effect from September bit.ly/DfE_Supporting The charity YoungMinds is scheduled to host the Academic Resilience Toolkit developed in Brighton and Hove from the autumn term www.youngminds.org.uk Place2Be is a charity providing mental health support in schools to children aged four to 14 in England, Scotland and Wales www.place2be.org.uk The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPSYCH) provides mental health information for young people, parents, and teachers: www.rcpsych.ac.uk Information on resilience from Professor Angie Hart and others www.boingboing.org.uk

medical issues than mental health. People think it’s beyond their level of expertise, so there’s an element of it being left for other staff to deal with rather than being viewed as a mainstream issue.” A new website, developed with investment of £3m from the Department of Health, aims to address this by educating adults about children and young people’s mental health. The MindEd site, launched in March 2014, was set up by a partnership of interest groups led by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. It contains more than 170 short e-learning packages to help professionals, including teachers, identify behaviours that might indicate a mental health condition, provide support and tackle stigma. “Improving academic standards is hugely important,” says Jim. “If a young person leaves with good qualiﬁcations they are going to have better opportunities further down the line. But there is a balance to be struck and it’s got to be about the whole person too.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

42-45 mental health.indd 45

04/09/2014 16:02

M U LT I - A C A D E M Y T R U S T S

Executive principal Nicola Shipman charts the rise of the Steel City Schools Partnership andÂ offers tips for any schools considering multi-academy trust status

Forging links in Steel City 46

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

46-49 steel city.indd 46

04/09/2014 16:03

EE “We were going to be the sixth leadership solution for the school in less than 18 months and it would all mean further change”

IT COULD BE ARGUED that the key moment in the history of the Steel City Schools Partnership (SCSP) – a multi-academy trust – came in the autumn of 2011. Fox Hill and Monteney primary schools in Sheffield were already a federation with their executive head, Nicola Shipman, a national leader in education, and Monteney, a national support school. Then came the call. The federation was approached by the local authority to work formally with Mansel Primary, a nearby school that was facing signiﬁcant challenges. It had recorded the lowest key stage two results in Sheffield during the summer and was experiencing a three-year downward trend in attainment. Nicola (pictured) tells LF: “There was great anxiety among the staff and community about the quality of teaching at the school. Standards were falling and there was a strong likelihood of Ofsted placing the school in special measures. We were going to be the sixth leadership solution for the school in less than 18 months and it would all mean further change.” The plan was that history would repeat itself. Some years earlier, a similar crisis had faced Fox Hill – in 2007 it had no head teacher and key stage two outcomes were very low – but a ‘learning partnership’ and later a federation with the Ofstedrated outstanding Monteney where Nicola was the head, allowed it to turn the corner. She explains: “The relationship built on the work that had taken place in the preceding months

PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HALL/UNP

46-49 steel city.indd 47

as I had been a lead head for Sheffield local authority for two days a week working across a range of local schools, Fox Hill being one of them.” Nicola is now executive principal of the SCSP, which comprises all three primary schools. It has been a long journey since joining Monteney as deputy head in 1995 and one that has turned her into the emotionally resilient school leader she is now. She explains her role: “Each academy has its own principal and leadership team whose primary focus is on teaching and learning, achievement and standards. As executive principal I am expected to create and champion a compelling vision for the trust to support its growth and the success of the academies. It’s my job to build a strong executive team to meet ﬁnancial and educational performance targets and to ensure that the trust management team works effectively with the board of directors on key decisions and performance.” By February 2012, having worked with Mansel for less than a month it was clear to Nicola that the school required a structural solution and there were conversations with the local authority and the DfE about it requiring a move to sponsored academy status. To the governing body, despite having been in a federation for over three years, it was clear that the preferred outcome was to formally secure the partnership. Becoming a multi-academy trust, with Monteney as the convertor and Fox Hill and Mansel as sponsored academies, would ensure a local solution and draw on available resources. Nicola explains: “It ensured there was strong leadership, the recruitment and retention of highly effective staff, the creation of further new and innovative roles and an improvement in the ability to build on the success already seen over the years at Fox Hill – therefore ensuring a clear strategic direction for all three schools.” In April 2013, following consultation with staff, pupils, parents and the wider community, SCSP was formed as a multiacademy trust of the three schools. All became academies on the same day, a decision taken to ensure there was equality across the trust. From seven years of partnership working, E Nicola says there is the recognition that in all schools, even

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

04/09/2014 16:03

M U LT I - A C A D E M Y T R U S T S WE Multi-academy trust (MAT)?

