LEADERSHIP

The secrets of success

Headteacher

John Townsley

considers

what it is that makes a successful school and looks at the new Leadership and Innovation Academy

to be equipped with up-to-date skills and knowledge and to have the right support and inspiration to excel in their careers and be the drivers of the 21st century education system. To help deliver this, the Specialist Schools

T

and Academies Trust (SSAT) has developed the Leadership and Innovation Academy (LIA). Building on the success of SSAT national leadership programmes, which are designed and delivered by outstanding headteachers, the LIA will provide a one-stop-shop for headteachers and teachers wanting to access the SSAT’s CPD programmes. Operating at local, regional and national levels

and through 16 hub schools across the country, the LIA will provide programmes that are characterised by the SSAT’s “by schools, for schools” ethos and which deliver online and face-to-face local professional development solutions for local schools. Although CPD for all is essential if we are to give

young people the best education possible, it also usually means valuable time out of the classroom. This is why the LIA provides bespoke training at times most suitable for teachers. A virtual learning environment will allow participants to work on agreed projects and share ideas through networking forums and for modules to be delivered online every hour of every day of the year. The hubs, which will be launched around the country

in June, will also allow new talent and innovative practice to be identified which can feed into the work of the regional and national programmes. In essence, the LIA will:

• Support every teacher to be a leader of learning, by exploring and developing pedagogical practice.

• Support every teacher to be an innovator by “doing things differently in order to do them better”, in other words to develop high leverage practice.

• Address the succession planning agenda by creating the next generation of school leaders.

The 12 principles of a successful school

• Strong leadership, which may include executive headship and shared leadership models. • Self-determination, with the ability to manage funds and develop an appropriate and innovative curriculum appropriate to the specific needs of students – within a strong framework of accountability.

• Excellent teaching, with strong subject work and a rigorous approach to knowledge, supported by a focus on developing skills in areas like research, project work and teamwork.

• Strong use of data to focus school-wide and individual improvement, with an approach that seeks to enable every pupil to reach their potential. This helps narrow achievement gaps and stretch able students.

• A focus on specialist strengths, often acting as a centre of excellence for other schools in subjects like physics, chemistry, languages, arts and sports.

• Strong and responsive engagement with students, with clear behaviour and discipline policies.

• Development and encouragement of character – lifeskills such as integrity, empathy and self-discipline – which help children succeed at school and in life.

• Effective links with home and parents, using a wide range of ways to keep families engaged and informed.

• A good offer in sports, culture and other extra-curricular activities, with schools operating on a wider basis.

• Partnerships with other schools, colleges and universities to lift standards and raise aspirations.

• Strong links with business and the wider community, underpinned by excellent support staff including careers advisors, business managers and extended activity support.

• Global citizenship and the knowledge and understanding of diversity and sustainability required as young people prepare for a global economy.

HERE ARE many ingredients that make a successful school. Strong leadership, excellent teachers, the sharing of successful practice and the effective use of data are just a few. Underpinning all of these is the need for school leaders and teachers

(May 17), challenged the current thinking and practice in leadership and pedagogy, encouraging school leaders to set the education agenda. Keynote speakers included Michael Wilkins, chief

executive of Outwood Grange Family of Schools, and David Carter, executive principal of the Cabot Learning Federation. Delegates looked at new school structures such as

federations and trust schools and explored how they are changing the relationship between the school, local authority and central government. They also discussed issues including what forms the diversity of provision could and should take and whether the school system can deliver the leadership and pedagogy needed in the 21st century. The make-up of a high-achieving school is complex.

To mark the launch of the LIA, the SSAT’s National Headteacher Steering Group has identified 12 principles they believe make schools successful. Below is an overview of the principles, which over the coming months will be consulted on further by the SSAT’s steering groups. All school leaders and teachers want the best

for their students. They are committed, hard-working and passionate about raising standards and increasing opportunities for all. By constantly looking for ways to improve and

to share this best practice with other schools, we will succeed in creating an education system that gives every young person the opportunity to excel and which meets the needs and wants of students, parents and the UK economy.

SecEd

• John Townsley is chair of the SSAT’s National Headteacher Steering Group and headteacher at Morley High School in Leeds.

• Close the gap between schools and within schools by enabling practitioners to work together smarter and raise achievement.

• Reflect the needs of leaders in a changing leadership landscape, recognising that many leaders are now leading across schools.

