Leadership Skills

Top 10 tips for survival on the SLT

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:58:32 +0100

Over the past eight or nine years, the school business management profession has gone through a period of rapid and exciting development with a significant - and growing - number of schools and collaborative arrangements now including a school business manager on their senior leadership team.

Whilst some of these teams may include other support staff colleagues, generally speaking the SBM will be the sole representative from support staff.

An exciting era ahead

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:02:51 +0100

As a high-performing specialist school since its inception, with three separate specialisms (arts, science and sports) judged ‘outstanding' by Ofsted, and as a national leader of education (and the school a national support school), I am thrilled that my school, Oldfield in Bath, is being recognised and rewarded with the opportunity to be fast-tracked to academy status.

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

scameron — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:10:30 +0100

We are entering the season of mixed emotions. Those who will be leaving the profession, perhaps looking forward to retirement or new challenges. Others reading this will be preparing for the next big step. Perhaps a leadership promotion which will mean new hats to wear and skills to learn. For all, there will be a sense of anticipation about the future. Like Christmas, the answer to a smooth transition from one stage to the next lies in preparation. If you are moving on and up the leadership scale, the A–Z of school life helps you in that preparation.

The A-Z of school life – Inclusion, Jigsaws, Knowing your school and Leadership

scameron — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:59:16 +0100

It’s been an interesting few weeks – stranded staff from the volcanic ash, key stage 2 tests boycott and, of course, a new secretary of state for education. All three have an element of the unknown and can cause uncertainty. Will we or won’t we be stranded if we go abroad? What, if any, will be the implications for our school if we participate in the SATs boycott? And the new secretary of state? Plans for new ways of working have been laid out. Now we wait for the next stages and what these will mean in practice.

The A-Z of school life – Attention to detail and Breaking bad habits

scameron — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:56:31 +0100

It’s said that it is a sign of age when time seems to go too fast. But, surely I can’t be the only person who feels that this academic year is flying past. The summer term is particularly important because there is still time to make a difference for the children and at the same time you will be putting in place plans for the forthcoming year. But we mustn’t let this term progress without looking closely at what matters for the development of our schools.

Making the most of relationships beyond the school

scameron — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:06:16 +0000

This week I watched a child of about four years of age play with his toys and I was full of admiration for his dexterity, perseverance and determination. He was with his father and a Transformer toy was holding his full attention. You may know the sort of toy I mean. With adjustments to the right parts you can change the toy from figure to truck or car. The young child made it look very easy but to my eye it looked extremely complicated. Just watching him twist and turn bits at the back, at the side and inside other bits had my head in a spin.

Leading and managing people in education

scameron — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:04:25 +0000

I wanted to write about leading and managing people because of a question that was asked to me by a friend who is an accountant interested in becoming a business manager in a school. His question was; ‘How often do business managers lead staff, or do they just manage?’ In his current post there were only three staff, all of equal status and as they all had different accounts no one led anyone. He was intrigued as to the challenges he would face and wondered whether he would cope in leading a significant number of staff.

Are you making the most of yourself as a primary school leader?

scameron — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:00:21 +0000

Happy New Year readers and welcome back to a new term and a new series of e-bulletins which aim to support you in leading and managing your schools. I hope, like me, you had an enjoyable break and recharged your batteries. During the holiday I found time to enjoy one of my favourite pastimes – cooking. I was caught up in all the adverts and magazine articles encouraging us to make the most of the festive food by using up everything in the fridge to make tasty meals and ensure little food was thrown away.

Staffing: Getting the wrong people off the bus

scameron — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:07:18 +0000

I remember a very valuable observation offered to me by an experienced headteacher before I took up my headship. He indicated that he had been naïve when he had started as a headteacher. He thought that all members of staff would be willing to change and could be influenced through rational good sense and persuasion. After a number of years he had come to the sober realisation that some staff were stubborn obstacles, that he had wasted too much time on them and should have tackled them head on much sooner.

Transform your work with families

scameron — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:12:06 +0000

This week I attended a book award ceremony. What an absolute joy! A hall packed with children, headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants. The children saw themselves as readers and writers and they were beside themselves with excitement at meeting real-life authors and illustrators. As I looked around the auditorium at different children all sharing the same excitement, I thought about the wide range of different schools that all share a common goal – to do their best for the children in their care.

Staffing: Keeping the right people on the bus

scameron — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:31:17 +0000

In the first Secondary Headship e-bulletin we focused on the need for schools to ensure that they recruit high-quality staff. Assuming that you do recruit well, the next stage is to continue Jim Collins’s analogy (from his book Good to Great), keeping the right staff members ‘on the bus’. This is crucial if the organisation is to move forward and is the issue we consider here.