Tips for any school becoming one or thinking of joining one… Research a range of MATs. For most, the decision to convert

and join a MAT is the governors’ choice, so shop around. Don’t W those facing challenges, there will be good and be told by others who you can or can’t partner. Invite MATs to effective practice from which all can learn. “Our undertake a ‘sales pitch’ to staff and governors. Try to get an idea approach, both as a national support school and of the kind of governance structures and roles that are possible. as a trust, is to identify and build on the effective What will the MAT offer you for being a member and, in return, practice. It is a key part in building sustainable and what can you offer the MAT? successful improvements and relationships. Our Why are we doing this and what do we want to achieve? behaviour is very similar to that of a co-operative What will be the benefits for the pupils, parents, community and trust and the ethical focus underpins our values. our school? We believe that each academy within SCSP is Know what you want and what you believe in and always focus unique and while sharing and building on much on what will be best for the children common practice, we are also clear that we need Make sure you have a business director or the equivalent to to celebrate the uniqueness and special features handle the business side of things of each academy.” Don’t underestimate the amount of work that is involved and Nicola is adamant that SCSP is not about be realistic about the individual capacity you need to set up the takeovers, ‘collecting schools’ or empire-building, MAT once it is established but about being system enablers and improvers. She Try to contribute to the process by pushing people to see things says: “This has been a challenge to some colleagues’ in a different way, from a different perspective; and don’t be perceptions as some multi-academy trusts are afraid to challenge considered to be behaving in this way. The pace at Be certain you are clear about exactly what you will be which we grow needs to be determined by when responsible and accountable for growth is right and built on a climate of trust and Have a space where you can work for the trust – all three SCSP from a solid and secure base to ensure our current schools have a trust room academies are not compromised by future partners. Have joined-up thinking, but maintain your uniqueness as well. “We firmly believe a success of SCSP is the year Define the roles early – especially the leadership roles and learn on-year improvements seen across the academies from others with vastly improved pupil outcomes, the relentless Be absolutely clear about the ethos and philosophy of the MAT drive and focus on children ensuring quality teaching and the recruitment and retention of excellent staff. provides meals to all three academies and also Woolley Wood, “In setting up SCSP, governors and leaders were adamant that the engagement and involvement of our whole community was a primary special school co-located with Mansel. The uptake going to be pivotal and as such the consultation we undertook of meals has increased by 40 per cent since the recruitment was also critical to our success. All involved with SCSP had of the manager. their voices heard and their views fed into the decisions made Another new recruit is an attendance officer, appointed in including the name of the trust, a collective name giving us all September 2013, who works across all sites and has developed identity and not named after the lead school; our trust logo, the trust’s attendance strategy: ‘On time in school’. This has led the agreed vision and aims, our core principles and setting to significantly improved attendance, a reduction in persistent the strategic direction for SCSP. Given that primary multiabsence and a heightened awareness of all families on the academy trusts are still relatively new, as was the federation in importance of attendance. Ninety children across SCSP had 2009, what has developed and implemented over time has been 100 per cent attendance in the last academic year – 60 per cent based on what we know is needed and our proven track record higher than in 2013. “In essence,” says Nicola, “Fox Hill and of improving outcomes for children.” Mansel are now seen as schools of choice, which is a huge step What is clear is that the changed structure has contributed to change for the community we serve. This year, for the first time, turnarounds in the future of two schools that were previously they both had appeals, which is a great measure of success.” facing major challenges. There have been significant changes. It hasn’t all been smooth, however, one unforeseen challenge As well as the recruitment of new staff into a range of roles, in setting up the trust was ensuring the senior governance at including principals to lead the individual academies, there is both trust and member levels was not just about governors also an in-house catering team, led by a catering manager that becoming directors. All were required to re-apply to become

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

46-49 steel city.indd 48

04/09/2014 16:03

WE Partnership working A priority for SCSP – and one that existed before the trust was formalised – is that it engages with a range of partners both formally and informally to ensure it provides the best possible resources for the children. “We recognise we do not have all the answers or solutions,” says Nicola, “so, to help us achieve this, some of our partnerships with local teaching schools alliances (TSAs) are vital and as such we are strategic partners with Learners First (Wickersley TSA, Rotherham), EOS TSA (Hartsholme Academy, Lincoln) and more recently with Outwood Institute of Education (Outwood Grange TSA, Wakeﬁeld).