• Personalise leadership development by providing every leader with more flexible CPD models. The South West region was one of the three pilot

areas for the LIA, with the hub being at Cabot Learning Federation in Bristol. In collaboration with local authorities, three middle level leader programmes were offered to schools in Bristol and Somerset. Each programme comprised six twilight sessions

including personalising learning and using data to improve performance. These were held in local schools that have shown outstanding practice in these areas. Participants also undertook an organised study visit to a leading local school and spent time researching an innovative project linked to their school’s development plan. One South West middle leader from the pilot hub

programme said: “This middle leaders programme has real focus on practical strategies to improve leadership and learning and the local network enables us to share best practice more effectively.” The LIA also empowers school leaders to set the

agenda for the education system. One way this has been achieved is through a recent workshop. The interactive event, held at the Tate Modern Art Gallery last Monday

Taking the lead: HTI

Supporting the Diploma

With an uncertain future for 14 to 19

education, Anne

Evans makes the case for the Diploma

THE NEW education secretary, Michael Gove, has said that education “is awakening people to the glories of what humankind has been capable of producing over millennia”. No-one could disagree with that. But alongside these noble aspirations is the need for education to be relevant to life and work, today and in the future. The education system faces huge challenges.

No-one would disagree with that either. There is still a long way to go before we have the system young people, society and the economy need. But we have made progress. We are making progress. There is more choice for students and parents;

more much-needed flexibility in the system. Learning environments are more vibrant. There are more resources at teachers’ and young people’s disposal. Leadership and teaching standards are better than ever. There is unprecedented collaboration going on between schools, parents, communities, children’s services and business. The new government may need to take radical

action in some areas and we may need to deal in innovative ways with the consequences, but I am not alone in hoping that education, and the progress that has been made, escapes radical change for radical change’s sake. We have a legacy we can build on. Let’s not fix what is already well on the way to being mended – and with considerable success. There is one area in particular I would like to

focus on: the Diploma. The Diploma is central to 14 to 19 education reform, but the future for 14 to 19 education remains uncertain in these very early days of a new form of government. I, for one, am happy to hold my hands up and say

I am a fan of the Diploma. I know, to some degree, that the jury is still out on its merits. Sceptics worry that there is too much choice; that it narrows options at too young an age; that it is neither vocational nor academic. But there is mounting evidence that where there

are strong local collaborations between schools, colleges and employers, the opportunities for young

people through Diploma learning have increased significantly. Last week I visited the Sir Bernard Lovell School

in Bristol, a school at the cutting edge of the 14 to 19 agenda. Sir Bernard Lovell is a member of the Kingswood Partnership, a consortium of six specialist schools and the City of Bristol College offering 14 lines of Diploma learning for students aged 14 to 19, as well as other post-16 qualifications. If the government needs testimony to the potential of the Diploma, this partnership is a shining beacon. Here, 2,000 students, several hundred teachers

and lecturers, and local employers work together to help improve opportunities and prospects for young people, the local community and economy. The partnership provides a single point of contact

for employers and partners and a shared framework for protocols, systems and strategies. Teachers and lecturers undertake joint development work and staff training, not only so that teaching methods are up-to- date, but also that standards are shared and consistent. The website provides a wealth of resources to

teachers, parents, students and employers – including a marvellous blog which provides in-depth insights into e-learning and social media platforms. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to get to grips with this burgeoning and sometimes confusing area. Above all, it is a model that engages young

people in their learning and makes it relevant to their lives and future employment. Student surveys confirm high levels of satisfaction with the learning experience. Universities are also warming to the Diploma, welcoming the independent thinking and learning skills it encourages, which are so vital to higher education study. Surely we can say that education is succeeding

if new forms of qualification motivate more young people to learn, where more traditional forms of learning failed? I am cautiously optimistic that the new coalition

government will see the potential for Diplomas, as do so many of us in education and business. We have invested almost £300 million in them. Employers have been closely involved in their development and they tell me they welcome them as a targeted way of addressing sector skills shortages. If the new Department for Education needs any

convincing about the value of the Diploma they should go and see how well Diploma learning is working at the Kingswood Partnership.

• Anne Evans OBE is chief executive of HTI, an independent social enterprise working to develop exceptional school leaders. Email a.evans@hti.org.uk

SecEd • May 27 2010

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