Thinking about visible leadership

scameron — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:08:39 +0000

‘It’s never too early to start getting ready for Christmas’, the television adverts have been proclaiming over the past couple of weeks. And it’s never too early in the academic year to be asking yourself what difference you are making in your school as a leader. The new Ofsted Framework is making its mark on many schools. One of the key things that we can learn from those schools already inspected under the new Framework is how important it is for you to know your school well.

Taking the right road to achieve your priorities

scameron — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:35:52 +0100

I got lost this week. It shouldn’t have happened as I was on a road I know well. However, I wasn’t paying attention and before I realised what had happened I was on a different road going in the wrong direction. Has this ever happened to you? Possibly not when you are driving but perhaps you have experienced going in the wrong direction when you realise that you don’t seem to be making the progress you expected when you review improvement priorities. Your school isn’t alone in this.

Being a resilient and flexible school leaders

scameron — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:55:37 +0100

Did you read the story reported in the Daily Mail (22 September 2009) about the tiger that climbed to the top of the water cooler and then was too scared to come down, despite encouragement from his keeper? As we could have guessed, hunger was eventually the answer and there was a happy ending for all concerned. I can’t help but compare that tiger to some leaders who also find themselves in positions difficult to get down from.

The importance of following up on your monitoring and evaluation policy

scameron — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:28:06 +0100

Look around you
Since the end of August I have been searching for a new family home. I can already hear you sigh with sympathy for the long road ahead of disappointments, fruitless negotiations, uncertainties and what-ifs and buts. Those of you who have experienced the highs and lows of house hunting will know exactly what I mean. So many of the houses I have visited could have done with a home-improvement plan based on the obvious evidence, rather than the Home Information Pack required by law which doesn’t necessarily tell me what I want to know.

School leadership: back to basics

scameron — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:44:45 +0100

Welcome back
It has been impossible to miss the signs: leaves starting to turn, lamps switched on earlier in the evening, television adverts for school uniforms, and queues of parents and children in the shoe department, resigned to a long wait for the ever-important new shoes for school. Yes, it’s the start of a new school year. May I welcome you back readers to a new term. Whatever you have been doing this summer I hope you have enjoyed a relaxing break and are looking forward to the start of the forthcoming academic year.

Headteachers: five things to never say in school

scameron — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:24:41 +0100

Recently I read an enjoyable article which will resonate with anyone who works with teenagers; parents of teenagers; and anyone who has been through those years and lived to tell the tale. The article by Eileen Tracy, Ten things never to say to a teenager (the Guardian, 19 May 2009) not only entertained me, but also prompted me to think about things that should never be said in a school. Over the years I have heard certain phrases repeatedly and I have responded in various ways. Some you will read with disbelief and you may cry: ‘No-one says that anymore.

School improvement: 'spring cleaning' attitudes to learning

jlee — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:47:25 +0100

The weather is glorious; everyone is feeling good and, at the first hint of sunshine, children discard their sweatshirts, causing chaos as the pile of unnamed clothes mounts and staff try to return them to their owners. The change in weather doesn’t only affect the children’s spirits, however – it can also have a beneficial effect on school improvement.

First year of headship - survival guide

scameron — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:44:02 +0000

Its official! The phone call you have been eagerly waiting for arrives and the chair of governors of the school that needs you to make a difference calls to congratulate you on securing the top job – headteacher!

As the celebration and well wishes begin to calm down and the adrenaline rush that you experienced earlier fades away, mixed emotions of excitement and apprehension may begin to emerge and that strange feeling of ‘how prepared do I really feel as I begin this journey’ takes a firm grip of your daily thinking.

Making the most of your partnership with governors

scameron — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:52:05 +0000

Over the past couple of weeks headteachers could be forgiven if they found it difficult to stay focused on their school’s priorities. Attention-grabbing headlines – such as ‘SATS are too crude an assessment’; ‘Conservatives shun the Rose review’; High anxiety over building programme’; Tests blamed for blighting children’s lives’ – could easily divert us from the work in hand to ensure that all children in our care have the best possible experiences every day.

Handing over headship

scameron — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:33:10 +0000

Being a headteacher is much more than just a job. It can too easily become your life. So the decision to leave a school and move on is an extraordinarily difficult one to make.

Keep school leadership simple

scameron — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:23:30 +0000

I would certainly never argue that leading a school was easy or that using leadership skills to manage all the difficult issues that cross our desks was anything other than complex. Neither would I want to suggest that raising standards and dealing with people — all the children, parents and colleagues — who are part of our working day was anything other than time-consuming and often quite stressful. But what I would like to try to do is to suggest that school leadership works best if it is simple – as simple and uncomplicated as possible.

