Leadership Challenges

Making evaluation more manageable

How can schools develop an effective department or faculty review system, asks Paul Ainsworth

Changing school cultures (with students)

Students can be your greatest allies when it comes to changing school culture. Below are some of the ways in which we engaged students in our school to bring about the changes we were after

Changing school cultures

Schools are complex organisations that are often resistant to change. What do you do as a new headteacher when faced with the need to change the culture? Can it be done and if so how long does it take?

The A-Z of school life – Regular reflection, Strengths and Thinking things through

In this edition we are looking at R to T. Access previous editions to think about A-Q. Each edition gives you prompts for a letter and focuses on one. Use them to prompt your thinking and come up with suggestions that mean something for your school

The A-Z of school life – Momentum, Not important/important, Opportunities, People and Questions

A-Z of school life examines maintaining the momentum, sorting out the important from the not important, making the most of opportunities, people and questions, questions, Jane Golightly has written extensively on school improvement and has more than 30 years experience in primary educationuestions

Getting the right pastoral mix

The way in which a school is organised (horizontal or vertical? House system? Form tutors or personal tutors?) has a huge impact on the culture and ethos of the school, but what will work best in each situation and why? Below we consider the changes made at Federation of West Sleekburn Middle School and Bedlingtonshire Community High School

Involving students in teacher recruitment

The process of involving students in teacher recruitment is a controversial one. Kieran McGrane details the success of his school’s use of this recruitment technique, and offers advice on how to emulate it

Headteachers or football managers?

In this e-bulletin we consider the pressure for schools to produce better results year on year, and the alternative approaches and strategies that can be taken to try and achieve it

Ensuring that children get the most out of primary school

Primary Headship looks at those key ingredients that make the experience of school worthwhile, and asks why we don’t always seem carry through those values which make the Early Years Foundation Stage so positive for children

Working with unions in schools

Good relationships with unions are important to school leaders; these work best if roles and communication are clear and issues are dealt with regularly in a spirit of openness and honesty

Tackling challenging staff behaviour

School business managers may sometimes be called upon to deal with staff behaviour that is causing problems – this week we look at how to deal effectively with this thorny issue

Primary leaders - are you making the most of your staff?

This ezine shows that there’s no secret to good staff management – communication, building and maintaining relationships and managing staff development are the keys to a satisfied and effective school workforce

Staffing: Keeping the right people on the bus

Following the ezine advice on how to employ high quality staff, the second in the series discusses how to keep the right staff once they're on board

Staffing: Getting the right people on the bus

This is the first edition of fortnightly e-bulletin, Secondary Headship. Published alongside our print newsletter of the same name, will provide you with topical information and advice to support your work as a senior leader in a secondary school

School leadership: back to basics

Jane Golightly, author of Primary Leadership Focus, welcomes those in primary school leadership to a new school year and gives 'back to basics' advice on school policy

Eight things to do before the end of term: school leaders

As we approach the end of one academic year and prepare for the next, Jane Golightly suggests eight jobs that primary leaders should do before school closes, so that September gets off to a flying start

Partisan political view in the classroom

Where do schools stand legally on teachers airing their political views in the classroom? Michael Segal explores this sensitive issue

Headteachers: five things to never say in school

What five things should you never say in a school setting? Former headteacher Jane Golightly discusses five comments that she advises senior leadership to steer clear of in order to maintain positive school leadership

Primary leadership: end of year hot topics

What difference has your school made this year and how can you prepare for the next? Jane Golightly, school leadership and school improvement expert, discusses hot leadership topics for consideration at the end of the year

Achieving global dimension: a case study

Sir John Lawes School in Harpenden, Hertfordshire shares how it has taken an all-encompassing approach to incorporating the global dimension both within and beyond the whole-school curriculum

A leadership approach to good behaviour

A no-nonsense whole school approach to behaviour can be led from the top, says deputy headteacher David Morley, who here shares tips on how

First year of headship - survival guide

About to embark on your first post as headteacher? Hafise Nazif, a headteacher in the London Borough of Havering, reflects on her first year of headship and offers some personal but common-sense survival tips

Improving good schools through strong leadership

Do you think yours can become an outstanding school? Dave Weston gives advice on helping schools reach the highest level at Ofsted, through strong leadership

2012 Olympics: promoting primary PE

Schools can use the 2012 Olympics to promote sport, tackling PE participation problems. Primary headteacher Angela Youngman looks at how

Tackling challenging behaviour from the top

How can schools reach out to challenging pupils? Suzanne O'Connell looks at the government's response to the problem of challenging behaviour, from a leadership perspective

School 'strategy': what is it?

What does school 'strategy' mean from a leadership perspective, and how useful is it as a concept? Richard Bird discusses whether school headteachers and school leaders have a real sense of what school strategies are

The role of deputy head: going solo

School leadership teams have become increasingly complex, with two roles sometimes being created where there was once one. The sole deputy model has advantages, challenges and potential pitfalls however, say deputy heads Paul Ainsworth and Josephine Smith

Making the most of your partnership with governors

As part of Primary Leadership Focus, Jane Golightly considers the important role that governors play in a primary school, and affirms the importance of a good school-governor partnership

Monitoring learning and teaching

This free resource provides activities to monitor learning and teaching to middle leaders, and also department and subject teams

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Handing over headship

How do you organise a smooth handover? Having just left headship after 11 years, Suzanne O'Connell discusses why she did it and offers advice to others doing the same

Keep school leadership simple

Roger Smith considers ways to make the role of headteacher more straightforward, and says the best way to achieve this is without additional involvement

Beginning a new school year: tips for headteachers

A new school year offers a number of opportunities for headteachers. David White gives tips on how to take advantage, and keep things manageable

Standing up to Ofsted

It is important for headteachers to challenge what they feel is an unfair representation of their school, says Anne Clarke

The role of the excellence leader

Introducing an excellence leader to their school leadership team can give a headteacher peace of mind, whilst reassuring other staff that school improvement is being led by someone in touch with the classroom

Summer holiday: is six weeks still necessary?

Steve Mynard considers the educational tradition of the six week summer holiday, and asks if it is, and whether it should be, under threat

School improvement: professional resolutions for 2009

Jane Golightly discusses the issues school senior leadership teams might want to consider as they begin the new calendar year, to prepare for the future and ensure a successful 2009

Asset management in secondary schools

With an increase in software and handheld learning in modern-day education, Tim Roots, director of IT vision, explains why headteachers should have a sound understanding of asset management

Why schools should tackle energy consumption now

Secondary schools have been warned to prepare for the introduction of new display energy certificates this autumn. If action is not taken now it could prove expensive, says education writer Angela Youngman

Reflecting on a school private finance initiative (PFI)

A private finance initiative (PFI) project can transform a school. Headteacher Brian Rossiter describes the final stages of his school's project, the initial aim of which was to turn his school into an educational establishment for the future

School bursars: advice when joining the senior leadership team

With an increasing number of schools placing business managers on the senior leadership team, Lindsey Lester offers some of her own experience to others who are about to embark on this role

School improvement: having a consistent vision

Primary headteachers should strive for a consistent approach to school improvement. Jane Golightly explores this process, explaining why you need to consider Who, What and How when following your vision

Secondary headship: looking back at a career

How does it feel to end a long period as headteacher? After 18 years in the role, secondary headteacher Anne Clarke describes her feelings as she approaches the end of her career and considers what she will, and will not, miss

Does a new headteacher spell trouble for staff?

Some believe that a fashion for school staff "clean-outs" when new headteachers take over is resulting in experience and knowledge being lost from the system. Former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), Richard Bird, discusses

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