a member of the local governing body and chairs of governors had to apply to become a director. “Some governors did not move onto the new governing bodies,” says Nicola. “We also recruited some new directors. Directors need to be incisive and prompt at making decisions and have a much stronger focus on the strategic elements of their role and on performance levels within the trust. It’s a big shift from what some governors perceive to be their role.” Directors have the collective power and responsibility to run the trust and effect change at all levels, including the business, systems, structures and processes. They are answerable to the members or trustees, who are seen as shareholders of the company. The members own the company, but they have delegated most responsibility to the directors and some to the local governing body. Nicola says: “Governors needed to realise what it would mean to no longer be officially part of the local authority group of schools and to operate under a multiacademy trust with direct accountability to the secretary of state. There could be no more hand-holding.” Another change from the school principal’s perspective was that they had to be prepared to lose a little autonomy from the traditional role and responsibilities of a head teacher given the trust roles. For some applicants, this proved a challenge. Nicola explains: “Principals focus on the core business of teaching and learning, achievement and standards, while the vice principal leads on all business, administration, health and safety and premises issues. The executive principal leads on all other aspects of the trust including setting the vision, strategic direction, planning and setting the standard for teaching and learning.” So what comes next? Nicola has a very clear vision for the future. “The pace at which we decide to grow needs to be timed correctly but, more importantly, happen when growth is right, built upon a climate of trust and from a solid and secure base by ensuring our current academies are not compromised by the needs of future partners. Our vision is to become a trust of no

“Our partnership with Learners First has brought many benefits for our trust, including the recruitment of specialist leaders of education from our academies, key leaders from the trust leading NPQML, NPQSL and NPQH as part of the leadership licence and the development of Schools Direct, NQT, RQT, new to headship and executive headship programmes – thus enabling other schools and settings to benefit from the work undertaken within SCSP. “For example, we have trained more than 100 teachers from more than 70 school settings on the Developing Learning Programme. What’s more, the trust has established a leadership and innovation hub, leading a range of CPD programmes for Sheffield and Rotherham schools.”

more than seven schools, most likely within a clearly deﬁned area within our region. We are also clear that going crossphase (primary, special and secondary) is a consideration for the future too. What we need to ensure to enable any of this to happen is a future-proof system and highly skilled and trained staff who truly understand and demonstrate what it means to work collaboratively across a multi-academy trust (see panel). To this end, in 2013 Nicola asked a few members of staff to sum up, as succinctly as possible, what they felt SCSP stood for. This is what one said: “It’s not just the academy or the grown-ups, not the timetables and targets, or the planning and percentages. It’s about relationships – friendships and family for pupils, parents and staff. It’s a feeling of belonging, knowing that you are in a safe, secure place to develop and realise your goals. SCSP is somewhere that you are part of the team, while being valued as an individual.” ‘Exploring academy status’: bit.ly/Academy_status.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 l LEADERSHIP FOCUS

46-49 steel city.indd 49

05/09/2014 13:26

WE T E L L U S A B O U T Y O U R S C H O O L We ’d l ove to share your stories with LF re a d e rs . Ema il Su s a n E educationhack@gmail.com

FINALLY… M

eeting Linda Davis – a cheery fireball of energy leading Wistaston Green Academy in Cheshire – was a bit of a surprise. She’d taken the school from special measures to ‘good’ in 40 weeks and then to ‘outstanding’, so I was anticipating talk of tweaking systems. But, no: she was doing something entirely different. To this end, a member of staff had been dispatched to Shanghai to see how the PISA-topping jurisdiction operates. Linda says: “When she returned, she told me that any child in a maths lesson who doesn’t ‘get it’ in their day-to-day education has the opportunity to do their lesson again. Every third or fourth lesson is a repeat. They focus on what the children didn’t understand and support them right away. She said the pedagogy is no better than ours: that’s what makes a difference.” So, as of now, that’s what’s happening at this two-form entry primary, where 40 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Every key stage two class has two teachers working in tandem. After English and maths lessons, children who haven’t understood can get extra help from one of their teachers, ensuring they don’t fall behind and that knowledge gaps are filled before they become a problem. There are other advantages, too, says Linda. There can be closer and more personalised monitoring of ‘vulnerables’; teachers can run stimulating after-school clubs rather than catch-up sessions and there is more time for continuing professional development. New teachers include NQTs with music qualifications, so there are plans to use those skills. Linda says: “I want teachers to read about different strategies and try them out with colleagues. This will allow them to develop their collaborative working, with a research meeting on Fridays to see how it’s going.” But how will the budget accommodate the extra teachers? Linda explains the savings: a PE specialist and an assistant head have gone, there are few teaching assistants, and no need for planning, preparation and assessment cover. “Some schools employ teachers to do reading recovery or extra

