That great leaders make great schools is both the mantra of The Future Leaders Trust (where I work) and the conclusion of extensive academic research. We are currently looking for exceptional leaders to join the Talented Leaders programme, which will provide excellent heads for schools in deprived communities that are struggling to recruit. So what are we looking for? What make a great headteacher for a challenging school?
Although the outcomes secured by successful heads can at times appear superheroic, we’re certainly not looking for Wonderwomen and Supermen. The programme is not about ‘hero heads’ who will fly in, fix things and move onto the next challenge. It is about leaders who will make a commitment to spend at least three years working with the community to secure lasting improvements.
What we are looking for are candidates with a track-record of success in senior leadership and the ability to do the simple things that drive effective school improvement really, really well. Because headteachers who lead great schools do things that are quite simple (the good news), but which are hard to do very well (the challenge). They foster a strong culture based on a coherent vision and positive values, they have a relentless focus on high quality teaching and learning, and they consistently look to develop the strengths, skills and experience of their staff and students. Above all, they are committed to securing exceptional outcomes for the communities they serve.
These are important for every school, but are especially valuable in schools that serve economically disadvantaged areas. Parents here may struggle with time and money, giving them fewer resources to devote to their children.
They may have had poor experiences of school themselves and question its value for their offspring. These challenges are the origin of the attainment gap, and schools that serve poorer areas often have a lot more work to do than those in wealthy areas to build aspiration and ‘cultural capital’, as well as to boost achievement. Such schools therefore have a more acute need for great teachers and leaders.
Vision and values
So the first thing great headteachers do is lead an aspirational culture within their school. They create with staff and pupils mission statements and core values that are not just for a brass plaque on a wall, but which define everyday experience in the school.
Sir Michael Wilshaw’s dictum that ‘structure liberates’ shaped the culture at Mossbourne and has had a tangible impact on the achievement of its students even after his departure; I’ve seen similar examples in schools across the country. Each has their own different flavour but all express to students that hard work is expected and that it will lead to achievement, not just within the school, but in life beyond it. And it is embedded in everything from the curriculum to the ritual and routines of the school day, with staff and pupils all able to articulate the link between what they do and the shared vision they are working to realise.
Teaching and learning
The most important things that happen in schools take place in the classrooms, not the headteacher’s office. So great heads lead learning within their schools. They are not desk-bound administrators, but successful practitioners, who know what outstanding teaching and learning looks like, are able to demonstrate it in the classroom, and challenge, support and coach others to do the same. They know about the latest research, but do not jump on every new initiative that comes along. And they ensure that every new intervention and innovation in classroom practice is carefully evaluated before being adopted.
Staff development
Heads don’t come into schools that are requiring improvement or inadequate and find staff who don’t care or have no skills. The role of the great head is to identify and unlock the talent that exists, ensuring staff know that they can develop as professionals and that to give every child a great education, everyone must improve.
Great heads empower their staff to share what they know with others and to have others share with them. Schools should be places where feedback and advice is second nature to teachers. The way this is done may differ but it should have the same focus. Whether it is intervention and support for those requiring improvement, coaching to get the good to outstanding, or the outstanding being challenged to develop their practice still further, the result should be the same – better teaching and better learning which sees classrooms become better places for students to achieve. It means that everyone is learning all the time – not just students. That is why successful heads like Perry Beeches’ Liam Nolan expect their staff always to be seeking their next development challenge.
Commitment to the community
Finally, great headteachers make a genuine commitment to the community they serve. In part this is about investing the time to implement changes that can be sustained for the long term. This means building sound systems, effective teaching and learning, and a curriculum which matches their vision (all of which can take time), as well as implementing the quick fixes to enable pupils in current years 10, 11 and sixth form to achieve qualifications that will set them up for future success. It means spotting and growing the talent which will provide the leaders and headteachers of tomorrow.
But it is also about a commitment that goes beyond their school and the contribution the head can make to securing better outcomes for all the children in an area. This means working with their peers and other professionals as system leaders to drive lasting change across all local schools, with benefits for the wider community.
THE TALENTED LEADERS PROGRAMME
There are areas in England, outside metropolitan hubs, that need more support to give every child a great education. Many struggle to recruit headteachers. As a result of this regional variation too many students are not doing well enough, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Talented Leaders programme, launched in September by Schools Minister David Laws, aims to improve the life chances of all students, regardless of background, by matching exceptional and committed leaders to these areas of need, giving them the funds, coaching and support they need to drive sustainable change.
Heads will commit to spending at least three years in a new school and will benefit from a relocation package, coaching support and tailored training from The Future Leaders Trust’s Headship Institute. A £50,000 Leadership Sustainability Fund will be available to each participating school, to be used by the head to secure improvements and build a leadership pipeline for the future. “It has always been a badge of honour for heads to seek out the most challenging schools and go where their skills are needed most: to find the opportunity to make a lasting difference,” observes Russell Hobby, NAHT General Secretary. “It is right that the system should match this ambition with support and celebration.”
Malcolm Trobe, Deputy Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, adds: “ASCL supports this initiative, which is designed to improve the educational achievement of students in some of the more deprived areas of the country. It is good that the DfE has recognised that a headteacher cannot improve results on his or her own, and they have built in funding to ensure that these schools develop a sustainable approach that is not based around a single person.”
If you recognise a colleague or yourself here, it might be that you’re also stirred by the opportunities offered by the Talented Leaders programme. If you are willing to relocate to a school that needs to improve, apply at register.future-leaders.org.uk.