Beginning a new school year: tips for headteachers

scameron — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:05:37 +0000

Yes, I know, the summer holidays just flash by! Your expectancy of long lie-ins and free time to complete all those little tasks around the house and garden, all planned in fine detail for the weeks stretching out ahead, comes and goes. Even as the end of term concert still echoes in the hall rafters and your final assembly has the more sensitive pupils shedding a tear in anticipation of leaving the sanctuary of Key Stage 2, you are all too aware of the ‘back to school’ advertising in the supermarket, the newsagent’s and the shopping mall.

School leadership: effective team building

scameron — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:07:34 +0000

Workforce reform has seen changes in roles and responsibilities which have challenged traditional thinking about how schools are staffed. Ensuring that we focus on and respond to the learning and wider needs of children also brings opportunities for schools to think creatively and put in place staffing structures that best meet the needs of the children at the school.

Engaging parents: tools for starting conversations

scameron — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:20:56 +0000

These tools are taken from Section 2 in the Engaging Parents Toolkit, which concentrates on the educational benefits of parental involvement, and doesn't underestimate the importance of 'soft skills' communication between adults and children.

Written by Julie McGrane

School improvement: having a consistent vision

scameron — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:48:42 +0000

I was struck by a comment made by the comedian Jenny Eclair in The Observer Magazine, 7th December 2008. She said, ‘I’m very jealous of my daughter’s education. She’s been inspired by her teachers, and nobody inspired me as a teenager.’ It’s this very type of comment that confirms the importance of working at a vision that has aspiration for every child.

Secondary headship: looking back at a career

scameron — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:27:19 +0000

How do I view my career? It has certainly been long and varied. I have worked in seven different schools, and for six different local authorities, over a period of 31 years. My work has also led me to different regions of the country.

Leadership vision: fact or fiction?

scameron — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:46:00 +0000

It is a well-known fact that one of the most popular questions asked at headteacher interviews is, ‘what is your vision for the school?’ Well-prepared candidates have given this much thought before their interview and are able to provide a constructed response which offers governors an insight into a potential headteacher’s sense of direction, values and understanding of the needs and context of the school. The frequency of the question has significance because it will always matter what headteachers and school leaders believe in, and what they want for the children.

School improvement: intention to action

scameron — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:12:38 +0000

Welcome

School bursars as heads?

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:13:40 +0100

Ruth Bradbury, school business manager

I have written many times on this topic, and I know that it is one on which people have strong views, and which excites debate on both sides. My own view is that there are a number of skills that the leader of a school needs to have. These include:

a commitment to maximising the life-chances of young people
a vision for their school as first and foremost a centre of learning
read more

Emotionally literate leadership

scameron — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:09:04 +0100

Doreen Williams embodied my idea of emotionally literate and inspirational leadership. She was tough but never shouted; she was kind but didn’t over protect; she gave freedom within secure boundaries; she knew a lot and wanted to learn more; she was curious, witty, intelligent, emotionally aware and responsive.

Developing leadership using sport in schools

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:59 +0100

The long-term health benefits of physical activity for children during their school years are undisputed. What is not always so widely recognised is the significant role that PE and sport can play in helping children to develop their leadership skills.

Examining senior leadership roles

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:56 +0100

The nature of the senior leadership role in schools is one of constant, insistent, low-level demands. The Grubb Institute used to remind headteachers that the head is the only person in a school with whom every other person in the school believes they have a personal relationship. Parents are also inclined to want a piece of him/her.

The key to effective leadership

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:56 +0100

I imagine that we have all got dozens of glib quotations about ‘leadership’. For example, ‘If at first you don’t succeed try leadership’ or ‘As a leader, aim low, reach your goals and avoid disappointment’ or ‘The team will follow him anywhere – out of morbid curiosity’ and finally ‘The difference between fiction and leadership is that fiction has to make sense’. I could go on but, out of kindness, I won’t.

NLE programme: leadership support for struggling schools

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:53 +0100

A headteacher known locally for his exploits with the guitar and on the re-enacted battlefields of the English civil war, as well as his excellent track record as both a teacher and a school leader, now has another role.

Good leadership and management in early years setting

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:52 +0100

In early years settings in all sectors it is the people who make up the staff team who have the greatest influence on the smooth running of the organisation and its ability to fulfil its vision and mission. The quality of the welfare, teaching and learning and family support provided by early years settings both large and small, is dependent upon the qualifications, skills, experience and attitudes of all the individuals who make up the childcare team. Leading and managing this team effectively brings out the best in everyone and leads to good outcomes for children, parents and staff.

