Leadership Challenges

Can schools realistically play a part in creating cohesion in their community? Dave Weston considers this question in the context of an increasingly diverse country

Being a headteacher is "fantastic and rewarding" says secondary headteacher Kim Sparling, who dismisses the notion that the top leadership role in schools is losing its appeal for many in her profession

Mark Chaplin shares insight into how primary headteachers can design a questionnaire for parents that will help them carry out effective self-evaluation at their primary school

For headteachers the new Children's Plan poses yet more new challenges, with possible changes to the primary curriculum, flexible school start and greater involvement between school and family. Angela Youngman investigates

Chris Fenton discusses the benefits of working towards the International School Award, and how it can be used to build teamwork in improving schools and impact professional development

After celebrating her 80th birthday, Joan Sallis looks back and makes a plea for stability read more

Angela Youngman talks to heads of small schools around the country and gains an overview of the challenges and pleasures of the job read more

What are the essential characteristics for a school leader? Roger Smith reflects on what leadership is and what makes it work read more

The NCSL is doing much more than training the next generation of heads, as Crispin Andrews discovers when speaking to Paul Bennett read more

Staff at the Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington, decided it was time for a change. Six months later there is a real sense of staff and students working together for the future. Chris Love describes how learning to learn was introduced to his school

Headteacher Anne Clarke reveals how her personal experience of taking a risk as a headteacher led to success and highlights why risk taking is often vital to school improvement read more

School governor and former headteacher Peter Downes takes the long view on what 'local management' set out to achieve 25 years ago and where he believes it has gone partially wrong read more

Headteacher Neil Berry explains how Brampton Manor in East London – described by Ofsted in December 1999 as having 'serious weaknesses' – was turned into the fully inclusive, successful school it is today

Crispin Andrews talks to assistant headteacher Karen Collinswood about the role of school leadership in developing high-quality PE in primary schools read more

In his final piece on living with the 21st century’s number one killer, Steve Mynard, editor of Primary Headship, considers the cognitive dimension – the way we perceive and relate to stressful situations read more

Successful discipline is as much about positive reinforcement as it is about punishing bad behaviour. Ingrid Sutherland looks at the latest good practice

School leaders need a national strategy for citizenship education if they are to build on the excellent practice of those who have grasped citizenship as a tool for school transformation argues Tony Breslin, chief executive of the Citizenship Foundation

Richard Bird, former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) looks at the part that the old head can play in helping the new head to be successful read more

Time is a strictly limited resource – we all have 168 hours in a week. The fact that some people seem to manage to get things done and have time to relax is not down to how they manage their time – it is down to how they manage themselves, argues Steve Mynard read more

David Morley, a deputy headteacher for the last five years, examines the challenges facing deputy heads in the 21st century, how the role of deputies has changed in recent years and why fewer deputy heads are moving on to headship read more

New guidance on behaviour and discipline in schools hit the headlines during Easter 2007 – largely because of its suggestions on the importance of rewarding good behaviour as well as punishing bad read more

A major new report could herald a new era in the leadership of schools, paving the way for the first headteachers to be appointed from finance, not teaching backgrounds read more

Schools' relationships with the media are increasingly important. Brian Rossiter, headteacher of Valley School, Worksop, North Nottinghamshire describes his approach read more

There are pros and cons of chosing to take the franchise option to expand. Angela Youngman reports read more

A detailed look at how the IB has been launched in one school, by Rob Ford, Head of International Education and International Baccalaureate, The Ridings High School, Bristol

What affect did the New Relationship with Schools (NRwS) have on schools and school improvement? Headteacher Trevor Bailey takes a critical look at its impact

David Dixon adds his voice to the debate about the role of the headteacher in today's schools and suggests that ‘fast-track’ and non-teaching heads may be the poorer for missing out on the daily detail of school life read more

Pat Barnes, education consultant and former head, urges headteachers to take a fresh look at their work-life balance

Ruth Bradbury outlines the cost of staff absence to schools and explains how a range of practical measures can help staff to maintain a better attendance record for the benefit of themselves and the school.

The DfES, QCA and the National Strategies have got plans for changes to teaching and learning. Is this news? We have learned to live with change. read more

Bringing school and community expectations into line with national priorities and targets is just one of the many challenges facing new heads. Richard Bird, former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), charts the road to success. read more

Richard Bird, former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), analyses the vital role an outgoing head has to play in the succession process. read more

Exclusion is now one of the main ways of dealing with extreme behaviour. Headteacher Suzanne O’Connell examines recent guidance and legislation on the subject. read more

Schools should take note of new reporting and training requirements, as well as changes to appeal panel representation rights, says Ingrid Sutherland

Matthew Savage, assistant headteacher, George Mitchell Community School, and Dr Margaret Wood, senior lecturer, York St John University College, explore the role of student voice in evaluating and then improving the learning experience of students in the classroom

Independent drug consultant, Adrian King, questions the wisdom of drug testing in schools, arguing that it undermines the support offered to pupils through effective PSHE and sends out a clear message that pupils are not to be trusted. read more

Anne Clarke explores the role of the headteacher and asks: ‘Is the notion of a headteacher an out-of-date concept?’ read more

Sally Eaton of the Manor Tree Group helps you to think about how you will prepare the ground when you need to make changes in your own setting. read more

Headteacher David Dixon muses on the nature of headship and how partnerships outside the world of education can lead to school improvement. read more

Schools should be at the centre of professional support for children and heads should champion change, argues Nick Johnson OBE. read more

Distributed leadership has the potential to transform schools, raising achievement and inspiring more effective practice from staff. Trevor Arrowsmith shows how

Communicating the change agenda in a cruising school

Pat Barnes, education consultant and former head, urges headteachers to take a fresh look at their work/life balance. read more

Anne Clarke explores the role of the headteacher and asks: ‘Is the notion of a headteacher an out-of-date concept?’ read more

Richard Bird, former headteacher and now legal consultant to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), suggests that heads – and those appointing them – should consider the myths they need to match. read more

You left the meeting with a sense of excitement about all those excellent ideas. Yes, some of them are really unusual, and they could work! They'd make a difference. Optimism exists! Three months later... nothing. Did the meeting really happen? Why isn't anyone talking about it? What happened? Rob Sheffield's final article in a series of 3 looks at the final stage of problem-solving. How can we implement ideas for change so they gain acceptance from others and improve our lives at work? read more

How can we re-ignite the flames of inspiration in our teams and ourselves, and, while we achieve great things, get the chance to live a little too? Lynne Copp looks at the challenge

Wouldn't it be nice if you had a reputation for organising and running meetings that were engaging, fun, productive, and used the talents of the people in your team? Maybe you do already...

Headteacher Kate Griffin describes the benefits and difficulties experienced by her school on the path from grant-maintained to foundation status. read more

In July 2005, there were 1,557 poorly performing schools in England, according to the National Audit Office’s recent report, Improving Poorly Performing Schools in England. Around 23% of secondary schools were in the ‘poorly performing’ category. read more

How governors can help schools to meet the behaviour challenge

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