LEADERSHIP

in association with

www.usethekey.org.uk

Training future leaders

The nurturing of new leadership talent is one of the biggest

obligations of our education

system. David Taylor

looks at the work of Leadership Development Schools, which are helping to train and inspire the next generation of school leaders

F

OR THOSE passionate and highly motivated teachers who aspire to headship, the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) is the mandatory qualification. Designed for teachers who are focused on becoming credible

headship candidates within the next 12 to 18 months, it supports aspiring heads to identify their strengths and areas for development, creating a personal pathway for progression that will prepare them for headship. One of the key elements of the programme is the

time trainee heads spend at a Leadership Development School. Jane Doughty, operational director at the National

College, explained: “Placements offer trainee heads hands-on, practical experience in a different context. The placement includes a leadership task on a topic which is a priority for the Leadership Development School. This provides opportunities for trainee heads

Leadership Q&A

How do I ensure that my school uniform policy does not discriminate against any group of pupils?

Gender

THE SUBJECT of discrimination resulting from stringent school uniform laws continues to be a high profile subject in the British media. Among the most controversial

cases is that of a 14-year-old pupil, who successfully challenged the school’s decision to bar her while she was wearing the jilbab, a full length dress worn by some devout Muslim women. Interestingly, official school

uniform policies tend to avoid detail on religious dress requirements or allowances which might be made for a pupil’s disability and simply give a list of the items that should be worn.

Government guidelines on school uniform

In much the same way, government guidelines suggest what factors should be considered when developing a school uniform policy, but do not prescribe exactly what such a policy should contain. Schools are advised to consult widely, to act in line with their particular circumstances, and to consider whether the policy discriminates directly or indirectly against any particular group.

Cultural/religious requirements

You are expected to act reasonably in accommodating religious and cultural requirements in your school uniform policy. Under the Human Rights Act 1998, pupils have the right to manifest their religion or beliefs. However, Teachernet advises that this freedom does not mean that the individual has the right to manifest their beliefs under any circumstances – each case demands individual consideration.

Disability

You are expected to consider requests from pupils who are unable to conform exactly to the school uniform requirements for physiological reasons or due to having an allergy to some of its materials.

You must ensure that your school uniform policy does not discriminate unfairly between boys and girls.

Cost

You must ensure that the cost of your uniform is not so high that it discourages parents from sending their children to your school. The issue has been recently debated in the media, with some schools being accused that the cost of their uniform is a way of

pre-selecting pupils from higher income families.

A solicitor’s guidance on teaching expertise

Guidance issued on Teaching Expertise, written by a solicitor specialising in education, states that each case of alleged discrimination should be treated individually. You should try to accommodate reasonable requests, and when a request is made, you should keep a record of any consultation and respond rationally and sensitively. If the case cannot be resolved internally and is

taken to court, the judge will be expected to weigh up the value of having a school uniform against the request of the pupil to amend current school policy. The positive effect of uniform, such as

encouraging identity with the school and supporting good behaviour and discipline, will be weighed against the request of one or more pupils to dress differently for their own reasons. The court will also look into the impact of the decision on all pupils of the school involved.

• Answer by Caroline Cochrane, specialist researcher for The Key, the national guidance and support service for school leaders in maintained schools in England. The service provides tailor-made practical answers to questions on all aspects of school leadership and management. For more information or to subscribe go to www.usethekey.org.uk

to develop their ability to understand and lead in a different context. “Placements are a crucial part of the NPQH and are

designed to provide benefits and rewards for both the host school and the trainee. Placements can give the host school the chance to make a positive difference to aspiring heads as they move into the next stage of their

career, as well as providing a wealth of experience to the trainee head.” Leadership Development Schools have an overall

