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VIEWS FROM THE PEN OF… TRACEY LEESE Calling all queens!


In our regular series highlighting authors working in UK education, we hear this month from TRACEY LEESE.


In March 2020 I had just read “10% Braver” by WomenEd and was just beginning to look at leadership through the lens of equality, diversity and gender as we were paralysed by the first national lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Female leaders like Jacinda Ardern and Angela Merklel were gaining worldwide acclaim for the ways in which they coordinated their national responses to the pandemic. I was astounded by their measured, humane and compassionate approaches which seemed at odds with existing widely-held masculinised models of leadership. Therefore, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the COVID-19 pandemic, at least in part, as a reason for the publication of Teach Like a Queen: Lessons in Leadership from Great Contemporary Women. My brother Christopher and I had often spoken about putting our


combined 26 years of classroom experience into a book which would help Early Career Teachers develop into leaders. We had a vision of a CPD text that didn't feel like CPD and felt fresh and irreverent. Equally, we were inspired by the premise of the musical Six – a postmodern pastiche in which the wives of Henry VIII offer us an alternative take on the rather reductive “divorced/ beheaded/ died/ divorced/ beheaded/ survived” and emerge as altogether more powerful figures. Thus our focus on Queens began – not actual queens but iconic


women in popular culture who are developing legacies within their chosen fields. We chose the Nolan Principles as the key leadership behaviours with which to align our Queens. Some of the women we’ve included are commonly accepted as leaders such as Michelle Obama and Jacinda Ardern, while others such as Lady Gaga and RuPaul aren’t… and some of the women (like Meghan Markle) provoke strong opinions, but therein too lie leadership lessons. In order to contextualise the leadership lessons, each chapter is


accompanied by a case study – female leaders who are exemplifying value-driven leadership at the chalk face every day – with a fraction of the recognition of global celebrities. They are the true Queens of the book and it is their inclusion which turns the more abstract lessons taken from the celebrities into tangible and actionable lessons for teachers. Similarly, we wanted to contribute to the ongoing conversation


around representation at leadership level, to raise our voices so that we have more women at policy- and decision-making level, and that more women see themselves as leaders. In the book we talk about leadership as a natural continuation of what happens in the classroom – which is absolutely the case. By definition, teachers are adept at empowering, nurturing and influencing – all attributes absolutely key to leading. Teach Like a Queen is the book I wish I’d had as I began my


journey into leadership, as a text which is both rooted in, and removed from, the profession. A text with practical strategies such as question stems to facilitate difficult conversations, as well as inspirational case studies of women who challenged the status quo, risked disapproval and managed to stay true to themselves. It is my sincere hope that all teachers and leaders can learn from this unashamed celebration of powerful women, and that more female practitioners are inspired to step up, rise up and teach like the Queens they surely are.


www.routledge.pub/Teach-Like-a-Queen May 2022 BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA) What do


awards prove? In her regular column for Education Today this month, JULIA GARVEY, Deputy Director General at school suppliers’ association BESA, talks awards.


It’s Awards season at BESA. In March we attended the Bett Awards, and early May saw the Education Resources Awards. Both events celebrate the achievements of our industry (educational suppliers) as well as recognising the significant contributions of teachers and school leaders over the preceding 12 months. Whilst the awards ceremonies themselves are always a lovely evening, the party is not why companies enter and covet a trophy so much. These awards are hotly contested because they not only mark the winners out as being the best in their class, but they also provide an endorsement that we believe sets those products ahead of their competitors in the eyes of customers. I am lucky enough to the be the Chair of Judges of both the Bett


Awards and the ERAs. Judges are selected by recommendation or reputation to ensure we have specialists in each area under consideration, and a representative sample of teachers from primary and secondary schools, educational consultants, academics, industry figures (often those who have previously been involved in the production of resources and can offer a supplier perspective). Judging is always a two round affair and combines scoring against assessment criteria with debate amongst the judges as to the relative merits of the shortlisted companies. Testimonials and case studies from user schools carry enormous weight as do research and evidence of efficacy. Judges take their responsibilities very seriously and their decisions are


always grounded in the needs of teachers and pupils – for instance, does this product deliver the promised benefits? Is it easy to use? What support is available? And is it value for money? Whilst our judging panels are predominantly teacher focused, Bett


also has the student voice covered, via Kids Judge Bett, which offers an alternative viewpoint on what is ‘best in class’. We scrutinise every aspect of every entrant so that when making a


purchasing decision, teachers can feel confident that products flagged as either a Bett Award or ERA winner is good quality and a worthy winner. However, awards are but one weapon in your arsenal when looking


for qualification or endorsement of a potential product purchase. If you are in any way undecided in your decision-making, what most people will seek out is proof. Proof the product is reliable. Proof it does what it says on the tin. Proof it will be good value for money. Proof that you are making the right choice. Evidence-based proof is the holy grail that you seek. Educational


resource suppliers are not peddling snake oil after all, so some form of hard data to demonstrate efficacy will help convince and reassure. Many companies are alert to this and in recent years have been more forthcoming in publishing their own internal data. Product development usually involves a degree of testing and user feedback, so companies have had this data for years, but have only recently started sharing this with customers. And for those who are too small to conduct their own research, or who want external validation, projects such as the EDUCATE Programme* offer this structured support. The EDUCATE Programme provides training and mentoring to support and promote the use of evidence-informed EdTech to ensure that EdTech products live up to their promises. So as awards season draws to a close, we prepare to start the process


all over again for next year – reviewing categories, updating selection criteria and identifying our judges for 2023. In the meantime we hope you enjoy the winners and find the endorsements helpful.


Julia Garvey Deputy Director General, BESA www.besa.org.uk


* https://www.educateventures.com/startups www.education-today.co.uk 13


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