A Sense of Purpose Heather Hanbury

A SENSE OF PURPOSE

A CAREER IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Heather Hanbury, the President of the GSA, looks back on her path to educational leadership and discusses the importance she attaches to nurturing a positive school culture that supports both students and staff.

There are many things I love about leading a school. It’s a diverse role that calls on many different skills and qualities – often all in the same day, sometimes the same hour. One of the greatest privileges a headteacher has is the responsibility of setting the tone and building and maintaining a school’s culture – something that influences every aspect of school life and the experiences of everyone involved with it.

Role models

At the school I lead, there are things that we work hard to encourage and instil in our girls – a sense of curiosity, the confidence to take risks knowing that failure is an essential part of learning, the support and kindness to keep you going through tough times, and a belief that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. These things are all equally important for everyone who works at our school: because we are all role models of these attitudes and behaviours every day and because staff need these things too, especially a sense of togetherness when things aren’t going to plan.

The chance to play a part in staff career planning is a highlight for me and I often share my own stories of failure and success. It is incredibly rewarding to sit down with colleagues and help them work out what they want to achieve,

and why. Understanding the drivers and motivations behind their ambitions is the starting point, and often these conversations lead to new thoughts about ways to approach things. I always say that it’s important to have a plan or a goal, but it is even more important to be willing to change these plans if new opportunities arise. All our roadmaps should change over time, just as our lives change. One huge advantage of working in a school is that it is possible to do, every day, something that ignites your spark – there aren’t many jobs that can boast this!

Careers advice is clearly essential for our pupils, and it’s just as vital for the staff teams we build and lead as headteachers.

All our road maps should change over time

Best and fulfilling years

When I started out in my career, I can honestly say I had no idea that being a headteacher would give me the best and most fulfilling years of my working life. Teaching wasn’t written in the stars at all. Frankly, when I left university, I just took the first job I could get and, from this, I grew to understand that what I really wanted to do was run a business. I was drawn to the idea of bringing people together to create success and having responsibility for all I imagined this to involve. The idea felt exhilarating to me rather than daunting. I was also sure that, whatever I did in my career, it had to be worthwhile and in pursuit of something more than money alone.

My route to educational leadership was not linear or conventional, and I took time to get to where I wanted to be. I was appointed to my first headship at 48 with the conviction that if I didn’t make it by 50 I’d be too late. Things are different now and I would challenge the assumption that there’s a time limit on achieving career goals, especially when the age of retirement is what it is today. We should take the pressure off ourselves to be in senior level positions by a certain age. Of course, not everybody wants to be a headteacher. The choices we make, sometimes by design, sometimes by chance, all bring new perspectives and qualities that are important in life generally, as well as in educational leadership roles.

My first job was in a very different sector: I worked for a big management consultancy firm (great training for headship, although I didn’t know that at the time). Naively, I quickly set my sights on being a senior partner – the fact that there weren’t any female partners at that time didn’t feel like a good enough reason not to have the ambition! But I fell out of love with the job long before I made partner, and moved into my second career, convinced once again that I wanted to run the charity in which I was a fundraising manager before realising that wasn’t for me either. Embarrassment forced me to re-assess my future more carefully. I didn’t want a third boring outcome and so at last set my sights on headship – step one: train to be a teacher!

Making a genuine difference

One thing I did realise, after eight years in consultancy and two in corporate fundraising for an international development charity, was that I wanted to be part of an organisation that was making a genuine difference. The idea of belonging to a community really appealed to me. It turns out that fundraising wasn’t for me as a full-time job in the long term, but the values that had drawn me to that type of role are ultimately what led me to teaching. 

Teaching wasn’t written in the stars

When I started my career in education in 1996, I knew that my goal was to lead a school. It brought together all the things I wanted in a career. To me, there isn’t a more worthwhile sector to work in because what we do contributes to all areas of society, and because schools are such joyful places. It’s not always easy, but the work we do always matters.

As teachers, one of our jobs is to equip children and young people with what they need to be successful in the future, not just in terms of the academic subjects they study, but also in the skills they develop, which they will draw on no matter what role they choose in life. We are often reminded that we are preparing pupils for the jobs and opportunities that don’t yet exist and which, in the not-toodistant past, would probably have been trail-blazed by men. If there’s something that fires me up every day, it’s the idea that I can help shift a mindset towards naturally thinking “of course I can do that” about anything. This isn’t limited to the pupils at my school; I feel every bit as passionate about supporting staff, regardless of their gender, to think and act this way.