Ofsted judgement of “good” or “outstanding” for leadership and management. Around 1,600 schools are currently registered with the National College. The Canterbury High School and its federated

primary school has become a popular choice for placements among NPQH trainee heads. Since it registered 18 months ago, it has hosted 12 placements. Executive headteacher Philip Karnavas is

responsible for the NPQH trainee heads the school takes on and works hard to ensure both the trainee and the school get the best possible outcome from the programme. Before each placement, Mr Karnavas and his vice

principal head of professional learning, Claire Crane, liaise with the prospective trainee heads to identify their development needs and establish what they hope to get from their placement. This also includes a preliminary visit to the school. They then create a detailed weekly schedule for

each trainee tailored to their professional development needs. This schedule helps to outline the specific focus and value of the placement to both the trainee headteacher and the hosting school. Following this, the trainee will then usually spend five days at The Canterbury School campus across both the primary and secondary sites. From the moment NPQH trainee heads arrive

on campus they become an important part of the senior management team. Mr Karnavas explained: “We believe that community leadership and engagement is a key skill for all would-be heads and we encourage all our trainees to take as much from their experience at the school as possible.” He continued: “All placements at the Canterbury

campus culminate in a two-hour informal meeting with myself and other members of the senior management team, where we provide the trainee head with feedback on their learning and contribution to the school. “The session also allows for shared evaluation,

providing a great opportunity for us as a school to receive feedback from the trainee about how they found the placement and any recommendations they may have following their time spent with us. “It’s extremely gratifying to help fellow professionals

with their career development – it’s a great feeling knowing you’re making a contribution to developing the next generation of headteachers. Having a trainee headteacher spend time with us also provides an extra pair of hands and a valuable outside perspective on the school. Our staff also benefit from coaching and mentoring the trainees, enabling the whole team to continue working together under a shared vision for the school.” Mr Karnavas firmly believes that for trainee heads

to get the best possible experience, they need to choose “a dynamic and innovative school for their placement – a school which will challenge their professional and personal horizons”. He added: “The trainee must

SecEd • April 15 2010

be professionally adventurous and ready to seize the opportunity with both hands.” Recent NPQH graduate Phil Chantler undertook

his placement at The Canterbury High School and primary school in October 2009. He approached the school to arrange his placement following what he describes as an “inspirational” speech given by Mr Karnavas at his regional introductory day hosted by the Southern Educational Leadership Trust, the NPQH South provider, earlier in the year. Prior to his placement, Mr Chantler was keen to

ensure he maximised his experiences. He told us: “I worked closely with Philip and Claire before the placement to develop an action plan. This included what skills I hoped to develop and what expertise I felt I could bring to the school, in my case, behaviour modification and de-escalation skills. “That means working with pupils to diffuse escalating

behavioural situations and helping to resolve issues before they intensify. I worked with members of staff within the school to share my expertise from working in a special educational needs school on behavioural issues and to develop their skills in this area. “To support my own personal professional

development, I observed performance management techniques across a larger school, which was extremely beneficial to me.” Mr Chantler offers advice to prospective heads on

the importance of good planning and preparation and shares his thoughts on how to maximise the benefits of a placement. He explained: “Developing an action plan with the school in advance is crucial – this allows you to really get the most from the experience. “When I was on my placement, the most important

aspect for me was meeting as many different people as I could from across the organisation as this allowed me to get a holistic view of the school and its model of leadership. Finally, choosing a truly inspirational headteacher like Philip, who is so passionate about education, was vital to getting the most out my placement.” Reflecting on his placement, Mr Chantler added:

“I absolutely feel that my placement was the most important part of the NPQH process. It provided me with excellent exposure to a different model of leadership and allowed me to develop key leadership skills. “I left the The Canterbury High School and primary

school feeling enthused, inspired and ready to progress to headship. It really was a wonderful culmination to my NPQH year and allowed me to put into practice all the skills I had developed over the course of the programme.”

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Further information

To learn more about the National Professional Qualification for Headship, visit www.nationalcollege. org.uk/npqh. Schools interested in becoming Leadership Development Schools should email npqhplacements@ nationalcollege.org.uk

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