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LEADERSHIP
Heads Count
is a leadership
mentoring
organisation set
up in Nottinghamshire in
response to the increasing
numbers of distressed heads.
Jerome Monahan explains
HIL BLINSTON is head at Minster
P
School in Southwell, Nottinghamshire,
and has grim memories of 2000.
“Our Ofsted report that year sugg-
ested we were underachieving, which
provoked a witch hunt orchestrated by a
number of parents,” he recalls.
“I was fortunate, I managed to get through the
experience thanks to wonderful support from my chair
of governors, my local authority link partners, and the
director of education at the time.”
The recollection crops up in a discussion with Mr
Blinston about Heads Count – a special support scheme
for heads in Nottinghamshire launched 18 months ago
and funded in part by the local authority since 2008.
Mr Blinston continued: “It did not exist back then,
but I can certainly see myself using it then had it been
up and running and providing access to someone
Helping heads
sympathetic, someone to sob too when I hit the low
points.”
Mr Blinston is refreshingly candid – a secondary
head willing to admit to a time when the role was
particularly challenging. His support for Heads Count for a while and consider the headship challenges in
reflects that openness, for here is an organisation set another part of the authority.”
up explicitly to bring solace to heads in the shape of Hilary Craik, Nottinghamshire schools’ workforce
Taking the lead: NCSL
fellow heads trained in counselling, offering an entirely development advisor, and the main link person for
confidential support service. Heads Count within the authority, added: “What
“Its roots are deep,” explained Sharon Jeffries, head makes it so different is that while it receives local
of Newark Orchard Special School. “They go back to authority support, it is not expected to provide detailed
Climate for change
2003 when the then director of education, Pam Tulley, feedback.
found herself fielding calls from an increasing number “Those seeking out support know that what they
of distressed heads and realised something needed to say will be kept entirely confidential – unless of course
Deputy head Debbie Wilson draws inspiration from
be done to help outside of the normal local authority what they are confiding has serious health and safety or
structures where mentoring usually comes with strings legal implications, in which case Heads Count advisors the sustainability work happening in Australian schools
attached through quality or achievement agendas.” make it clear the issue will have to be referred on.”
Ms Tulley called on the county’s heads to come “Not that they always have to be earth-shattering IN 2008, Ofsted published a report on the progress we needed to create some “ownership” of a project
together to discuss the crisis and 120 attended, out problems,” says Di Stendall, head of Selsdon Arts and of schools and sustainability, A Climate for Change? for students, parents and the local community if it
of which Heads Count was born, with an advisory Community College. “The joy is that your advisor is Inspectors visited a number of secondary and primary was to continue progressing.
committee of heads from each of the county’s districts. there to help when you have just started in the post and schools during the 2006/07 academic year to assess The school recognised from previous projects and
Between April 2005 and December 2007, 899 you are new to the county or you have to deal with the teaching about sustainability and progress towards those observed in Australia that the students were
headteacher days were lost to sickness across the health and safety implications of a pupil’s tongue stud meeting the expectations of the National Framework inspired to participate, promote and progress with
county, with 12 heads contributing 496 of those days – what number do you ring about that? for Sustainable Schools. projects that showed immediate impact and were
as a result of stress or depression. It was a situation “Of course there will be those days when you seem Their overall conclusion was that few schools particularly interested when these involved the school
that Heads Count, then being conducted without much to have been coping with a succession of angry parents visited would be able to achieve the government’s buildings and grounds and the local environment.
in the way of practical local authority support and no and it would be wonderful to have someone to describe target of becoming “sustainable” by 2020 and many The school began slowly with several “quick-
funding, was doing its best to combat. how you feel to without risking looking weak.” of them had little understanding of what was being wins” and built awareness through curriculum areas
However, Heads Count received a boost thanks to This fear of losing face appears to be a particularly asked of them. That was then. Two years down the such as science, art and design, food technology,
intervention by the head of children’s services, Anthony significant hurdle for secondary heads, who have to line, have things moved forward and are schools and design technology. Art and design were used
May. Ms Jeffries continued: “He appreciated what we date taken far less advantage of Heads Count compared now more aware of the expectations and changes to promote sustainability and enhance areas of the
were attempting to do and decided to put funding to to their primary colleagues in the county. needed? school buildings and grounds. Students cultivated
cover some of the costs associated with the time out of Ms Stendall continued: “Most of them are male and Over the last two years, the National College for wildlife areas and vegetable plots, caring for the
schools required by the local advisors.” one can’t help feeling there is a macho desire to keep School Leadership (NCSL) has been working with school’s chickens and using the produce in food
What then is the Heads Count model? To date, one’s anxieties hidden or take them out on a golf ball. many schools across England to try and raise the technology and selling at the local farmers’ market.