What is the Early Year Professional Status?

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:52 +0100

By 2015 it is the government’s intention that every full daycare setting in England will be led by a graduate, with two graduates per setting in the most disadvantaged areas of the country. To achieve this ambitious aim funding is currently available for suitably qualified early years practitioners to achieve Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) through a range of work based routes.

Providing difficult feedback to staff: What to say and how to say it

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:50 +0100

Providing feedback to staff is like attempting to fix a plumbing problem at home. By using your basic skills you might be able to solve the problem; but if it goes wrong things can get very messy and you can end up with a bigger issue than the one you started with.

Worst-case scenarios
Picture this: it is 8.45am and a class teacher is about to start an observed lesson with the headteacher. He is approached by his team leader in the staffroom who says to him in front of a group of teaching assistants…

Appointing a headteacher - advice for governors

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:47 +0100

The appointment of a new headteacher is an awesome responsibility and, I scarcely need to say, the most important decision most governing bodies ever have to make.

I know how it feels as I am in the middle of it as I write, but I won’t talk about that except to say that if you are replacing a wonderful head it is the most frightening experience of your life.

School business managers: Building your professional profile

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:46 +0100

IN THREE PREVIOUS articles in School Financial Management, we have discussed opportunities that would prepare a school business manager or bursar for even more senior leadership roles in schools. There has been a focus upon building knowledge of teaching and learning, among other things. We also suggested that a greater involvement in the working of the school more generally will make any school business manager or bursar more effective in their current role.

What happens when the headteacher is away?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:36 +0100

Years ago, I went on a course entitled ‘Preparing for Deputy Headship’. The final part of this residential was a keynote speech by the local authority’s director of education. One sentence has always stuck in my mind: ‘If you are not prepared to step into the headteacher’s shoes at a moment’s notice, don’t ever apply for a deputy’s position.’ Little did I know that less than three years later that is exactly what I would have to do.

Reasons for the head’s absence

Engaging effectively with outside agencies

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

The Children’s Act of 2004 has put the child at the centre of the community. It encapsulates the Every Child Matters agenda, in which the DfES obliges schools to ensure that children are healthy, safe, enjoying and achieving, able to achieve economic wellbeing and making a positive contribution to society.

Is your SLT brittle, blocked, blended or blind?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

Headship is a risky business. The ‘buck’ stops with the head but the huge workload means that leadership – not just the jobs – must be shared among all members of the senior team and among other teams in the school (or schools). If the head is a ‘strategic’ head with additional external roles such as heading a school federation, or acts as a SIP, there is even more pressure.

Leadership handover

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:31 +0100

There are two reactions to the idea of being a head. One is that the burden is crushing. The other is that ‘It is much better than being a deputy’.

Constructivism

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:28 +0100

References to ‘constructivism’ are frequently made in writing and discussions about education, even if it is not a word you hear every day in the classroom. Texts and courses in education often mention constructivist approaches to learning, and the implications of this for teaching.

A new era for school leadership?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:25 +0100

The impetus for the Independent Study into School Leadership came in November 2005 when the School Teachers’ Review Body recommended an independent study to examine the roles, responsibilities, structures and reward systems for school leaders in England and Wales.

Working with the media

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:23 +0100

Most schools have a love-hate relationship with the local media, based on its ability to put them on a pedestal one day and kick them into the gutter the next. We all want our schools to be seen in a positive light. Establishing a good relationship with the local paper or radio station, if carefully managed, is the way to promote the positive aspects of our institutions.

How inclusive is your school?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:23 +0100

How do you evidence the quality of inclusive practice in your school? Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council’s Vision into Practice – Ensuring Every Child Matters materials have been specifically written for school leadership teams working with staff and other stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of what inclusion means to them and what the school’s priorities are for further development. What is important about these materials is that they represent a process – not a checklist.

Observing classroom assistants

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:23 +0100

Whichever member of your staff team you are about to observe, it is important that all observations are made against the criteria that you have set for that person to apply as they carry out their role. Starting from a person’s job description you can compile a list of the skills and attitudes they should be displaying as they carry out their role. Let us take the person who is assisting a teacher or other professional practitioner as s/he carries out her role. How can you assess someone who is assisting another professional?

Dealing effectively with complaints

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:23 +0100

‘Parents and carers are perfectly entitled to complain if they are unhappy with the provision their child is receiving.’ This bold statement may raise our hackles, but it is certainly true. How can we as practitioners deal with complaints when they arise and, more importantly, how can we prevent them from arising in the first place?