LEADERSHIP FOCUS l SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

50 And finally.indd 50

SUSAN YOUNG

ENTER THE DRAGON TAMER maths – we won’t need that either,” she says. It sounds a tall order, but so does much of what Linda and her team have done. The summer she arrived, Linda sorted out network access so every member of staff could use the same server and an electronic dinner register. She also introduced a system where data was available to everyone. “It’s my eyes and ears,” she says explaining that she was able to use it subsequently to prove to Ofsted that only half of the children taking tests at the end of key stage one had been in the school since Reception. Teachers started to demand more from pupils in lessons and other changes included becoming a model school with ReadWrite Inc and the introduction of intensive sessions on assessment for learning. However, change didn’t come without a cost. In Linda’s words: “There was a massive turnover of staff in the ﬁrst three years. Eighty-ﬁve new people came and went – some couldn’t cope with the pupils’ behaviour. It was very challenging, with children jumping up, throwing chairs, and swearing.” The new approach saw teaching assistants taking disruptive children out of the classroom, an increase in nurturing and extensive data tracking of behaviour and a code – ‘red dragon’ – used as an incident alert. Some children moved to special schools. All the work paid off. “After three years the disruptive behaviour had stopped. We had a good day with no red dragon. Then another day and another. We haven’t had a ‘red dragon’ for three years. “It’s so much better now: the children are great. They come in, there are open doors and there’s a lovely atmosphere.” PHOTOGRAPH: WISTASTON GREEN ACADEMY

04/09/2014 16:03

n a w .uk/ do or.co ee nt Fr fome in w.

! en ad sessm

Download our practical guide to Assessment after Levels The first in the series of whitepapers, National Curriculum 2014 – a practical guide to Assessment after Levels brings together the most important information you need to develop an effective assessment framework for your school. With contributions from Russell Hobby, General Secretary, NAHT and winners of the DfE Assessment Innovation fund.

Assessment Training Are you developing an assessment framework for your school? We can tailor training and consultancy for your specific needs. We offer a free – no obligation consultation. 0845 680 3681 enquiries@infomentor.co.uk

“One of the most prominent innovations” Education Technology Magazine InfoMentor is an award winning, curriculum focused software for planning, assessing, tracking and reporting.

All pupils should reach their goals! | www.infomentor.co.uk

LFO.09.14.051.indd 51

15/08/2014 11:45

SEPARATING AND

CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DO. SO OUR AND INSURANCE WORK AROUND YOU. We understand that it’s not always easy for education professionals to separate work and home life. That’s why in addition to covering the usual things you’d expect:

Up to

£70*

Amazon .co.uk Gift Certiﬁc ates**

s our home insurance covers you for school equipment you take home or personal possessions you take to work, and s our car insurance covers you whilst you drive between educational sites with either pupils or colleagues, ensuring you can travel easily and with increased peace of mind. Plus as a thank you for taking out these policies, we’ll give you up to £70* in Amazon.co.uk Gift Certiﬁcates**

Call us for a quick quote and see what we can do for you: 0800 656 97 16^ Little things matter *Available to new customers only. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. Policies subsequently cancelled within 4 weeks of cover start date or with payments not up to date will not be eligible to receive offer. Gift Certificates will be sent by mail within 6 weeks of the commencement date of your policy. £35 Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates available to customers taking a new car insurance policy. £35 Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates to customers taking out a new combined buildings and contents policy or a contents-only policy. Buildings-only policies do not qualify for this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. We reserve the right to offer alternative Gift Certificates of the same value in the event that Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates are unavailable. **Amazon.co.uk is not a sponsor of this promotion. Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates (“GCs”) may be redeemed on the Amazon.co.uk website or affiliated website Javari.co.uk towards the purchase of eligible products listed in our online catalogue and sold by Amazon.co.uk or any other seller selling through Amazon.co.uk. GCs cannot be reloaded, resold, transferred for value, redeemed for cash or applied to any other account. Amazon.co.uk is not responsible if a GC is lost, stolen, destroyed or used without permission. See www.amazon.co.uk/gc-legal for complete terms and conditions. GCs are issued by Amazon EU S.à r.l. All Amazon ®, ™ & © are IP of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ^Lines are open 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, except bank holidays, 9am-12.30pm Saturday. Calls from UK landlines are free. Calls may be monitored and/or recorded.

Insurance underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited. Registered in Scotland No. 2116. Registered ofﬁce: Pitheavlis, Perth, PH2 0NH. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. CFPMPA0194 01.14 BD34799.

LFO.09.14.052.indd 52

15/08/2014 11:46