some 80 headteachers have received special mentoring “It is disappointing that more secondary heads have profile of sustainable schools and identify and share Soon, observing the enthusiasm of the students,
training and every head knows where to turn if they feel not got involved, but perhaps it is also a reflection that the excellent practice observed. other curriculum and pastoral leaders began to
they need a friendly ear. New heads taking up the role they do have more of a team around them unlike their One project, the International Leadership Learning introduce sustainability features into their schemes
for the first time or arriving from outside the authority primary equivalents who can be terribly isolated.” Programme (ILLP), identified school leaders to of work. Alongside this cross-curricular and extra-
are automatically allocated an advisor too. Mr Blinston added: “It can take a lot of experience research and report on how their peers abroad have curricular activities and projects developed.
“The offer of support is made and whether or not as a head to be able to admit that you don’t know tackled sustainability issues. In addition, they also Lincroft is also involved in helping to promote
heads want to follow it up is entirely down to them,” something and need to seek advice. As the relative age collected information and new ideas for development sustainability within the community alongside other
explained Tricia Head, head of the Grove School in of heads in their first post reduces, I can see the need for within their own schools and communities. My local schools, groups and companies. The majority
Newark. “It is a very rewarding two-way process – an Heads Count only increasing. school – Lincroft School in Bedford – was one of the of the links made were through students, parents and
opportunity for an advisor to step out of their own space “Just because you are part of a senior management 13 that visited Adelaide in Australia. their families, which has helped the continuity of the
team, it does not reduce the isolation of taking up a During the visit, the continent was in climatic projects.
new headship in an unfamiliar county or the challenge turmoil. Northern Australia was being hit by floods, Two years on from the Ofsted report, I think that

Of course there will
of drawing a distinct line between oneself as a person Victoria was being ravaged by forest fires, and there has been real progress. More and more schools
and as a professional. Those that find that hard, in my South Australia was trying to cope with blistering have attained many of the initiatives and accreditations
experience, can often stumble.” temperatures and drought. available, such as Healthy School Status, Eco-Schools,
be those days when
Walkeringham Primary School head, Adrienne It was no surprise, then, that our hosts were very Inclusion Quality Mark, and others.
Allcock, said: “There is a real danger as a head in aware of national and global environmental issues But it shouldn’t just be about ticking boxes.
you seem to have been
having all your support systems in the institution in and that most of the projects we observed were Sustainable schools are about encouraging children
which you work. Under extreme circumstances when embedded into their schools and communities. The to become good citizens and caring for themselves,
coping with a
you might find yourself at logger-heads with staff or students and community took pride in their schools others and the environment. It is an area of school
governors, it is then that having an external shoulder to and enhanced them with artwork and gardens while development that doesn’t happen overnight and must
succession of angry
lean on comes into its own.” trying to encourage and care for the local wildlife. develop systematically, starting locally and then
Meanwhile, Ms Craik said there are plans afoot to It was a contrast to the UK situation, where work expanding nationally and globally.
build on the Heads Count service and, in recognition on sustainability tended to be “piecemeal and unco- When a group of year 6 children from an
parents and it would
of the extra weight carried by the district advisors, she ordinated” and its impact tending to be “short-lived Australian school were asked what was motivating
thinks it is important that they too have access to trained and limited to small groups of pupils” (Ofsted). them to continue with their projects, their reply
be wonderful to have
counsellors so they have the chance to debrief. In Australia, with fewer curriculum restraints, was simple but profound: “We want to make a
She added: “There are also hopes that the scheme the schools were able to mould their curriculum to difference!” It’s up to us to help our pupils realise
someone to describe
might be extended to deputy heads – to hang onto them include local environmental issues, such as the falling those ambitions.
and develop them for headship.” SecEd water levels of the Murray River. Therefore, staff,
children, parents, families, businesses and the local • Debbie Wilson is deputy head of Lincroft
how you feel to without
• Jerome Monahan is a teacher and a freelance writer. authority felt part of the project and understood the School, part of the 19-school North Bedfordshire
need for change. Schools Trust. For information on the NCSL’s
risking looking weak
Further information
Our school had already showed great advances, International Leadership Learning Programme, visit

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/learningandwork/ but it was clear from our Australian experience that www.ncsl.org.uk/illp
cpd/cpd-headscount
SecEd • June 25 2009 13
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