I’m still following up questions on my recent successful Deputy Head interview. I was asked my opinion on how I would develop the new national curriculum and also the 14 – 19 curriculum. I suspect this was mainly because I’m going to be what you might previously have called a ‘Curriculum Deputy’ but I do think that these are hot topics so even if you’re going for a more generalised senior or junior leadership role you should have something to say about them. As these are passions of mine I went a bit overboard really!! Both of these curricula are, in different ways, about styles of teaching and learning and personalisation of the curriculum; allowing/making teachers consider pupils preferred learning styles, the resources they use in lessons and the outcomes both in terms of qualifications but also the piece of work it produces.
For example the concept of an extended learning day is supported and encouraged by the new national curriculum as a change of the way pupils learn, making it more relevant to them and allowing them to see links between different subjects’ curricula and life. In essence, that is exactly what the 14 – 19 Diploma is about.
Other hot topics will depend on the level of leadership you’re aiming for. If you’re going for head of department then you need to know what’s happening in your own area, as a former Head of Maths that was the 3 Cs – calculators, coursework and (being a) core subject!
If you’re aiming higher then curriculum is good, SEAL is another (which I still don’t know enough about) and I’ve had questions about my definition of leadership.
My answer to the latter is making other people do what you want them to do and, if you’re really good at it, making them think it was all their idea!!