Leadership


refocus our programmes on the priorities and challenges school leaders face. At the end of September we are co-hosting an event with the National


Association of Head Teachers to explore exactly what courageous leadership means, how other schools are tackling leadership in this new turbulent era and the choices that need to be made. It is intended as a helpful platform for debate, an opportunity to step back and take stock, but what school leaders really need is practical support in bringing courageous leadership to bear on all these challenges, choices and, for some, perceived threats. The starting point, before making any sort of investment in training,


is a sound needs analysis. Where are you now? Where do you want to be? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your skills development needs? Looking at these issues objectively when the entire system is in a state of flux can be difficult without outside support. Using our 3D (Dialogue, Diagnostic, Design) programme, we have


worked with a number of primary schools, each operating in very different circumstances and facing its own distinctive set of challenges, to plot a strategically sound way forward which is owned by key staff.


Developing the next generation of leaders One primary school, part of an innovative learning community set up in 2006, faced the challenge of improving its Ofsted rating from “satisfactory”. Having gone through the teething pains of setting up a new school, the headteacher believed that developing the leadership skills and potential of her ambitious young staff would not only help to achieve this, but also create a legacy model for future staff. Five young teachers worked with a 3D consultant over a 12 month


period, building self-awareness and emotional intelligence, developing their coaching and mentoring skills, learning from other schools and extending their capacity to lead change and teams more effectively. At the heart of this bespoke programme was a parental engagement project – chosen by the participants because it was an area that needed attention – which galvanised the team and gave them focus. One year on, the headteacher has a team with maturing leadership


qualities, systems in place to support future school and leadership development and aspiring young leaders who are not afraid to challenge senior management. Parental attitudes, perceptions and engagement have been transformed. Key to the success of 3D – a feature noted retrospectively by the


participants – is that the identification of problems and solutions comes from the team members themselves. As one participant put it: “We were led without knowing it.”


Changing role for school governors School governors – the unsung heroes of the education system – are also feeling the impact of change. A recent CfBT Education Trust report highlighted that the link between effective school governing and pupil attainment is much stronger in primary than secondary schools. It is arguably even more important for primary school governors to have political awareness, the opportunity for strategic debate and additional support to help them fulfil their expanding responsibilities.


“Sometimes a school needs more than


professional development, mentoring and coaching: it needs something to facilitate a complete culture change.”


We recently worked with the governors and senior management of an


independent day school, rated outstanding by Ofsted, to help them plan for maintaining the momentum. The headteacher was determined that the school’s success should not be an excuse for complacency. He wanted his governors to be part of an exercise to broaden thinking, extend their vision and map out the future. Using the 3D model, we planned a full development day to celebrate


success, consider stakeholder viewpoints and explore future development needs. Together, governors and senior management identified key priorities which are now incorporated into the school’s five year plan. It was a rare opportunity for governors and school leaders to work together in a shared


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professional development exercise, focusing on strategic concerns rather than the day-to-day practical issues which dominated routine governor meetings. Although there was a level of scepticism among governors before the


event, all left feeling that it had been an important benchmark point in the school’s future development. Perhaps more importantly, the day broke down barriers and gave governors a platform for expressing their views and generating ideas. This was entirely down to skilful, non-intrusive facilitation.


Supporting conversion to academy status For primary schools, converting to academy status is a completely new arena. As one headteacher is discovering, the process calls for an unfamiliar but vitally important set of skills. Diana Owen is a National Leader of Education (NLE) and executive


headteacher of two primary schools in Nottingham. It was while she was on a one week intensive professional development experience for NLEs organised by HTI that she made a firm decision to take the schools down the academy route because she wanted the opportunity to “make a difference to more children’s lives”. Now she is leading a newly formed academy trust as one of three founding partners, with more schools from within and outside the region already expressing interest in joining too. “It looks as though the momentum is going to grow quickly, so I


needed rapid access to expertise in crucial areas such as marketing, finance and planning support services.” The connection with HTI through the NLE development week was


timely. We have coordinated mentoring and coaching support from within and outside the organisation to support Ms Owen’s journey to academy status. “I certainly wouldn’t have been able to take things forward with so


much confidence were it not for the national perspective gained during that week, or the invaluable support I am now receiving through HTI.”


More than professional development Sometimes a school needs more than professional development, mentoring and coaching; it needs something to facilitate a complete culture change. One of the great criticisms of education policy in recent years has been that rigidity, prescription and a relentless focus on targets have squeezed out creativity and encouraged risk aversion. Our former President, Lord Jones, articulated concerns on behalf of employers and society in a widely publicised issues paper he wrote for us in 2007 calledCotton Wool Kids. Our response was to launch Go4it, the first national awards scheme to


recognise, celebrate and reward schools which promote a true adventure for learning.


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