Laugh while you work

To lead successfully in education, one of the most important skills needed is the ability to create a culture that values and harnesses the power of the community and which demonstrates togetherness and kindness every day and at every level. It’s important that staff support pupils with compassion and understanding, and so we should support one another in the same way. Schools need to be places where you can laugh while you work and, during tougher times, find people around you to lean on and help you get through. A shared sense of purpose is also key. In a school – whatever your role within it – when you have a shared vision, the often-difficult everyday tasks become far less complex. No matter what is going on, there is a simple question at the heart of every decision. For us, it’s always “is this good for our pupils?”

Fear of failure

Something else I challenge in every aspect of my role is perfectionism. There is a lot to be gained from being imperfect and from failing. It is really important to give things a go, take that risk, even if you are unsure of success. And once again, this applies to everyone in the school, from pupils to teachers, to all the other staff. For staff, it is particularly important when thinking about career next steps. I’ve had eight jobs in my life, but more than 70 interviews – that’s how often I’ve failed. I applied for 14 headships before I was offered one – and then I was offered two in same week! The most important learning for me was to get back up, to keep trying, and not to give up. Feedback to interview candidates is incredibly important and I do sometimes share my own experiences to reassure others that setbacks don’t have to be permanent roadblocks. There’s always another way around or through. Diversions can be a springboard and can help us look at things through a different lens, often helping us gain more insight than we realise in the moment.

Have a go, don’t allow fear of failure to put you off, and remember that the route to your end goal will rarely be a straight line. ●

HEATHER HANBURY is Head of Lady Eleanor Holles School (LEH) and President of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA)

All photos: Lady Eleanor Holles School

BENEFITS OF MODULAR CONSTRUCTION VERSUS TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS

Many independent schools now in need of extra space will be considering which building approach is best for them. More modern methods of construction using a modular offsite manufacturing process can be an excellent option. Cheaper than a traditional build, they are also quicker, less disruptive and have lower environmental impact.

Sectional modular is where components are manufactured then pieced together onsite, while volumetric modular describes complete units transported to site.The sectional approach generally requires less transportation energy, offers more flexibility in site location and bespoke building design from in-house architects.

Speed and cost

Manufacturing takes place offsite whilst groundworks are undertaken followed by rapid construction reducing time spent onsite by up to 70% versus a traditional build. Once planning approval is attained, a smaller building can be completed in just 6 weeks. Furthermore, the modular process usually costs significantly less than traditional building methods: larger buildings can be delivered for as little as £1600 per sqm.

Disruption and quality control

Components are manufactured in a controlled environment so are kept dry and safe until they are delivered to site. This also means less disruption as the building site can be self-contained and site access managed accordingly. Environmental impact

Modular construction uses less energy than traditional methods. In addition, when timber is used as the primary material along with low impact foundations, it reduces the embodied carbon of the building. TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildings for example, have been working with The Carbon Trust to build a model which measures the embodied carbon in their buildings enabling customers to offset and ensure a carbon neutral building.

Access to the outdoors and biophilic design

Easy access to the outdoors and nature is now more important than ever. It helps with well-being and is proven to improve educational outcomes. Deck areas and wide canopies can be easily accessed with large external doors which can be a helpful tool in managing social distancing.

Most of TG Escapes’ buildings are inherently biophilic, using predominantly natural materials and a design that provides huge amounts of natural light.

Energy efficient and healthy

To achieve an A+ energy rating, make use of sun pipes, solar PV, smart lighting, wood fibre insulation, reduced thermal bridging and airtight construction. Adaptable ventilation systems can reduce heating bills by a factor of 3 as well as providing a healthy, hygienic interior air quality. Living roofs also help to reduce water runoff.

Buildings loved by staff and students alike

TG Escapes conduct regular research amongst customers in education. The feedback shows that these ‘natural’ buildings feel very different to other types of learning spaces.

“Both children and staff love learning and working in the building due to the amount of natural light and space. Free flow access to a covered deck is a huge advantage so that outdoor learning can take place in all weathers.” Sam Patel, Director of School Development Bickley Park

“TG Escapes took a project that was unaffordable as a traditional build and through bespoke modular design and construction delivered an affordable outstanding building on time and in-budget. An impressive feat particularly during a global pandemic and Brexit”. Adrian Maxey, Director of Estates & Facilities St Josephs.

TG Escapes have built over 800 Eco Buildings in 19 years, are members of Construction Line Gold, partners with the Institute of School Business Leadership, and customers score 4.9 out of 5, based on 174 reviews. ●